Herschel Freeman Agency

Soulful Singing from the Canadian Heartland

Chic Gamine, a vocal supergroup from Winnipeg’s French Quarter, has been singing together in various formations since 1997. Most recently, three of them were members of the acclaimed World Vocal ensemble Madrigaia, and look to embellish that legacy with new, original material. “We find ourselves in a process of natural evolution, and we’re ready to put all we’ve learned over the years into one pot and give it a giant stir. "

With a solo percussionist as their main musical support, Chic Gamine use their voices as instruments, effortlessly launching into intricate string arrangements, bass-heavy rhythm sections and melodious harmonies. Together they create a sound that resounds with soul, passion and their own particular brand of humor that leaves audiences begging for more. " We love to make music, laugh and have fun, and the more people are along for the ride, the better. "

For Ariane Jean, Andrina Turenne, Alexa Dirks and Annick Brémault, Chic Gamine is a chance to take their love of experimenting with vocal roots music and bring it to a whole new level. " We’re really drawing inspiration from the music we love – Gospel, Soul, World, Roots – as well as from the music we’ve performed before – African, Middle-Eastern, South-American music and of course French-Canadian Folk! " After spending years traveling, and performing before noted dignitaries such as the Right Honorable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, as well as for cheering crowds of 100 000 people in Haiti, Chic Gamine is ready to take on the world. " Now that we’ve got such a solid starting point, the sky’s the limit.."

With this winning attitude and a huge reservoir of talent, they now head South to the U.S. in the fall of 2007 and prepare to record their first album in November.

ANNICK BRÉMAULT

Annick is a singer-songwriter, an actress, and professionally-trained dancer who moves with effortless poise from performing to choreography and staging. Her voice pure and agile, Annick sings evocatively, drawn in by music's embrace. On stage, her direct gaze sparkles with aliveness and affectionate wit. She is often overcome by spontaneous bursts of delight and laughter. Prizing emotional honesty and compassion, she is committed to trusting her instincts, and she combines her need to express beauty and deep sensitivity with the need to be purposeful and true. Annick loves "getting there as much as being there". 

ARIANE JEAN

A sweet and compelling soulfulness surrounds Ariane. With the voice of an angel, she effortlessly swings up to the highest notes, her whole body at all times an unrestricted conduit of sound. She dances and plays music with equally unrestrained agility. Ariane has a penchant for the intimate and evocative style of great soul artists. Her gentleness balanced by her individualistic nature, quiet resolve and bouts of astute humour, she now and then opens up her world to reveal its lush array of sounds, colors, and textures.  Everything artistic is Ariane's destiny. 

ALEXA DIRKS

For Alexa Dirks, music is not just a hobby, it's a lifestyle; a language in and of itself. A language she has been singing before she could even speak. Starting as a backup vocalist for other touring artists, Alexa now finds herself - at the tender age of 20 - working with some of the most respected musicians in the Winnipeg community. Her husky, powerful voice, instinctive sense of melody and harmony, crystallize with her love of different styles of music and infuses every one of her vocal performances with breathtaking abandon. She has experience well beyond her years, as evidenced by her creative and mature songwriting abilities. With a voice so soulful and true, it's no wonder she's fronting one of Winnipeg's top R&B/Soul bands – little boy boom- and is now also privileged to be singing alongside some of the city's most talented and versatile vocalists in Chic Gamine.

ANDRINA TURENNE

Big pictures, bold colors, powerful songs, and spontaneous joie de vivre!  Andrina is  sensitive and big-hearted, and finds her home standing in front of an audience. Audacious Andrina, a student of the lives of heroes of our times, speaks out--her concern to make the world a better place gets the better of her. Her bon vivant humour makes her friends laugh, and she loves to try her hand at many musical instruments and off the wall musical projects. Her soulful, dynamic voice, innovative vocal stylings, and the use of popular language in her writing are only a few of her artistic tools. Music and emotion will move mountains. 

SACHA DAOUD

Sacha Daoud is an explosively dynamic and intensely creative drummer, whose work stands out for its back-to-basics employment of pure sounds and organic rhythms. Sacha has been a student at two prestigious music schools, McGill University and the University of Montreal, and is a versatile musician whose playing is notable for its remarkable technical precision. Inspired by his Syrian/Brazilian heritage, he has undertaken intensive research and study of Brazilian percussion and Asian rhythms. Sacha frequently plays with a wide range of artists and groups, including Montreal’s Brazilian staple, the Paulo Ramos Group, Haitian-Canadian vocalist Luck Mervil and singer-songwriter Ariane Moffatt.


REVIEWS 

"Chic Gamine is the new black. They are so strong individually, that seeing them together left me completely flabbergasted? They are a musical tempest. Chic Gamine?s live performance made me feel that I had just witnessed a very important musical moment. Bravo!"

 BENOIT MORIER, Producer, Radio-Canada 

" You absolutely have to see and hear these world class vocalists? A groovin' powerhouse of harmonic brilliance and beauty!! "

 DON BENEDICTSON, Producer, Composer, Musician

"Dynamic, profound and visceral entertainers. Chic Gamine never fails to wow the audience. "

 LEN PODOLAK, The Duhks

 

Press Photos

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Tour Schedule

2008

June 7/8 Detroit Festival of the Arts, Detroit MI
June 20-22 Winnipeg Jazz Festival, Winnipeg MB
June 27/28 Omaha Festival of the Arts, Omaha NE
July 10-12 Winnipeg Folk Festival, Winnipeg MB
July 19-20  CA World Fest, Grass Valley CA
July 25-27 Mission Folk Festival, Mission BC
August 7  Festival at Sandpoint, Sandpoint ID
August 29-30 Strawberry Music Festival, Sonora CA
October 24  Kent High School Performing Arts Center, Kent WA
October 25  Edmonds Performing Arts Center, Edmonds WA
November 13  U-WI, Platteville, Platteville WI
November 14  Beloit College, Beloit WI
November 16 Conserve School, Land O' Lakes WI
November 18-20  Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan WI
November 21  Fairmont Opera House, Fairmont MN

2009

March 21 Colonial Theater, Idaho Falls ID
March 22, Site TBA, Salmon ID
March 26  Myrna Loy Center, Helena MT
March 27 Whitefish Theater, Whitefish MT
March 28  Hamilton Performing Arts Center, Hamilton MT
April 18  Ramsey Auditorium Fermilab, Batavial IL
May 1  Broadway Center, Tacoma WA
May 2 Admiral Theater, Bremerton WA

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