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| © Marjo et ses hommes |
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| International de montgolfières de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, 2010 |
Baloon festivals are great, during the day people are flying balloons en masse and enjoying rides and attractions, and in the evenings gather near the huge stage and watch some big-name rock or pop concert right under the night sky. To be honest, the ballons didn't fly that rainy day, but the unbelievable Marjo made up for it all and earned my unending respect.
The heart of the show was of course, Marjo herself, a wild cat of a woman in whom I discovered an artist of mad talent, fierce energy, gymnast’s moves and an untamed femininity. A 30-year veteran of the Quebec scene, Marjo (Marjolène Morin), that virtual dancing and flirting machine with an unmistakable and poignant air of a broken heart survivor is truly loved by her public, and oh how obvious it was that evening! Oh, how much Marjo savored her each second on stage (like it was her last!), how she electrified the rain-soaked night air over the park, how passionately she loved the audience and let herself be loved back!
In the tradition of Quebec's grand group shows, Marjo et ses hommes besides Marjo’s solos included her duos with ... well, men. Living up to the show's odacious title, Marjo indeed made every one of her very different onstage "men" her own, by loving each one of them and creating a perfect chemistry with each. With every musical number the audience was treated to a little theatrical story of seduction or passion or... just friendship.
Over the course of the show's tour the list of Marjo's guests went through many changes, but Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu saw the ultimate star-studded cast. And so, yes, there was the who-is-who of Quebec's pop and rock scene:
Éric Lapointe -
Mario Pelchat -
Daniel Boucher -
and … yes, Daniel Lavoie -
Curiously, Lavoie's duo with Marjo (Je sais), was one of the high points of the show for me, despite its being at certain creative odds with the show's general flow (not counting the participation of the children's choir...). Unlike most of Marjo's stage partners, Lavoie in his 2010 incarnation was not at all a rock performer, but he was ... Daniel Lavoie, the one and only, and in possession of an artistic license to do his own thing, as usual. His sun-like apparition on stage wearing a snow-white jacket and a 1000-megawatt smile, combined with the white torch of a hairdo had an effect of a light ray bursting in. The public literally moaned with pleasure… (I must say, the public was great throughout the evening.)
And as for Marjo, well, with Lavoie she turned from the wild cat into a more domesticated variety, tuning perfectly into his elegant vibe, but never loosing that signature spark that makes Marjo who she is. Her artistic sensitivity truly measured up to Lavoie's own, who despite being able to easily fill out the stage of any size with his presence, never uses his power to his partner's disadvantage but instead uses it to project light onto his partner. And so, those two, Marjo and Lavoie, gave a beautiful lesson of respect for a partner and of true professionalism. And yes, theirs was a friendship story and they sounded fantastic together!
And so, what do I remember the most about the show 7 years later? Hands down, Marjo herself and her uncanny stage presence, powerful and poignant at the same time. Here she was, every man's dream and dreaming of every man, an unabashedly provocative woman, who yes, likes men and is not shy about it. But she fooled no one, inside the firecracker lives a fragile and lonely soul, stripped naked by the brave artist, and in my opinion it's that contrast that makes Marjo so irrestistible.
One more thought. Strange as this sounds the concept of the show may seem somewhat old-fashioned in our post-sexual-revolution times, when flirting and flaunting your femininity is not in anymore. But being passionate about what you do and not giving a damn about opinions of others is still very much in, so Marjo to me is and always will be timeless. A true icon and a class act.
The show has long been gone, but fortunately it lives on the album, and it's hot as the summer sun.
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| International de montgolfières de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, 2010 |
Bonus: video clip of studio version of Je sais:
© All photos by Paroles, unless otherwise noted
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