CD finds its way into existence … finalement

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This article was published 08/12/2010 (5596 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The CD Ma plaine à moi . . . Hommage a Ziz  may have taken a year and a half to produce — or more than 20 years — depending on how you look at it.

That’s according to Guy Boulianne, director of the choir Les blés au vent, which recently released the CD.

The CD — a tribute to the prolific Franco-Manitoban songwriter Gérard (Ziz) Jean — was finally launched on Dec. 4 with a concert at Precieux-Sang community hall.

The roots of the project extend back to the 1970s, when Boulianne and Ziz were on very different paths.

Ziz had paired with Gérald Paquin to form the musical duo Gerry and Ziz, which released an album Finalement in 1976.

Ziz’s song Histoire d’antan proved so popular that it is still, to this day, considered the unofficial anthem of Franco-Manitobans.

Boulianne meanwhile had just started directing Les blés au vent, a choir composed of university students.

Francophones in the area were spread out among different schools and were looking for an opportunity to congregate.

Louise Dupont, one of the founders of the choir, had contacted Boulianne and requested he lead the choir, which would fulfill the purpose of bringing the French students together.

Even in the choir’s early years, Boulianne said he was drawn to Ziz’s music.

“His songs just blew me away,” recalled the choir director.

He approached Ziz and asked him to arrange some of his music for the choir.

“I was kind of reticent,” recalled Ziz, who said he was not used to writing the harmonies needed for choral arrangements.

He eventually agreed and things snowballed from there.

“(Boulianne) would say: ‘Once you’ve done that one, do that one also’,” Ziz said, chuckling.

Their efforts reached fruition in 1988, when Les blés  au vent held a concert composed entirely on Ziz’s songs.

At that point, Boulianne was already floating the idea of creating a recording of the music.

But before the project could get off the ground, Les blés  au vent disbanded in 1992 as Boulianne headed in another direction — putting the endeavor on hold indefinitely.

When the choir reformed in 2006, Boulianne said he knew it was only a matter of time before the CD became a reality.

Now, more than 20 years after the first Ziz tribute concert in 1988, that dream has been realized.

He added that a main goal of the project is to spread Ziz’s music to the world.

“People are familiar with maybe one or two song,” he said, explaining the CD — with 24 tracks — provides a window into some of the songwriter’s less-known songs.

Don Graham, who has been singing with Les blés au vent since 2007, said he also hopes to bring an awareness to today’s youth about the man who created legendary songs like Histoire d’antan.

“I’m not sure if everybody knows his name, especially not the young generation,” he said. “They know his music.”

As for Ziz — who along with Paquin participated in the CD’s launch concert — the songwriter said it’s wonderful to hear his music recorded and sung again.

“This is really a treat,” he said. “It’s not music until it’s heard.”

Boulianne at first said he wasn’t sure how he felt about coming to the end of a project that has been 20 years in the making.

He then turned to Ziz’s music once again for an answer.

“He’s got a song that’s called Finally…Finalement.”

arielle.godbout@canstarnews.com