BLOU

Thursday, December 30, 2004 The Halifax Herald Limited

The 2004
Honour Roll
Many talented members of our arts community took giant steps forward this year. As the new year begins, here are some people we want to recognize for their stellar contribution to our entertainment scene. They're bound to make a difference in the coming years.

BLOU

Blou maintained its position as the playing-est Acadian band in the world for the fifth year in a row with 175 shows from Church Point to China in 2004.

With a multiplying fan base in Denmark and France as well as China, (and also including Italy and Germany), Blou drew huge audiences abroad this year and sold a lot of CDs.
Here at home Patrice Bouliane, Kevan Corbett, Sean Kemp and René LeBlanc played all over Atlantic Canada including 16 days straight in Nova Scotia celebrating the Congrés Mondial Acadien festival (Aug. 1-15).

It is the band's 10th anniversary in a year which also saw it win the francophone group of the year award at the 2004 ECMAs (winning it before in 1999), where it was also nominated entertainer of the year - the first such Acadian band to be thus honoured.
Earlier this month Blou was nominated 2005 ECMA folk-traditional group of the year, and in November the Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia named it top francophone artist.

Adding a Parliament Hill appearance on Canada Day, which gave the band a national TV profile, Blou finished 2004 with two shows at the Newfoundland Arts and Culture Centre Dec. 9-10.

Having taken some time off for Christmas, Blou will now prepare for the recording of its fourth CD.

- Chronicle Herald

TATTLER

By ANDREA NEMETZ Entertainment Reporter
Blou’s Christmas CD golden in Canada
Nova Scotian Acadian group Blou’s Christmas mini disc Tringgle has been certified gold in Canada.
Founder Patrice Boulianne will receive his gold record in Montreal on Dec. 13, during his performance at the famed Kola Note. Blou is the first francophone artist from Nova Scotia to receive such an honour for a mini-disc, says the group’s management company À l’infini communications in a news release.
Tringgle, released in November, was produced by Toby Gendron (Éric Lapointe, Sylvain Cossette, Luce Dufault) and also includes the participation of the multi-instrumentalist Jeff Smallwood (who has toured extensively with Roch Voisine).
The two-time East Coast Music Award winning performers from Church Point (1999 and 2004 francophone album of the year) have performed in over 2,500 shows in 25 countries in the last 12 years.
Shows are scheduled in Quebec throughout December and in Ottawa in January.

- Chronicel Herald 2006

So you think that James Brown, Tina Turner and Rockin' Dopsie Jr. are hard working stage performers -- well how about Blou? What? You never heard of Blou (pronounced ~Blue). I've been waiting to here this group in person for quite some time. Blou is from Canada -- actually Nova Scotia. They have been together six or seven years playing Cajun and Zydeco covers plus French folk-rock mixing Motown and traditional Acadian tunes. In 1999 they won the coveted East Coast Music Award for "Francophone Recording of the Year" as well as the Eloize Winner of "Artist of The Year", and have traveled extensively in North America and Europe, unfortunately, with too few US performances. This year they are a 2001 East Coast Music Awards nominee for "Francophone Recording of the Year" and for "Group Roots/Traditional of the Year." During this trip to Europe they are performing in Holland, Belgium and France. Later this year all over Canada, and back to Europe two more times. Their powerful rhythms and stage presence captivated the crowd. When they finished the set -- they were cheered and were thoroughly soaked with perspiration - especially the charismatic leader -- Patrice Boulianne. . It was an extraordinary performance; one capable of headlining a large stadium event. On their Holland tour, at a jazz festival in Breda, they appeared before 50,000 appreciative fans and infecting even more with the Zydeco portion of their performance.. If you ever have the chance, this band is also a "must see group."


By Gary Hayman (Zydeco e-magazine). - Zydeco e-magazine

«BLOU, whose second album is titled RYTHM'N BLOU...As the title suggests, they perform music based on their Acadian French heritage but also influenced by American blues and rock. All the music is well played on accordion, guitars, fiddle and mandolin, with the occasional harmonica. The result is an appealing mixture of Celtic, French and Louisiana style. Traditional music fans will enjoy version of French songs «Pique la baleine» and «Passant par Paris», as well as a frenetic take on a tune they call «Reel de la Nouvelle-Écosse»...On this CD, song like «Murmures», where these guys are obviously being themselves and playing from the heart, stand out as the best of a very good bunch."


Steve Winick, Dirty Linen USA - Dirty Linen

«Although they do well with their Cajun-zydeco covers, their strength lies in their infectious French folk-rock originals, featuring well enunciated vocals, mandolin, harmonica, accordion, and testosterone-less guitar playing. Additionally, there's related Celtic material that's superbly done, indicating they're the rare breed that can do it all.»


Dan Willging, Dirty Linen Magazin - Dirty Linen

«Ten years, a long list of accolades and fond fan memories later BLOU shows no signs of slowing down. So, why don't you speed up and discover Acadico. I mean, you and I may not have thought mixing Motown and traditional Acadian tunes together would sound so sweet. But fortunately someone did. Thank you BLOU!»


Russ LeBlanc, MTT MediaPipe - MTT MediaPipe