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Les Chauffeurs à pieds

Les Chauffeurs à pieds
Quebec Traditional Music

The four musicians of Les Chauffeurs à pieds (meaning either Drivers on Foot or The Feet Warmers) are incontestably among the best in Canada for playing reels and jigs on fiddle, harmonica, mandolin, recorder, French horn, guitar, and foot tapping, as well as signing traditional upbeat or old ballad songs. With its nine albums, including some nominations for prestigious awards, its collaboration with several well-renowned artists, enthusiastic reviews from the media, successful international tours, not to speak of its musical intelligence and twisted sense of humour in English, Les Chauffeurs à pieds confirms its status among today’s main folk bands.

Antoine Gauthier

Antoine Gauthier is a renown fiddler, mandolinist, singer and poet. He has recorded an album entitled “Quebec Traditional Fiddle” with his mother Céline Fortin on piano, and is actually preparing a second one. Several of its compositions are played by diverse musicians in Canada and abroad. He is the founder of Scorbut Records and Director General of the Quebec Council for Intangible Heritage.

Louis-Simon Lemieux is a master fiddler, harmonica player, guitarist, foot percussionist and singer. He is regularly playing within various projects or groups, notably with Le Rêve du Diable, La Bottine souriante, and his father fiddler Daniel Lemieux, with whom he recorded two albums. He teaches music on occasion during specialized camps. Louis-Simon is also a well demanded soundman and owns his own studio : le Studio des Trois Lits.

Olivier Soucy is a guitarist, fiddler, harmonica player and singer with an incredible sense of music. He performs within different projects or bands. He notably realized two solo albums : Patrimoine Irréel and Le quadrille du peuple. Oliver teaches agronomy at Laval University.

Louis-Simon Lemieux
Benoît Fortier

Benoît Fortier is an outstanding recorder, harmonica, French horn, bass and keyboard player as well as a vocalist. He holds a master degree in interpretation (French horn) and a master degree in composition. Benoît regularly works within important projects soliciting its numerous creative talents, notably with symphonic orchestras. Discover his last project Benoît et Colin.

Olivier Soucy

« Here comes the next big thing from Quebec. »

 FolkWorld – Germany

 

« Les Chauffeurs à Pieds have become one of the most impressive and innovative groups on the Quebec scene. »

 Dirty Linen Magazine – USA

 

« Un superbe mélange de fougue et de délicatesse »
  Yves Bernard, Le devoir

« Here’a a fine festival ban, absolutely no doubt about it. »

 Living Tradition Magazine – UK

 

« The band offers not only formidable drive and joy, but a lightness of touch that makes the music perfect for dancing. »

 Sing Out! – USA

 

« One of their finest quality is the way they are able to express the sort of people they are through their music; it is full of zest, humour, vitality and commitment. »

 fROOTS Magazine – UK

 

« They have created something different – finally – from the Quebecois trad scene. »

 Steve Fruitman, CIUT FM – Toronto, Canada

 

« J’ai été conquis par une énorme dose d’originalité dans les arrangements, et une qualité musicale rare. »

Trad Magazine – France

 

« Then at the peak of excitement, and this excitement was full of peaks, all Chauffeurs’ players sand out, their voices layering the harmonies and bringing the crown to his feet. »

 The Chronicle Herald – Halifax, Canada

 

« Les Chauffeurs à pieds sont plus libres et plus fous que jamais avec De ses couteaux microscopiques »

 Yves Bernard, Le Devoir – Québec

"Les Chauffeurs is one of the most venerable and adored trad bands in Québec."

Elizabeth Szekeres – Roots Music Canada

Awards

Winners - Opus Awards - Best traditional music concert (2020)

Past shows (Sélection)

Quebec

Festival d’été de Québec

Carnaval de Québec

Festival international des arts traditionnels, Québec

Festival Mémoire et Racines, Joliette

Les FrancoFolies de Montréal

Festival celtique international de Montréal

La Grande rencontre, Montréal

Mondial des cultures, Drummondville

Festival La Virée, Carleton

 

Canada

Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Colombie-Britannique

Mission Folk Music Festival, Colombie-Britannique

North Country Fair, Alberta

Winnipeg Folk Festival, Manitoba

Festival du Voyageur, Manitoba

Harbourfront Centre, Ontario

Celtic Roots Festival, Ontario

Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival, Nouvelle-Écosse

US

Chicago Celtic Fest, Illinois

Cityfolk Festival, Ohio

New Bedford Summerfest, Massachussetts

Europe

BBC Radio 2 Cambridge Folk Festival, Angleterre

XVIIe Jeux du Commonwealth, Angleterre

Sidmouth Folk Week, Angleterre

Warwick Folk Festival, Angleterre

Brampton Live Festival, Angleterre

Celtic Connections, Écosse

Skagen Festival, Danemark

Gooikoorts Volksmusiek festival, Belgique

Picnic Festival, Belgique

Festival Musiques et Traditions, Belgique

Festival Awaranda, France

Festival Interceltique de Lorient, France

Festival des musiques d’ici et d’ailleurs, France

Festival Il Mondo in Musica, Italie

Australia

Port Fairy Folk Festival

Blue Mountains Music Festival

Africa

Xe Sommet de la Francophonie, Burkina Faso

Les Chauffeurs à pieds
De ses couteaux microscopiques
Les chauffeurs à pieds avec DJ Millimetrik

Les Chauffeurs in concert

 

A multidisciplinary performance

 

Traditional dance with DJ

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