A Great Platform

The festival was an important platform for Francophone artists in Saskatchewan. According to Michel Lalonde, a member of the Fransaskois group La raquette à claquettes, it made a major contribution to promoting Fransaskois artists at a time when there were not yet networks of publicists in the province (audio). Gilles Groleau, another member of the group, was in complete agreement with this. He told how the festival gave hidden talent an opportunity to spread its wings (audio). He added that it was a great opportunity for exchanges with professional artists from outside (audio). This gathering of artists from here and elsewhere helped establish a network favourable to disseminating Fransaskois music. Listen to performer Christie-Anne Blondeau on this subject (audio). The festival not only made it possible to create a wider reputation for Francophone artists from home, but influenced young people who realized that it was possible to sing in French. That was the experience of Christie-Anne Blondeau (audio) and Annette Campagne (audio).