Québec

The Polaris Music Prize will soon be awarded. Here’s who Charlotte Cardin is rooting for

The Montreal singer will be competing with nine others, including the Beaches, Elisapie and Jeremy Dutcher, for the $50,000 award. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star Charlotte Cardin can’t wait. On Tuesday night at Massey Hall, the 19th edition of the Polaris Music Prize — honouring the best Canadian album of the year — will be presented, and the pop chanteuse’s 99 Nights will be competing with nine others: folk, R&B and…

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From ‘Bobcaygeon’ to ‘Sudbury Saturday Night’ — this musician is cycling across Canada to learn about the places made famous in song

Aengus Finnan’s musical journey will end in mid-September on Vancouver Island.  By Nick Krewen Special to the Star As our country celebrates its 157th birthday, July 1 will find Aengus Finnan in the midst of a nation-hugging project of his own, one he calls “The Great Canadian Song Cycle.” It’s both a literal and figurative adventure: the folk musician and administrator is currently wheeling across our land on his trusty…


‘It’s an honour, obviously’: Michel Pagliaro on his induction into Canada’s Walk of Fame

Plus ‘Rock of Fame’ honourees like Alan Frew and Carole Pope talk about making it, fan moments and weird concert catering. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star On Thursday night, 13 legacy Canadian recording artists are to be inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame during a special ceremony at Massey Hall dubbed “Canada’s Rock of Fame.” The list is a who’s who of homegrown music talent from the ’70s and ’80s,…


Her first album was about escaping sexual abuse. Her second leans into the ongoing work of survival

“There are days when you feel the triumphant, nothing can bring you down. And then there are days when you struggle,” says Allison Russell. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes, but becoming acquainted with Joni Mitchell more than met the expectations of Allison Russell. The Montreal-born Americana singer-songwriter, who released her second solo album, The Returner, on Friday and plays Venus Fest…


Alexandra Stréliski: From ad agency to award-winning musician with a hand from Jean-Marc Vallée

Stréliski, who has a new album out, Neo-Romance, says the late director gave her a push to make music her career. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star When Montréal composer Alexandra Stréliski release her instrumental album of lush piano music, Inscape, back in 2018, a funny thing happened. It became not only a smash hit in her home province of Québec and the rest of Canada, selling over 160,000…