Polished, heartfelt and spirited, Matapat played, danced and sang their tradition with humor and energy. They were well known for their charismatic and engaging performances.
Benoit Bourque, one of Canada’s finest step dancers, was cone of the founders. He played accordion and provided the percussive underpinnings of the band through his virtuoso bones and spoons playing, and his incredible dancing feet.
Acadian born Gaston Bernard was equally facile on mandolin, fiddle, guitar and bouzouki and had been involved in a variety of musical projects, ranging from French to Greek, Celtic and African music.
Composer/arranger Simon Lepage added his diverse background in world music, jazz and classical as a rich compliment to the band’s unique presence on the stage. All three harmonized beautifully on songs and ballads, all introduced in English and sung in French. The audiences were treated to an assortment of jigs, reels, quadrilles and rondeaux. Benoit and Gaston were former members of renowned band Ad Vielle Que Pourra.
Matapat split into two groups in 2002. Benoit Bourque founded Le Vent du Nord features along with Oliver Demers, Nicolas Boulerice (of Montcorbier) and Bernard Simard, of La Bottine Souriante.
The 2007 lineup included Gaston Bernard, Simon LePage, Tommy Gautier and Francois Dauphin.
Discography:
Matapat (Borealis, 2000)
Petit Fou (Borealis Records, 2002)
2.5 (Intermède, 2004)
Que de Peine et d’Amour! (Intermède, 2007)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
