Le Vent Du Nord

This February, experience the joyful, soul-filled dynamism of “Quebec Folk heroes,” Le Vent du Nord. The second show in the Sheen Center’s Global Celtic series, this symphonic quintet, “puts all traditional folk naysayers to shame” (Voir Montreal).  Warm up this winter with your soon to be favorite French Canadians.

Le Vent du Nord's electrifying performances had audiences on their feet, swaying and dancing, whooping and cheering, completely caught up in the musicians’ massive talent and exuberant, contagious spirit. Vive Le Vent du Nord! — Mary Burdette, Executive Director, Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival

The award winning and highly acclaimed band Le Vent du Nord is a leading force in Quebec’s progressive francophone folk movement. The group’s vast repertoire draws from both traditional sources and original compositions, while enhancing it’s hard-driving soulful music (rooted in the Celtic diaspora) with a broad range of global influences.

Featuring button accordion, guitar and fiddle, the band’s sound is defined by the hurdy-gurdy, which adds an earthy, rough-hewn flavor to even the most buoyant dance tunes. — Boston Herald

Since its inception in August 2002, Le Vent du Nord has enjoyed meteoric success, performing well over 2,000 concerts over 4 continents and racking up several prestigious awards, including a Grand Prix du Disque Charles Cros, two Junos (Canada’s Grammys), a Félix at ADISQ, a Canadian Folk Music Award, and “Artist of the Year” at the North American Folk Alliance Annual Gala.

The group exhibits great finesse and flexibility, appearing regularly on Canadian, American, French, and UK television and radio, and participating in a wide variety of special musical projects. They’ve collaborated and performed with a diverse range of artists including: Harry Manx, Väsen, Dervish, The Chieftains, Breton musical pioneer Yann-Fañch Kemener, Québecois roots legend and master storyteller Michel Faubert, the Scottish folk band Breabach, singer Julie Fowlis, and the trans-Mediterranean ensemble Constantinople.

Not content with standard approaches to tradition, Le Vent du Nord has also created a symphonic concert that, according to Voir Montreal, “puts all traditional folk naysayers to shame.”

On stage these 5 musicians create intense, joyful and dynamic live performances that expand the bounds of tradition in striking global directions. This is the modern sound of tradition, a music of the here and now.

All bangers from French-speaking Canada’s finest. Whether traditional or original, the music is deftly played with crisp call-and-response vocals and warm-bath harmonies. […] 20 Printemps is the musical equivalent of a theatre’s there is no bad sear in the house, with nary a weak tune in the lot. […] — Li Robbins, SONGLINES MAGAZINE (UK), April 2023