Quebec singer, songwriter Serge Fiori, founder of rock group Harmonium, dead at 73
Serge Grimaux, Fiori's manager at GSI Musique, confirmed the death in the early morning hours of Quebec's St-Jean-Baptiste holiday, which he attributed to the consequences of a long illness.
Fiori was the lead vocalist and guitarist for the band, founded with Michel Nomandeau. They were active between 1972 and 1979 and were immensely influential in Quebec.
Fiori was born in 1952 in Montreal. His career took off in 1974 with the self-titled album 'Harmonium' and the song 'Pour un instant' which became a Quebec classic.
Premier François Legault paid tribute on his X account, noting that Fiori left his mark on several generations of Quebecers with songs imbued with poetry, depth and sensitivity.
Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, writing on X, called the founder of Harmonium a 'true ambassador of Quebec culture' and said his lyrics and melodies have withstood 50 years and will continue to do so.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Calgary Herald
13 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
After 40 years, Calgary's Fox Big Band record first album live at the Ironwood
While Benack is front-and-centre, he certainly gets nuanced support from the 17-piece Fox Big Band. The early sparks of the outfit began back in the 1960s when trumpet player and bassist Doug Fox and pianist Ray Petch played in a military trio. Eventually, it morphed into a big band in the 1980s. Since then, 300 musicians have passed through the ranks. Former Calgary Flames organist Willy Joosen, who died in 2022, was once a member, as was trumpet player Al Muirhead, vocalist Claire Flynn and trombonist Hank Zandboer. Article content But Live at the Ironwood is the Fox Big Band's first recording in its 40-year history, nicely documenting a piece of Calgary history that is often overlooked. With acts such a Fox Big Band, the 9th Avenue Big Band (formerly the Prime Time Big Band) and the Calgary Jazz Orchestra, the city has been a mecca for big-band acts for years. Both 9th Avenue Big Band and Fox Big Band do monthly shows at the Ironwood Stage and Grill and they often sell out the venue. Fox Big Band will hold an album release on July 5 wiht Benny Benack III and Angela Wrigley. Article content Article content 'Big band music is a blast to play,' Morin says. 'You don't get to do it every day, because it's expensive. Because of of our focus on big bands in our school curriculums, in high schools and junior highs; because of the (Calgary Stampede Show Band( band and the Round-Up Band, there is such a penchant for instrumental performers and big-band lovers in this city unlike any other city that I've ever seen per capita. To be able to sellout the Ironwood, which is about 140 people, and to do that almost every weekend with big-band lovers who are not just (older fans), they are all ages, it's not like that in Toronto. I live in Toronto for 15 years and I'd go see some of the best big bands in the world. I'd see Rob McConnell's big band, arguably one of the best Canadian big bands of all time, and there would be 20 people there. So there is something about Calgary when it comes to big band music and we are just taking advantage of that.' Article content
Canada Standard
14 hours ago
- Canada Standard
Deepika to be honoured with Hollywood Walk of Fame star
Los Angeles [US], July 3 (ANI): It's a proud moment for India as Deepika Padukone has been chosen as a recipient of prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame star in the coming year. On Wednesday, Deepika's name along with other renowned personalities from the worlds of recordings, motion pictures, television, live theater/live performance and sports entertainment, were announced at a live press conference from Ovation Hollywood, Billboard reported. Miley Cyrus, Timothee Chalamet, Hollywood actress Emily Blunt, French actress Cotillard, Canadian actress Rachel McAdams, Italian actor Franco Nero, and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay will also be honoured with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Deepika's fans have been going gaga ever since the news broke out. Notably, in 2017, Deepika made her Hollywood debut 'xXx: Return Of Xander Cage'. She has also been featured in TIME's 100 most influential people list and Variety's International Women's Impact Report. She has also made remarkable appearances at the Cannes Film Festival and Met Gala in previous years. The honorees were selected by the Walk of Fame selection panel of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce from 'hundreds' of nominations at a meeting on June 20. The selections were ratified by the Chamber's board of directors on June 25. 'We are excited to announce the newest selections of 35 esteemed individuals who will be enshrined on the Walk of Fame as part of the prestigious Class of 2026,' Peter Roth, former CEO of Warner Bros. Television and chairman of the Walk of Fame selection committee, said in a statement. 'These talented individuals have made significant contributions to the world of entertainment, and we are thrilled to honour them with this well-deserved recognition.' (ANI)
Vancouver Sun
15 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
How Bluesfest became "polyjamorous"
There's a new word floating around social media that describes Ottawa Bluesfest perfectly. Polyjamorous is an adjective that mashes up 'poly,' which is a prefix for many, 'jam,' as in musical jams, and 'amorous,' a state of love. In my mind, it can be applied to anyone who likes different styles of music, or events that showcase a variety of musical genres. With a head-spinning lineup that veers from country queen Shania Twain to punk legends Green Day to 80s metalheads Def Leppard, Bluesfest is a classic example of a polyjamorous event, and I'm here for all of it. In fact, I would urge Bluesfest organizers to add a tagline describing it as such in their marketing efforts. Something like: 'Bluesfest: For the polyjamorous.' Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. That simple change would go a long way towards smoothing out a perennial debate for the 31-year-old festival, which this year runs from July 10-20 at LeBreton Flats Park. Every summer around this time, people wonder why Bluesfest is still called Bluesfest. The name should change, the purists contend, pointing to the 'token' number of blues acts in the lineup. Here I want to point out that Bluesfest always has a decent dose of blues, and this year's edition is no exception, although none of it is on the main stage. Some of the most-anticipated blues acts on the 2025 program include the Ottawa-born, Austin-bred guitar guru Sue Foley, rising Mississippi superstar Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram, soulful blues fusionist Fantastic Negrito, B.B. King-inspired singer-guitarist D.K. Harrell and Darrell Nulisch, the singer and harmonica player who was a key member of James Cotton's band. The thriving Ottawa blues scene is also represented, featuring ska-blues bandleader D.B. Cohen, singer-guitarist JW-Jones, and harmonica mistress Catriona Sturton, while Canadian blues acts such as Garnetta Cromwell & DaGroovmasters, Chambers-Deslauriers, Andre Bisson and Rosie's Smokehouse Deluxe are also part of the fun. Still, those of a certain age look back with fondness on the early days of Bluesfest in the 1990s, when there was one stage and it was filled with shows by blues legends such as Buddy Guy, Clarence Gatemouth Brown and Ray Charles. Funnily enough, the bluesworthiness discussion actually started in 1994, the first year of Bluesfest, as sticklers ranted about Buckwheat Zydeco and Randy Bachman not being bluesy enough for a blues festival. Their argument gained steam as the programming shifted at the turn of the century. The 2000 edition of Bluesfest featured a headlining performance by Sting, marking the first time the festival booked a pop superstar. The move sparked a fresh round of grumbling about Bluesfest being invaded by pop music. As you may recall, the Sting show was a huge success and a significant turning point. It not only demonstrated that organizers could handle a major international act but also paved the way for a contingent of top-tier acts to appear in subsequent years. Corporate sponsorship increased and attendance grew. Over the years, the stable of superstars booked at the festival expanded to include rapper Kanye West, rockers White Stripes, pop diva Lady Gaga, electro maestro Skrillex, hip-hop mogul Snoop Dogg, hard-rockers KISS and many more. Attendance swelled to 20,000-plus each night. Early in this multi-genre programming approach, festival boss Mark Monahan realized the pop acts sold a level of tickets that helped subsidize the blues content. 'I'm going to do what I have to do to ensure that I can get the blues acts that I want,' Monahan said in a 2003 interview. 'Without the more mainstream, big shows, we would never be at the point where our entertainment budget is at $1.4 million. The big acts make that happen because, realistically, the pure blues audience just isn't big enough to provide that sort of monetary base.' If you ask him now why the organization has kept the Bluesfest name, he will outline the importance of maintaining a widely recognized and highly regarded 31-year-old brand. 'I think we're resigned to the fact that it's 31 years now and and even if it's another 31 years it'll still be a topic of discussion,' Monahan said. 'But yeah, I do think the debate helps promote the festival.' Fair enough, I say. But there are still people like Dalton Holloway, a public servant with a marketing background, who submitted a letter to the editor of the Ottawa Citizen earlier this year, describing the Bluesfest moniker as 'grossly misleading.' 'I think we owe it to the artists, visitors and ourselves to have a moment of honesty,' Holloway wrote. 'It's time to rebrand Ottawa's biggest festival. A name that fully encompasses the diversity of artists and talent that serenades this city.' He didn't have a suggestion, so I dug up a 2024 Reddit thread on the topic in hopes of finding some ideas. The only one I saw was the unimaginative General Music Fest. Yawn. This brings us back to the polyjamorous descriptor. I like it because it reflects how most people listen to music these days. Thanks to the prevalence of streaming services, music fans can check out any style that strikes our fancy at any time. It's a far cry from the pre-Internet age when identities were defined and friendships forged through the type of music one sought out and listened to, whether it was metal or punk or new wave or blues or rock. Friend groups tended to form around specific musical tastes and stick together. (For the record, I was in the blues crowd in high school.) Those days are long gone and I'm not sad about it. Nor do I have concerns about the relevance of the name. From my perspective, Bluesfest was ahead of its time in opening up our relationship with music. Let's face it. We're all polyjamorous now, and Bluesfest is our annual celebration of genre-hopping abundance. lsaxberg@
