The duo VAZZY brings the audience traditional melodies and songs from Acadia, Québec, Canada, France and the Celtic world. From medieval sonorities with a hint of Arabic and Breton, to lively French-Canadian fiddle tunes and songs from the past and present… embark on a musical voyage in time through the ages, across two continents and an ocean…
VAZZY’s repertoire includes lively songs accompanied by infectious toe-tapping
rhythms, and instrumental arrangements that are sure to lively-up the occasion.
VAZZY can also take you to an intimate space where you will feel the life and emotions of a people through time… also singing beautiful and unhurried songs and ballads depicting a culture still vibrant today…
Of Acadian origin, Suzanne Leclerc sings and plays a variety of percussion instruments including foot-tapping (podorhythm), spoon playing, doumbeck, bodhran and frame drum, jaws harp, tambourine, accordion and harmonica... She learned foot percussion and her first "gigue" dance steps from her father. Many of the songs she sings and the foot percussion and spoon playing, were learnt at home while growing-up in a large family, in northern New-Brunswick.
Bryn Wilkin brings the string instruments to life… He grew up in both Canada and England and later lived in France before travelling extensively through the Mediterranean, Middle East and Asia. Upon his relocation to Canada many years ago, Bryn discovered traditional French-Canadian music, it developed into a passion, playing it on mandolin, fiddle and banjo. He also uses the oud (arabic lute) and vihuela (renaissance guitar) to accompany some of the ballads that are also part of the French-Canadian traditional repertoire.
VAZZY has done presentations in concert halls (small and large), festivals, universities, maple sugar festivals (cabane à sucre), schools and other unique venues and events in both Canada and the US. They can tailor their performances to suit the occasion’s groove, the presenter’s preference and the event’s theme.
In Video
| Vazzy in Saint-Quentin | |
| Vazzy in Grand Forks |
The duo also offers various workshops including: spoon playing and foot percussion, traditional songs, Quebec tunes and traditional folk dance (see workshops section on this website).
VAZZY’s new CD "Dans Mon Chemin Rencontre" is a collection of traditional songs from French-Canada sometimes accompanied by instrumentals pieces from Brittany.
| The two talented musicians offer a warm, authentic, dynamic and engaging performance... Vazzy has entertained audiences in British-Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, New-Brunswick, Newfoundland and the US. |
BIOGRAPHIES
Suzanne Leclerc grew-up in a french speaking Acadian community in northern New-Brunswick. Born into a family of sixteen children with roots going back to 17th Century Canada, singing was a part of family life. She learned foot percussion and her first "gigue" steps from her father. She sings, plays the spoons and taps her feet in the traditional style much like her parents and grandparents did before her. Having a passion for old songs, some of which date back to medieval times, she likes to share with the audience the origin, the context, the meaning and the history behind them… shedding light on the life of the people at the time the songs were created… In addition to feet and spoons, she also uses the doumbeck, bodhran, frame drum, jaw’s harp, harmonica, accordion and tambourine to accompany some of the traditional repertoire of Acadia, Québec, Brittany and France…
Bryn Wilkin was born in Ontario, Canada, and grew up mostly in England, in a family very involved in classical music and theatre. Later moving to Southern-France, and travelling in and around the Mediterranean to Asia, he was drawn into the cultural soundscape of acoustic folk music, and took up the mandolin, beginning a continuing exploration of stringed instruments.
Returning to Canada and inspired by French-Canadian and Celtic traditions, he picked up the fiddle, later moving on to Irish tenor banjo. Over time he has adopted other instruments such as the oud (Arabic lute) and the vihuela (early Spanish guitar). Reflecting a living tradition, he accompanies Suzanne Leclerc in the performance of traditional songs and music from Acadia, Quebec and France. He also draws instrumental pieces from his Canadian and Celtic repertoire.
CD
A collection of traditional songs and music from Acadia, Québec and France.
1. L'alouette chanta le jour 
2. La jolie Rochelle
3. J'ai une méchante mère/Andro
4. Quand j'étais chez mon père
5. Isabeau s'y promène
6. M'en revenant de la Vendée/Andro
7. Les prisons de Nantes
8. Papillon tu es volage
9. La belle et galante/Hanter dro
Price: Can $20 / contact us to order…
WORKSHOPS
We offer various workshops in traditional arts for groups of all ages (young to adults) in various settings.
Adult and youth workshops:
- traditional and "call and answer" songs (french songs)
- traditional tunes from Québec on fiddle, mandolin and banjo
- foot percussion (podorhythm)
- spoon playing (we supply the spoons for the workshop)
- introduction to bodhran (Irish frame drum)
- traditional French-Canadian dance/folkdance
Young audience and school groups (all levels):
- traditional songs from Acadia, Québec and France. (9 year and older)
- traditional children songs, stories/tales from Acadia and Québec and round dances (simple circle dances accompanied by a song). (4-8 year old)
- ancient children games from Acadia and Québec. (4-9 years old)
- spoon playing, we supply the spoons. (9 years and over)
- foot percussion (podorhythm). (9 years and over)
- traditional/folk dance. (9 years and over)
YOUNG AUDIENCE AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS
We have two choices of shows for young/family audiences:
-
The first one, VAZZY in New-France, in which the artists are dressed in
period costumes. We play traditional music and songs of the era, some of which
are still well known in French-Canada today. The performance has a touch of
historical anecdotes relating to the songs we sing and the instrumental pieces
we play. We have performed this show, with historical content in many schools
and toured it for "Festival du Bois" with great success in 2006.
We invite all kids to participate to the show by clapping and singing and, when
space permits, we also like to invite some kids on stage for foot tapping and/or
spoon playing as well as a simple folk dance that they can execute immediately.
We require a couple of long benches or 6-8 chairs on stage for that purpose.
Contact us for our “Vazzy in New-France” Study Guide
- The second choice: Vazzy in Everyday Life, where we still explore traditional music and songs from French-Canada… with songs and instrumental pieces of the repertoire including some more contemporary material. The artists are not dressed in period costumes. There is still a few historical anecdotes relating to the songs as some of the repertoire is hundreds of years old… The kids participate in the same manner as above in this show.
We also offer various workshops that might be of interest to you:
- Traditional songs (French-Canadian repertoire/ 9 years old and over)
- Songs, easy circle dances ("ronde" accompanied by a song), traditional stories and games from Acadia and Québec ( 3-8 years old)
- spoon playing and/or foot tapping (9 years old and over)
- Traditional folk dances (9 years old and over)
If there is enough space on the show’s stage or at the front of the stage we can invite the groups who took the workshops to join us and perform in the show at pre-determined times.
As for our fees, if what we offer is of interest to you, contact us with what you would like us to do at your school and we will then be able to determine our fees and other details concerning our visit.
Do not hesitate to contact us for further details…
TECHNICAL RIDER
We offer a technical rider in PDF format.
CONTACT US
Contact us:
- For more detailed information on what we offer
- To make the arrangements necessary for your event
- To order our CD "Dans mon Chemin Rencontre"
- For any other inquiry you might have
5200 Hardy Mountain RD
Grand-Forks, BC
V0H-1H2
Tel: 250-442-3818
vazzymusik@hotmail.com
www.vazzy.ca