Le Vent du Nord

Le Vent du Nord, a fixture in Canada's traditional folk scene from Quebec, focuses on the folk traditions of French Canada known locally as Quebecois music. They gained widespread recognition across the country after their 2003 debut earned a Juno Award, and have since produced a series of distinctive releases blending elements from medieval French traditions, British folk, and Celtic styles from Ireland, Scotland, and Brittany. The group utilizes instruments including fiddle, mandolin, accordion, guitar, bouzouki, and hurdy-gurdy, while delivering layered vocal harmonies sung mostly in French, setting them apart from many other Celtic traditional ensembles. Their dynamic performances appear on recordings such as the 2010 Symphonique, which received a Canadian Folk Music Award, and beyond their acclaimed studio work on Borealis Records, they teamed up with De Temps Antan for the distinctive 2018 release Notre Album Solo. Le Vent du Nord launched the following decade via 2022's 20 Printemps.

The ensemble originated in 2002 when Nicolas Boulerice, handling hurdy-gurdy and piano, encountered Olivier Demers on fiddle and mandolin during their time at a Quebec music school. Adding Benoit Bourque on accordion and mandolin along with Bernard Simard on guitar completed the original roster. This configuration produced their inaugural effort, Maudite Moisson, issued in 2003 via Borealis Records in Toronto. The recording achieved quick acclaim within folk circles, securing Le Vent du Nord the Juno for Roots and Traditional Group Album of the Year. Before their next album, Bernard Simard stepped aside for Simon Beaudry, whose contributions on vocals and guitar introduced the Irish bouzouki to their sound. Les Amants du Saint-Laurent followed in 2005 as their sophomore release, after which Benoit Bourque departed and Réjean Brunet took his place. Réjean had previously worked alongside his sibling André Brunet—recognized from La Bottine Souriante—in the duo Les Frères Brunet. André has periodically appeared as a guest with Le Vent du Nord over the years before transitioning to permanent membership. Dans Les Airs arrived in 2007, paving the way for the initial live document Mesdames et Messieurs! En Concert Á Mémoire et Racines in 2008. They concluded their productive opening ten years with the fourth studio album La Part du Feu, which brought another Juno win.

The orchestral follow-up Symphonique, recorded in 2010 alongside Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec, claimed Ensemble of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Tromper le Temps emerged in 2012 and Têtu three years afterward, as the band delved deeper into roots, Celtic, and a cappella forms. Now a five-piece with André Brunet established as a core member, they pursued a joint project with fellow Quebec traditional group De Temps Antan, yielding Notre Album Solo in 2018. Le Vent du Nord issued their tenth studio set, Territoires, the subsequent year in 2019. Moving forward into the new decade, they crafted material including originals and traditional pieces that evoked renewal for the appropriately named 20 Printemps in 2022.