Renaud Celebrates 50 Years With Symphonic Tribute in Quebec

French singer Renaud is being honored in Quebec with symphonic concerts celebrating his 50-year recording career, bringing together Quebec performers and the National Jazz Orchestra to reinterpret his best-known songs. The performances take place Oct. 9 at Wilfrid-Pelletier Hall in Montreal and Oct. 11 at the Grand Théâtre de Québec, with the 74-year-old artist attending both events, according to Radio-Canada and Le Devoir. The program includes performers such as Mara Tremblay, her son Édouard Tremblay-Grenier, Luc De Larochellière, Édith Butler, Diane Dufresne, Marie-Jo Thério, Daniel Boucher and Keith Kouna.

Under the musical direction of Antoine Gratton, the arrangements combine familiar hits with lesser-known songs from Renaud's extensive catalog. Among the songs being revisited are Mistral gagnant, Laisse béton, Morgane de toi, Manhattan-Kaboul, Manu, Dans mon HLM and Morts les enfants. The concerts follow anniversary performances held in Paris in May, which brought Renaud together with fellow artists to celebrate five decades in music.

Renaud told Radio-Canada that his relationship with Quebec audiences was a major reason for organizing the anniversary celebrations there.

"I am lucky to have a small audience in Quebec that loves me very much, and I wanted to celebrate these 50 years of songs with them," Renaud said in the interview. The singer has a long history with Quebec, recalling a 1984 performance at the Pigeonnier venue in Quebec City that drew an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 people. He has also cited Quebec musicians Robert Charlebois, Paul Piché, the Cowboys Fringants and Richard Desjardins among the artists he admires.

Renaud's influence on the participating musicians varies with their backgrounds. Mara Tremblay discovered his work as a teenager in the early 1980s, while Luc De Larochellière credits the French singer's irreverent humor, conversational language and socially engaged songwriting with influencing his own approach to writing songs. Tremblay will perform Manu and sing Manhattan-Kaboul with her son. Édouard Tremblay-Grenier, who became familiar with Renaud's music while preparing for the tribute, will also perform Dans mon HLM.

"I love Renaud's cheeky side and his tender side. Both sides of the coin," Édouard Tremblay-Grenier said, describing Morgane de toi as a masterpiece of songwriting and a moving declaration of love for the singer's daughter. De Larochellière selected Morts les enfants, a song addressing vulnerable children and society's indifference, because he believes its themes remain relevant.

His contribution reflects the political and social concerns that have been central to Renaud's writing throughout his career. Gratton, who arranged the orchestral program and leads the National Jazz Orchestra, said working on the material revealed how closely the lyrics and music depend on each other. He sought to preserve the songs' original character while introducing new orchestral perspectives that reflect the different periods of Renaud's career.

The repertoire also includes Miss Maggie and La mère à Titi, both of which required particular attention during the orchestration process. Renaud has described Miss Maggie as a tribute to women and expressed affection for Son bleu, which celebrates the working class, and La médaille, known for its irreverent tone.

Beyond the Quebec performances, Renaud is preparing new material despite continuing doubts about his songwriting. He told Radio-Canada that three new songs had already been arranged, although he did not believe he had written another song comparable to Mistral gagnant, one of his most enduring works. The singer also said he hopes to tour again when the new album is ready.

He has been working on his voice with a speech therapist and the choir director of a choir he established with his partner, Cerise, in Nantes, France. Renaud told Radio-Canada that he has not consumed alcohol for four years and stopped smoking three years ago, although he said he remains dependent on vaping. He credited his relationship with Cerise with helping him overcome alcoholism after years marked by depression, mental health difficulties and a stroke approximately 15 years ago.

The May anniversary concerts in Paris will also produce a double live album titled Renaud et ses invités au Zénith de Paris, scheduled for release in early December. According to Ici, the 31-track collection will feature about 30 guest artists, including Alain Souchon, Francis Cabrel, Jean-Louis Aubert, Nicola Sirkis, Hugues Aufray, Cali and Pascal Obispo.