It's a bit like being at home on the stage of the Théâtre de l'Européen. A bouquety of yellow roses on the piano, old chairs two or three opaline lamps. Well, she feels at home with her French cousins, does the pretty Quebec singer Lynda Lemay. After her Parisian début at the Sentier des Halles last spring, she has returned with the blessing of Charles Aznavour who has been completely put under her spell. Yet she is already a star in her own country. Her second album, "Y, won lots of prizes. Her third opus should follow in short order. At a mere thirty, the frail blond Lynda Lemay is somewhat of a surprise. Far from today's electronic trends, she turns up with her guitar strung round her neck and a permanent angelic smile. Not to mention writing talent pronounced enough to put her into the poetic songwriting category.
As productive as she was precocious, Lynda Lemay wrote her first song at age nine, and dedicated it to her father. Since then she cannot be said to have suffered from writer's block. Apparently she has already composed over five hundred songs. Everything inspires her. Every day, she sucks up inspiration from humdrum events, motherhood ("j'veux de marmaille, j'veux qu'ça attrape la varicelle..." - I want kids, I want them to catch measles) - incest, euthanasia ("laissez-la donc tranquille, laissez-la donc dormir, retirez vos aiguilles..." - leave her alone, leave her to sleep, take the needles out) or again melancholy: "Drôle de mine" (funny sort of lead/face) is a hymn of love to her pencil. But mostly her songs are full of humour and derision, it is here that her pen takes on all its ferocity: "Au nom de toutes les Frustrées" (on behalf of all frustrated women) takes revenge for all sworn-at women. Another rails at visitors who turn up at unexpected moments. In fact, "La visite" and "Les souliers verts", have become classics that the audience clamour for systematically.
The advantage with Quebec singers (as we noticed with Lhasa de Sala) is that they chat between songs. Lynda Lemay, for instance, uses her between-songs time to teach us a bit of Quebec French "ben de chez nous" ("like wot we speak"). Thus, we learn that "agaces" (annoyers) are girls who lead men on, "mémérer" ("grannyspeak") is to criticise someone behind their back,.and that "chauffer une vanne" is to "chauffeur" a van, from the American. Of course, it puts the audience in a good mood for the rest of the show, and it gets very funny. Sometimes she is a bit sick-making, as when she sings "Les filles seules" with meaning looks at the cello player, who, the public has been informed, is re-so-lute-ly single.
Discography :
Nos rêves ( 1991 not distributed in France)
Y (WEA 1994)
Lynda Lemay (WEA 1998)
