“Du Nord au Sud” by Le Vent du Nord appears on the Quebec ensemble’s album Voisinages, released on 10 October a record centred on the idea of neighbourhood: musical, geographical, and human. Written by Olivier Demers, the track joins traditional and original material within the album’s theme of neighbourhoods: a reflection on the musical and cultural ties that link Quebec to its Irish, Scottish, Acadian and North American surroundings.

Over two decades and more than 2,400 concerts, Le Vent du Nord have become the most visible representatives of contemporary Quebecois folk. Their work keeps the French language and the province’s rural repertoire alive while renewing it through rhythmic invention and harmonic depth.

“Du Nord au Sud” draws on Quebec dance-tune phrasing. The twin fiddles of Brunet and Demers carry the lead in close counterpoint, with Boulerice’s hurdy-gurdy drone sustaining the centre and foot percussion marking the beat. Réjean Brunet’s bass and diatonic accordion hold the low register, while Gagné’s guitar and bouzouki trace the harmonic turns.

The arrangement of “Du Nord au Sud” involves the group’s five members — Nicolas Boulerice, André Brunet, Réjean Brunet, Olivier Demers and André Gagné — combining their characteristic instrumentation of fiddle, accordion, guitar, hurdy-gurdy and rhythmic foot percussion. The piece extends the band’s established practice of blending traditional Quebecois music with contemporary arrangement while keeping French-language folk at its centre.

Find out more and purcase the album HERE