Enjoy great music all summer in Les Jardins Gamelin!

It starts with my own personal preferences, grounded in my experiences. I’ve spent much of my career close to the world of dance, so I have an affinity for festive, danceable music, and that’s definitely an important part of the program. I also paid special attention to diversity, in terms of both music and community. Les Jardins Gamelin is a living space that’s inclusive by design, and that encouragement of social mixing attracts very diverse audiences – people of all ages and backgrounds, including local residents, tourists and marginalized people. 

There’s no doubt that the location of the site influences our choices. I’m fortunate to have worked in the community sector, and our programming is a testament to a desire to fit into our environment. Don’t forget, we’re located just outside the Village, so it’s normal for our selections to also represent 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Les Jardins Gamelin also gives artists a great space for discoverability. Our stage is a showcase that emerging artists value highly. It also appeals to established artists because it gives them a chance to perform for diverse audiences, on an outdoor stage in the heart of Montreal.  

The Jardins will welcome more than 300 musical artists this summer. Thursdays and Fridays will be intense. Electronic music is the centrepiece on Thursdays. Then, every Friday evening, there’s a full slate of music, starting with a DJ set followed by two live acts. Each week has a theme, such as Latin music, 80s-inspired music, hip-hop and so on. On Mondays, people will be happy to know the ever-popular karaoke nights are returning. 

A band that I discovered recently, Kozé, plays a genre of music from Réunion called maloya. It’s crowd-pleasing, warm, rhythmic and meditative. I adore their theatrical stage presence, topical lyrics and danceable music! Finally, I’m proud to present Allô Fantôme, the latest Révélation Radio-Canada winner and a standard bearer for the movement to revive the classic sounds of Quebec in the 70s. Allô Fantôme doesn’t have any other concerts scheduled this summer, so don’t miss this chance to go see them and discover their music. 

I really love Akira & le sabbat, an activist queer collective from Lyon. This will be their first visit to Montreal. Their music has some punk and electropop elements, and their shows are known for their incredible energy. They’ll be here on July 4, two days before they perform at the Festival d’été de Québec. I also recommend the Rainmen, a rap duo that was huge on Quebec’s rap scene in the early 2000s – and they’ve never stopped making excellent music. I also think the public will love Barber & the Queen, a group of young Montrealers (including pianist Simon Boisseau) with strong 80s disco and pop influences.  

My impression is that there’s a trend toward musical fusions involving very different genres and electronic music. I’m thinking of African diaspora genres like reggaeton. Country is also big right now, with a resurgence of interest in line dancing – even in queer communities. On that note, we have the SPURS collective coming to introduce people to line dancing. 

We allow ourselves to explore more freely than most. I think the role of Les Jardins Gamelin is to make culture accessible, by democratizing it in an inclusive setting. Culture is for everyone. I should also note that we’re working with many organizations, competitions and festivals. MUTEK, Fierté Montréal Pride, the Indigenous Peoples’ Festival, Haïti en Folie, Francouvertes, Syli d’or… they all contribute a particular expertise and help make Les Jardins Gamelin successful. It's incredibly important to work together!