Nouvelle vieille musique
2025
Eight years after his last release, J-F Belanger has recorded a new album, the first in a series that will explore Quebec’s musical heritage. For this project, the composer has enlisted over forty seasoned musicians from the traditional scene. Among them are the groups Eritage, De Temps Antan, Genticorum, Les Chauffeurs à pied and La Fanfare Monfarleau. The joyous result of this unique collaboration is a new collection of music that highlights regional differences and variety of dance music, as well as showcasing the unique Quebec style of fiddle playing, both past and present.
Samples
One of the most respected tune composers of the French-Canadian scene […] Here he presents a magnum opus of original tunes, each one created in the style of a specific regional tradition in Québec and Acadie and featuring guest musicians who are the absolute best of the best in the tradition. It’s a tour de force of an album and an absolute joy to listen to from start to finish
A very, very traditional sound: it’s so realistic […] It’s of very high quality
A delightful and unifying album
The atmosphere is festive on this elegantly orchestrated album
It’s a truly magnificent project […] The title is fantastic
Wow! This is something really cool […] He has such a huge repository of his tunes. With each piece, Bélanger plays with the invited ensemble, each time reinventing himself with a new band, perfectly matching the sound of his guest ensembles to the piece he composed […] He is truly multi-talented […] His versatility is unquestioned […] The recording offers a wide vista, a view of the totality of styles inherent in Québécois traditional music, while paying homage to the differing styles of the invited guest players – the best in the business in the world of Québec folklore. The overall effect is one of joy. The pure, unadulterated joy of some of the best trad players in the world making new music together, music that is both new and old at the same time
One of Québec’s best-kept secrets […] a visionary tune composer deeply embedded in the Québécois folk tradition […] Bélanger invited nearly everyone on the scene […] everyone’s here, the absolute best of the best. And still Bélanger’s tunes shine through, each sounding markedly different, none sounding “composed”, and all leaving me lunging to grab my fiddle and play along […] ***** (5/5)
Someone who is very important […] who has left his mark on traditional music […] Nouvelle vieille musique, as the name suggests, consists of compositions that are, of course, rooted in Quebec […] I love them all […] the highlight of the album, a gift: I thank Jean-François Bélanger for having done the work of reforming Éritage […] it’s wonderful
Les entrailles de la montagne
2017
After three years of painstaking work, Jean-François Bélanger has completed recording his diptych dedicated to the influences and instruments of Scandinavian music. Part two, Les entrailles de la montagne, examines the forces of nature and their effect on the human psyche. For this project, the Montreal composer solicited the participation of twenty veteran musicians of the traditional and world music scenes, among them Yann Falquet, Patrick Graham, Natalie Haas, Bertil Schulrabe and Jeannot Bournival. The meticulous and finely-honed production addresses the reflective, instinctual side of each human being. It invites the listener to converse with the bubbling magma of our unconscious and to hear the pulse that has existed within us since the beginning of time.
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Flawlessly played, endlessly varied and fascinatingly complex (…) a tone poem
« Les Entrailles de la Montagne has a gentle grace and balance that’s close to perfection »
« The whole project is a masterpiece of subtlety »
« Number one on our list of astounding recordings this year was Les Entrailles de la Montagne from the very talented multi-instrumentalist Jean-François Bélanger […] We loved his poetic approach to composition of melodies that sound like they’ve been on their way from Scandinavia for millennia […] so phenomenally unique and wonderful »
« A superb album »
« These melodies will take you […] down a vivid, technicolour road […] The sheer mastery of these unusual instruments is astounding […] Twenty-five years of mastering his art has lead to this work; the time spent shows magnificently […] a work of art »
« A meticulous and thoughtful artist whose work is imbued with a variety of moods and feelings […] a truly deep look into the roots of Nordic music »
« A meticulous and thoughtful artist whose work is imbued with a variety of moods and feelings […] a truly deep look into the roots of Nordic music »
« A multi-instrumentalist of genius (…) You get the feeling that each note, each tone is well-thought-out, imagined, felt (..) A rich production for our greatest pleasure »
« Sweetness, romanticism and depth come together in these delicate compositions […] This is a well-conceived, original approach in a top-notch production »
« This music is really beautiful! (…) A man who is both inspired and inspiring »
« A flawless album […] an absolute favourite […] you must listen to this disc! »
« An enchanting album from start to finish which will transport you and touch your soul […] an album you could quickly become addicted to! »
« Les entrailles de la montagne verges on perfection. This splendid, imaginative work brings us to creation and contemplation […] You must listen to this great beauty from start to finish, often and without reservation »
« Magic! »
« Truly, what music! […] we are in a world teeming with creativity! […] an exceptional musician […] he knows the innermost recesses of the soul […] a great composer and interpreter who knows how to find the people he needs to interpret his music […] Really, we want more of this! »
« Really well done! »
« Once again, this album is admirable, really well thought out […] I love it! »
« A musician and composer of genius […] a really marvellous album »
« The composer displays a universe of rich, uncluttered sound and a tradition that is very much of today »
« The careful recording and production combine the reflexive, instinctive and noble traits that exist within every human being […] an unqualified success »
« The brilliant composer and multi-instrumentalist, Jean-François Bélanger delivers a less introspective, more energetic and ebullient album […] The album is one of great sensitivity; simultaneously gentle, intimate and soaring but also cavernous, deep and passionate: superb! »
« An imagined, universal folklore […] a formidable success »
« A very beautiful album »
« A work of beauty […] a universe in which a light emerges, always »
« One of the best CDs of 2017 »
Les vents orfèvres
2014
After three years of painstaking work, Jean-François Bélanger has finished recording his diptych dedicated to Scandinavian instruments and their influences. Part one, Les vents orfèvres is dedicated to matters of the spirit. For this project, the Montreal composer has enlisted the participation of twenty veteran musicians from the traditional and early music scenes. Among them are Susie Napper, Olivier Fortin, Natalie Haas, Yann Falquet and the Claudel-Canimex Quartet. The meticulous and finely-honed production touches the part of us that refuses to succumb to the noisy, fast-paced rhythm of modern life. Instead, it proposes a deeper encounter, at once profound, introspective and welcoming.
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« Sweetness, romanticism and depth come together in these delicate compositions like the magnificent « Valse nuptiale » […] This is a well-conceived, original approach in a top-notch production »
« Entirely conceived, composed, played and brilliantly recorded in Quebec, this supremely beautiful music sends waves of calm and introspective pleasure to those that listen with an attentive soul. […] An exceptional album»
« A novel adventure from superbly talented musicians who open up new horizons to us. […] A fertile marriage of Nordic music and our own traditional music »
« A unique listening experience, a bridge between cultures and traditions […] A marvel of invention and poetry. […] Truly beautiful »
« Nordic beauty **** […] A little treasure […] A magic disc that makes us dream, just like the beautiful poems by the composer, included in the booklet »
« A work of great beauty »
« This is a wonderful multi-instrumentalist, very gifted. […] From baroque to early to traditional music, Jean-François carries us along in his poetic musical universe. This album is magnificent »
« I didn’t expect to be utterly transported by such a creative artist! […] What beautiful melodies! I’ve listened to his album over and over and I’m still enchanted by this music »
« Another highly talented musician […] His Scandinavian inspired compositions are gentle and mesmerising, and have a captivating natural flow and poetic flair »
« A truly passionate musician who delivers his art unreservedly […] he succeeds in creating a splendid atmosphere »
« He composes […] with the precision and passion of a true craftsman »
« A passionate and absolutely unique artist […] A beautiful, ambitious instrumental work […] A work of such timeless beauty that you want to listen to it straight through and then effortlessly listen to it again »
« A superb creation with touches of Nordic, early and Baroque, traditional and folk music […] An album that is at once contemplative, calm, introspective, inward-looking […] In Les vents orfèvres, a number of worlds interweave: a harpsichord evokes the court of Versailles on clicking wooden keys; a meandering nyckelharpa signals a profound, ancient tradition; a little waltz zips along with double bass and viola da gamba; not counting the waltz played by the Claudel string quartet, harmonium and celestial voice, a traditional church sound with underlying organ and, finally, a bansuri invites meditation to the party »
« Beautiful! […] This music is magical, delightful […] really exceptional […] When I listen to this disc, suddenly I want a fireplace, a snowstorm, a power failure, a glass of port »
« What beautiful music! »
« A composer and multi-instrumentalist of genius […] Les vents orfèvres is a work of joyous contemplation, every note is perfect […] This album charts new ground with great sensitivity »
« A piercing journey into the interior landscape of the artist’s mind […] Throughout we hear music-making of great vividness and immediacy; the songs seem to traverse not just time, but also a musical topography infinitely more vast than the relative insularity of the instrument »
Les mauvais conseils
2003
After two instrumental discs, Jean-François Bélanger released an album in 2003 in which a number of singers gave voice to his texts, melodies and arrangements. Also, for the first time, were included some traditional pieces. The result is a spellbinding, introspective album.
Samples
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« His colours are those of autumn, his rhythms have a certain melancholy, with arrangements to match. And, with the distinguished guests he has invited to play, the overall quality is assured »
« The composer has a remarkable talent for creating ambiance and atmosphere »
« The sensitivity on this disc borders on virtuosity »
« Here folk is played with panache and the compositions are so finely arranged that you can nearly smell the Irish heather (…) More than any other traditional folk artist, JFB the composer has mastered the art of hybridizing, while JFB the musician has made rare pearls from every instrument he touches, like the sitar, violin, bottle-neck and nyckelharpa, among others. Belanger the arranger showcases the tragic and the beautiful, interpreted with great honesty by such luminaries as La Volée d’Castors, Catherine Lambert and … Daniel Boucher. A splendid disc! »
« You are going to really love this. A new favourite. Really a very, very good album »
« Listen as though you were diving into a book of tales […] you are surrounded by the atmosphere and the universe that Jean-François Bélanger creates for us. The arrangements and execution are very impressive »
Avant la derive
1999
Released in 2000, Jean-François Bélanger’s second album is liberally inspired by a number of traditions and musical styles. Bringing together 35 musicians, with at least as many instruments from all around the world, the multi-instrumentalist gives us here more than an hour of compositions rich in imagery and cultural crossover.
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« What a piece of composition, arrangement and interpretation! (…) We’re talking here about music, that has feelings, that talks to you, that expresses itself freely (…) There is a great diversity of sounds on this disc and overall a throughline that gives it all a great coherence (…) A creation that merits a place of honour on all the radio networks on the planet (…) Recommended anytime, anywhere and for a long time! »
« This blissful homage to adventurous folk music would make Indiana Jones jealous »
« Between a catch-all of traditional music and an imagined folklore, Jean-François Bélanger creates a coherent world, organised with sensitivity and intelligence »
Cap-aux-Sorciers
1995
Released in 1995, this album of instrumental compositions rapidly put Jean-François Bélanger on the map of Quebec folk music. Drawing on diverse influences, the signature of this young musician has proven to be his originality and accessibility. For this project, he has the enthusiastic participation of twenty other musicians. Twenty-five years on, this album will still be refreshingly original.
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« This is a disc that does not leave the listener feeling indifferent […] His music deftly blends such diverse styles as Irish folk, rock, jazz, Indian raga, medieval music and classical, all with remarkable maturity and savoir-faire »
« He composes music that is at once earthly and soaring, a fusion of traditional and contemporary »
« I never believed it was possible to go further than La Bottine Souriante in pushing Quebec folklore into other textures and musical languages »