His dazzling passage through life was significant for Quebecers. She was only 42 years old when she left us on May 14, after having fought hard for eight years against cancer. On June 22, those close to Mélanie Renaud and many people who loved the singer said goodbye to her in words, in tears, in songs and in photos…
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The room at the community center of the municipality of Saint-Mathieu de Laprairie was packed. It was necessary to add twice as many chairs as planned because there were so many people who wanted to attend this tribute. Mélanie left to join her dad, who was also dying of cancer. His mother, Nicole, as well as his sister and brothers, Julie, Daniel and Michel, honored his memory. The latter spoke at the start of the ceremony to paint a portrait of his older sister. “He was a perfectionist who never stopped practicing his voice, making vocals, even when his career was slow,” he recalled with admiration. She was exceptional and left no one indifferent!” He ended his speech by addressing Mélanie directly: “You, my sister, who did not have a simple or peaceful life, but who was able, in your last years, to reinvent your life, go in peace, sister !”
Of course, the celebration brought many tears. But some moments brought a smile. Like the one where the mother of the deceased, Nicole, went to sprinkle water, a symbol of baptism, on the urn containing her daughter’s ashes… and took the opportunity to throw water at the two priests with a teasing look!
Valerie Blum / ECHOS VEDETTES
Valerie Blum / ECHOS VEDETTES
It was the deceased who herself chose the songs for her funeral eulogy. In particular, we could hear the solemn Ave Maria as well as a song by Mélanie Renaud, Let the sun shine.
And we scrolled through his life in photos. We highlighted the extraordinary destiny of this Haitian woman, taken in by Quebecers, who shone in her adopted land. The one who won the Félix for revelation of the year in 2002 leaves behind five albums and an immortal success, I blame myself. Mélanie Renaud leaves behind inconsolable relatives and fans.
