For as long as she can remember, Isabelle Boulay has always loved the holiday season: the decorations, the food, the visits, but above all the Christmas music, which unites and comforts. This year, the singer invites you to get into the spirit of the celebrations with her warm show Waiting for Christmas.
• Also read: See your favorite stars on the red carpet at the ADISQ Gala
Isabelle, how did you come up with the idea of offering a Christmas show?
The release of my album Waiting for Christmas dates back to 2019, but because of the pandemic, I never had the opportunity to put on a show. This year, in July, I noticed that we had a few free dates in December. I spoke about it to my musicians, my second family, whom I affectionately nickname “the Boulay brothers”, a wonderful gang who agreed to embark on my Christmas adventure.
Do you always get butterflies when you present a new show?
Yes, always. In the age of social networks, where everyone has their eyes focused on their screen, shows represent even more precious moments to connect with the human beings around us and to create common memories.
(Isabelle thinks and adds:)
I don’t want to sing just to sing, I have to have a purpose to get on stage. And the purpose ofWaiting for Christmasit is to offer joy, comfort. I am convinced that music can repair the social fabric, especially during the holidays, because it is a time of year when we come together to spend quality time together, putting all our worries aside. . I have always loved the Advent period, during which we prepare for the holiday season. For me, it’s as important as New Year’s Eve. You can imagine my excitement at the idea that my show is one of the little joys that allow us to get into the magical December mood!
What do you love so much about the holiday season?
I talk about it in my show: I like the art of performing rituals, cultivating traditions, transmitting values, and the holiday season embodies that for me. In my opinion, the period preceding New Year’s Eve allows us to touch the best of human beings, because everyone helps each other to have a joyful and comforting end to the year.
There is also a nostalgic side to Christmas music.
Nostalgic and comforting. I remember my very first Christmas alone, in Paris. It was 1995 when I joined the cast of the musical Starmania. I always said it was a gift from my father, who died that year. While things were pretty quiet on the work front, I asked Dad: “Help me, send me a project, I want to sing.” A few days later, I received a call from Luc Plamondon, who offered me the role of Marie-Jeanne. So I spent my first holiday season away from my family, on the other side of the ocean.
How did you feel?
From 1is November, I went to buy some music CDs to get in the mood for the end of year holidays. As the French do not have the musical culture of Christmas records, I got my hands on English-speaking records, and these songs accompanied me during my first holiday season in Paris. Since then, I have added to my Christmas record collection: I have more than 300 CDs! No question of getting rid of it, even if fashion is digital! (laughs) Besides, my desire to record a Christmas record came from that Christmas.
With all these CDs on hand, you couldn’t have lacked inspiration the day you decided to record a Christmas album!
I went there with my favorites: The child with the drum, White Christmasetc. But I also wanted to include original songs: It was Christmas in Parisof Jacques Venerus, and Even if everything changes aroundwritten by The Boulay sisters. In my show, I include these songs, as well as some titles from my album Songs for the winter monthswhich perfectly suit the atmosphere of New Year’s Eve.
What is your best Christmas memory?
I have experienced all kinds of Christmases in my life, but my best memories are undoubtedly those related to my early childhood in Gaspésie. I had a large family, both on my father’s side and my mother’s side. Since my parents owned a restaurant, parties were often held at our house. My father and mother were the catalysts for bringing people together, and everyone was welcome at home.
They were welcoming!
In Sainte-Félicité, the community was tight-knit, everyone helped each other. I have very clear memories of my father, who would deliver food to families in need. When I was little, I found it beautiful, this solidarity more present than ever during the holiday season.
Your father was the victim of a serious accident on December 24, right?
Yes. It was 1980, I was eight years old. Our life was completely turned upside down when my father almost lost his life in a serious road accident. I might have hated Christmas afterwards, but my sense of celebration remained intact. Despite life’s difficulties, I always wanted this time of year to be bright.
What do you mean?
After this tragedy, my parents separated. With her salary as a seamstress, my mother had difficulty making ends meet. After helping, we had to be helped in turn. I will always remember that one year we received a Christmas basket. I was a teenager at the time, and a boy from my class came to wear it with his father. It bothered me terribly. But you know what? Looking back, I’m grateful I went through that. I realize that it is a life lesson that I carry within me. I have experienced extreme poverty, which makes me appreciate abundance all the more. I am convinced that my compassion, my desire to share, comes from there.
Do you cook during the holidays?
Yes, I cook a lot. I am the eldest in the family; my brother, Jean-François, is three years younger than me, and my sister, Geneviève, six years old. At the Boulay family, we learned to cook when we were little, helping our parents. Preparing holiday food started weeks in advance, with donuts, pies and fruit cakes. Besides, today, one of my little pleasures is preparing Christmas shortbread with little shiny balls on top, like when I was a child. I also like to cook anything that is simmered, with the comforting smell that fills the house.
As someone who lives on both sides of the ocean, can you say that Parisians are in the mood for celebration?
From the beginning of November, Christmas decorations appear and it’s magical! The street where I live in Paris is filled with lights and decorations, the shop windows are breathtaking. When my fiancé (Éric Dupont-Moretti) was Minister of Justice, the dining room of his private apartments overlooked Place Vendôme, filled with multicolored lights. I didn’t live with him at the ministry, I was just going to visit him. This place therefore retains its exceptional aura, where the history of France was written.
In closing, what will your Christmas look like this year?
From 1is November, I take out my decorations. Not all at the same time: I make the pleasure last by adding one or two per day… a bit like an Advent calendar! (laughs) As my fiancé recently changed his life, I don’t know if I will spend Christmas here or if I will go to Paris. One thing is certain, the performances of my show Waiting for Christmas will take place until December 22. Afterwards, my lover will come to join me in Quebec where I will fly to Paris.
To discover all the show dates Waiting for Christmas: https://isabelleboulay.com
