And this Friday, I was in that state of mind, but there was Lara Fabian at the National Arts Center (NAC) in Ottawa.
Let’s say from the outset that I am not a fan of Lara, just like all of these big-voiced divas of the class of Celine Dion or even Barbra Streisand.
I’m more of the Luce Dufault, Karo Laurendeau, Kim Richardson or Laurence Jalbert type. I like it when it scratches me a little. When the voice I hear stirs up shivers.
I know, it’s terrible to say, but Lara or Céline leave me indifferent. I’m not saying that they don’t have great voices, quite the contrary. I’m just telling you that it’s not my cup of tea.
That said, I really didn’t want to see this Lara Fabian show which was stopping for two evenings at the NAC’s Southam Hall (she will be on stage this Saturday).
Besides, I would point out that I had just spent the day on the site of the Franco-Ontarian Festival in Ottawa, so I might as well tell you that I was dreaming of a good burger on the grill, a cold beer and the comfortable sofa in my living room.
Lara Fabian (Sylvain Mayer/Le Nouvelliste)
For the cause
The singer recently undertook a mini-Canadian tour which has already taken her to Trois-Rivières and Montreal before stopping in Ottawa for two evenings and at the Grand Théâtre de Québec, Monday and Tuesday.
After this brief visit, she will drop off her bags to resume the tour, in Europe this time, on October 4 in France and then finish her list of concerts in Paris, on December 7.
So there you have it, a rare visit from the Belgian-born singer to Ottawa that shouldn’t be missed, it seems.
So it was a little reluctantly that I left my cozy Gatineau refuge for a seat — which was, by the way, very comfortable — in the large performance hall located in the heart of downtown Ottawa.
As they say in the profession, I devoted myself to the cause.
Lara Fabian pleased her audience in the federal capital on Friday evening. She will be there again this evening. (Sylvain Mayer/Archives Le Nouvelliste)
A beautiful moment
I must humbly admit that the discomfort quickly turned into happiness.
A joy that is difficult to describe since I had to convince myself that I had made the right decision and that I really liked what I heard and saw on stage.
This girl knows how to sing, but more than that, she does it with all her soul and heart.
There is no doubt about his passion for singing, for sharing his music with the public, and a public who asks for more.
Lara, like all her fans affectionately call him, shone on the Ottawa stage.
Dressed all in red, accompanied by a full orchestra including a high-level string section, she performed all of her great hits, including Your pain, a first extract from a new album that we are promised by the end of the year. It must be said that Lara Fabian’s last effort on record dates back to 2019 with the album Butterfly(s).
Lara’s music lends itself to both complex orchestrations and interpretations a cappella and she did not shy away from her pleasure by playing on all these scenes during her two hours of performance. We were also able to appreciate this beautiful bond she has with her musical director and pianist, Emmanuel Pitois.
Essentials like I love you, I’m sick, Humana And I Will Love Again were obviously part of his setlist.
To my great surprise, Lara is not very talkative on stage. I expected to hear him chatting to us more often. Sure, she shares a few words with her audience, but nothing over the top. Just enough for a few anecdotes on the titles she offers us or, obviously, to thank her audience for always being there.
So, there are only two chances left to see Lara on our land and it’s at the Grand Théâtre de Québec that it’s happening, Monday and Tuesday. And I strongly suggest it.
