Les Colocs - Profile

Profile

Founded in 1990 and fronted by Dédé Fortin, Les Colocs gave Quebecois songs coloured with humanity, simplicity and social conscience (especially regarding poverty). They marked the history of Quebec music with their sound, infused with brass sounds, first very wild and festive, later more mellow, as well as more inspired by swing, country, blues and African music. This new direction inspired a collaboration with the Senegal-born Diouf brothers for the album Dehors novembre (1998).

The group promoted tolerance and had a multicultural line up. For example, Mike Sawatzky is a Cree from Saskatchewan, André Vanderbiest is from Belgium, and Patrick Esposito Di Napoli was from French Catalonia. Dédé Fortin (as well as members such as Serge Robert, later to be known as Mononc' Serge) was a passionate Quebec sovereigntist. The band played an important role in the 1995 Quebec referendum via partisan shows. They were part of the resurgence of political songwriting in Quebec, after a drought in the 1980s and part of the 1990s. They were past contenders in the music band contest L'Empire des futures stars.

The festive nature of many of their songs contrasts with the deaths of two of their players. In 1994 Patrick Esposito Di Napoli died of AIDS. The band effectively came to an end in 2000 after frontman Fortin took his own life by seppuku. They are considered to hold a major place in the history and evolution of the music of Quebec and have many music fans.