Duo
Described as “Invigorating” by The Irish Times, Sophie & Fiachra take the Traditional Music of Quebec and Ireland and mate it in a unique way, remaining true to their roots while creating a new and original sound.
Their sound is rooted in the Fiddle playing and singing of Quebecoise Sophie Lavoie, the uilleann piping and Banjo playing of Fiachra O’Regan from Ireland. Their sound is sweetened all the more by Gaelic and French Canadian song arrangements.
“This is Irish Music with a Quebecois Twist at it’s very, very best” said Mike Harding. This is no surprise given Sophie & Fiachra’s track record with delighted audiences throughout the world – and their deep love for, and intimacy with their respective musical traditions.
Trio
The Sophie & Fiachra Trio are a group of “musiciens sans frontières who refuse to let the Atlantic sunder their love of their own and one another’s Irish and Québecois musical traditions”.
Comprising of Irish uilleann piper Fiachra O’Regan, Québec fiddler/singer Sophie Lavoie, and guitarist André Marchand, the trio take traditional Irish and Québécois traditional music, blended with Lavoie’s “lithe and masterful” compositions. Their choice of songs will “captivate the most casual listener”
“It’s refreshing to hear a traditional band reference the present with such subtlety and finesse”
Quotes from Siobhán Long, of The Irish Times
Sophie Lavoie
Sophie Lavoie is a fiddler, pianist, singer and composer from Lac-St-Jean in Québec. She has played in various Quebecois bands including L’attisée and Tu m’en diras tant. Since 2008, she has been touring with Irish piper Fiachra O’Regan. The duo Sophie & Fiachra has recorded three albums: Sophie & Fiachra (2010), Rewind (2014) and Un Canadien errant (2016), the latter was nominated for Best album of the year at both ADISQ and Canadian Folk Music Award in 2016. “One of the rising stars of Québécois music” (fRoots Magazine), Sophie has recently been awarded a scholarship for a Masters in ethnomusicology at University of Montreal. Her research involves the fiddle style and repertoire of her native region, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.
“Lavoie’s vocal performance is especially impressive on the title-track” Songlines magazine
“One of the rising stars of Québécois music ” fRoots magazine
“Her tune compositions are lithe and masterful, and her choice of songs is enough to captivate the most casual listener.” The Irish Times
Fiachra O’Regan
Fiachra O‘Regan, from Connemara, on the West Coast of Ireland, plays Irish music on the Uilleann Pipes and Whistle, He is a senior All Ireland Champion on both these intruments. Fiachra has performed throughout the world, touring in his own group as well as with many other artists and groups. He is also saught after as a teacher in private lessons and at festivals. In 2008, Fiachra recorded Aisling Gheal, his first solo album, and has since recorded three albums with quebecois fiddler Sophie Lavoie, as well as appearing as a guest on many other albums. More info can be found on his website: www.fiachrapipes.com.
André Marchand
Figure de proue de la scène Trad du Québec, la carrière d’André est jalonnée de projets artistiques qui ont marqué l’histoire de la musique traditionnelle des 40 dernières années. Guitariste, chanteur et compositeur, il débute comme cofondateur de La Bottine Souriante. De 1976 à 1990, il parcourt le Québec, l’Acadie, le Canada, les États-Unis ainsi que plusieurs pays d’Europe et participe à l’enregistrement des six premiers disques de La Bottine.
De 1990 à 2009, il devient ingénieur du son et réalisateur. Il contribue à la naissance de près de 200 projets, donnant ainsi la voix à plusieurs artistes émergents et à d’autres biens connus, concourant activement à l’éclosion du milieu. Durant cette période, il collabore au trio Marchand-Miron-Ornstein qui enregistre Le Bruit Court dans la Ville en 1996 lequel s’attire les éloges du milieu. Il s’associe aussi avec le multi-instrumentiste Gray Larsen avec lequel il parcourt intensivement les États-Unis. Ils enregistrent The Orange Tree en 1993 et Les Marionnettes en 2004.
En 1993 naissent Les Charbonniers de l’Enfer, quintette vocal a capella qui produit un coup de grisou sur la scène québécoise. Le groupe produit six albums dont trois se méritent des prix Félix au Québec. Ils font une tournée et un disque La sacrée rencontre avec le grand poète national Gilles Vigneault.
Chanteur à la voix grave, chaude et bien posée, André est un personnage attachant à l’esprit vif et à l’humour débordant. Son style unique d’accompagnement à la guitare, tout en nuance et en finesse, influence plusieurs générations de guitaristes évoluant aujourd’hui dans le milieu Trad québécois.