Quebec artists less political, more controversial and environmental in 2018

Lenoir, described in the media as the musical revelation of 2018 with his album “Darlene,” says he “feels like a sovereigntist,” but instead of wrapping himself in the Quebec flag, he shows off an image of an ejaculating fleur-de-lis — the national symbol of the province — tattooed on his rear. (File Photo: Hubert Lenoir/Facebook)

MONTREAL — When androgynous glam rocker Hubert Lenoir shoved a trophy into his mouth, mimicking a sex act onstage at Quebec’s premier music awards gala last fall, he shocked a nation but also held a mirror up to it.

Artists in Quebec were once a powerful force for change, especially in the 1960s and during the rise of the independence movement of the 1970s. But today they are noticeably less tied to political movements. If they advocate at all, it is typically for a global cause such as the environment.

Lenoir, described in the media as the musical revelation of 2018 with his album “Darlene,” says he “feels like a sovereigntist,” but instead of wrapping himself in the Quebec flag, he shows off an image of an ejaculating fleur-de-lis — the national symbol of the province — tattooed on his rear.

“It’s a little logo,” Lenoir said of the tattoo in an October interview with host Guy A. Lepage on the popular television show, “Tout le monde en parle.”

“I see myself as a Quebecer — but a Quebecer within the world,” Lenoir said. “And I feel like a sovereigntist, but I don’t really adhere to anything political that is being proposed to me.”

Lepage replied: “Ah, well, there are plenty of sovereigntists like you,” a comment reflecting the wider disillusionment in the independence movement. Lenoir told Lepage he found it “funny to desecrate such an emblematic symbol. It’s cool to have Parti Quebecois supporters hate me.”

Marc Cassivi, a columnist at La Presse who often writes about music and Quebec culture, said in an interview that today’s artists “are in the image of Quebec society,” meaning they talk less about independence and more about global issues. “Artists used to be very much associated with the independence movement,” he said.

During the same October awards show when Lenoir shocked the audience, singer Yann Perreau took the opportunity to call out Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was in the audience, for using $4.5-billion in taxpayer money to buy Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline. Perreau spoke a line from the beloved nationalist poet and singer Gilles Vigneault: “My country is not a country, it’s winter.”

“I heard that Mr. Vigneault is one of your favourite singers, Mr. Trudeau,” Perreau said. “However, when you buy a $5-billion pipeline, I get more the impression that my country isn’t a country, it’s an oil company.”

Quebec’s new artists might be less drawn to the political causes that inspired previous generations, but they are still bold, audacious — and controversial.

Singer Safia Nolin, in her grungy clothes and unkempt hair, doesn’t look the part of a conventional Quebec star. When she arrived at an awards show in 2016 wearing a T-shirt and jeans she was immediately derided on social media.

The founder and co-owner of Bonsound record label and artist management company, who goes by the name Gourmet Delice, said the controversy around singer Nolin’s body and clothing is also a reflection of Quebec society.

“I was sitting next to her — she didn’t even go on stage yet. She had just walked the red carpet, and she showed me her Facebook,” said Delice, whose company represents the young singer. “There were horrible words there. Women said she was an embarrassment to women.” He sees it as a sign people live in social media bubbles. “When we are exposed to this kind of (hate), we realize: ‘Oh yeah, there are people who think differently,”’ he said.

Delice agrees with Cassivi that artists are less politically minded — something he said was apparent during the 2018 Quebec election campaign.

“In general people are disillusioned by politics,” he said. “I met a few artists not long ago and we were chatting, and most of them stayed very silent during the campaign. But, a day or two before (the vote), they came out on social media and told people who they would vote for.”

He said artists will often advocate for specific causes, but the days of singers and other celebrities campaigning with politicians for months ahead of an election are over.

Meanwhile, Lenoir doesn’t seem to mind if he offends Quebec nationalists — or anyone else. The award Lenoir took liberties with in October is called a Felix, named after the late Quebec singer-songwriter, Felix Leclerc, a legend to the province’s independence movement.

Lenoir brushes aside the invective thrown at him on television and online — both for his treatment of the trophy and his flamboyant fashion sense.

Cassivi said he was recently at a Lenoir show in Montreal where the artist made reference to his intimate encounter with the Felix. He recounted that Lenoir said: “I didn’t lack respect towards Felix Leclerc …. I would never do that to someone I didn’t respect!”