AvantAGE

Breaking out of the kitchen through music

La Bolduc

(1894-1961)

Quebec singer, songwriter, harmonica player, fiddler

Version française ici

During the Great Depression women in Quebec were legally tied to their husbands, unable to have bank accounts, open property or vote. They were expected to stay quiet in the kitchen.

But La Bolduc stepped out of the kitchen to sing about her life as a wife and mother. She became the Queen of Canadian folksingers and one of Quebec’s first songwriters who built the music industry.

There had been no plans for her to become a groundbreaking artist who controlled a successful musical empire. She was raised to be a domestic servant and wife. Mary-Rose-Anne Travers, aka La Bolduc, was born June 4, 1894 in the fishing village of Newport, Gaspésie.

Her father taught her basic traditions of Irish and Québécois folk music and she then taught herself how to play the fiddle, harmonica, jaw harp and accordion.

At 13, she was sent to Montreal to work as servant for $15 a month. She married Édouard Bolduc at age 20 and had 14 children with him. The family was poor and suffered; only 4 of their 14 children survived into adulthood.

Her career was launched when Conrad Gauthier’s needed a replacement fiddler player. She soon became a regular and the income she earned helped keep her large family afloat. In 1927, two of her songs, La Cuisinière and La Servante were recorded and 12,000 copies immediately sold. She was soon christened La Bolduc, Quebec’s first “chansonnière.”

“She was our first French folk singer — the first person to speak the ordinary language of ordinary people. That was revolutionary at the time,” Monique Jutras, singer and folklorist[1]

She was so popular and so loved because she sang about about day-to-day struggles, the trials, tribulations and joys of ordinary Quebecers.[2] Her lyrics were inspired by personal struggles of everyday life, and current events yet are full of humour, joy and sharp wit.

She often followed the French-Canada style of enumerative song where foods and tasks are listed as well as the traditional dialogue song, a duet debate between a man and woman. [3] Her fiddle and harmonica was accompanied by music turlutte, a tongue-twisting, improvised melodic riff derived from Irish and Scottish reels. [4]

From 1930 until 1939, La Bolduc travelled throughout Quebec and North America performing with her La Troupe du bon vieux temps. She also recording over 100 songs and collaborated on no less that 56 recordings of other artists.[5] Since stage careers where still frowned upon in Quebec and to keep her reputation, Bolduc never used her real name and was always introduced as Madame Édouard Bolduc.

La Bolduc showed Quebec women they could have a voice outside of the kitchen.

Ça Va Venir, Découragez-vous Pas
Mes amis, je vous assure,
Que le temps est bien dur
Il faut pas s’ décourager
Ça va bien vite commencer,
De l’ouvrage, y va en avoir, Pour tout le monde, cet hiver

Il faut bien donner le temps
Au nouveau gouvernement
{Refrain:}
Ça va v’nir puis ça va v’nir mais décourageons-nous pas
Moi, j’ai toujours le coeur gai pis je continue à turluter

It’s Coming, Don’t Be Discouraged.
My friends, I can tell you
That these are tough times
Don’t be discouraged
Things are going to turn around quickly
There are going to be jobs
For everyone this winter
Just give the new government
A bit of time
It’s coming, it’s coming, don’t be discouraged,
My heart is always gay, and I will continue to turlute

(translation David Gutnick)
 

  • Songs
  • La Cuisinière
  • La Servante
  • Le Commerçant des rues
  • L’Enfant volé
  • Les Colons canadiens
  • Les Conducteurs de chars
  • La bastringue
  • Ça va venir découragez-vous pas

Read more about La Bolduc

[1] https://www.cbc.ca/radio/sunday/the-sunday-edition-february-18-2018-1.4538717/la-bolduc-still-steals-the-show-decades-after-her-short-brilliant-career-1.4538724

[2] IBID

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Bolduc

[4] https://www.cbc.ca/radio/sunday/the-sunday-edition-february-18-2018-1.4538717/la-bolduc-still-steals-the-show-decades-after-her-short-brilliant-career-1.4538724

[5] https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/personnage-person/mary-travers-la-bolduc

[6] https://www.cbc.ca/radio/sunday/the-sunday-edition-february-18-2018-1.4538717/la-bolduc-still-steals-the-show-decades-after-her-short-brilliant-career-1.4538724

Ça Va Venir,
Découragez-vous Pas
Mes amis, je vous assure,
Que le temps est bien dur
Il faut pas s’ décourager
Ça va bien vite commencer,
De l’ouvrage, y va en avoir, Pour tout le monde, cet hiver

Il faut bien donner le temps
Au nouveau gouvernement
{Refrain:}
Ça va v’nir puis ça va v’nir mais décourageons-nous pas
Moi, j’ai toujours le coeur gai pis je continue à turluter