The 2023 SOCAN Gala took place on May 7 at La Tohu in Montréal. Here’s Part 1 of the interviews we conducted on the red carpet during that memorable evening.
The great Plume Latraverse received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The “bad boy” of the Québec music industry is naturally discreet, and usually shuns media availabilities, but he did agree to chat with us on the red carpet to discuss his unusual career. Working in the margins of the industry, Plume has nonetheless left an indelible mark on the Francophone music world with his “old, crooked tunes.”
Click on the image to play the Plume Latraverse video interview from the 2023 SOCAN Gala
Success and awards are piling up for Montréal-based duo Banx & Ranx, made up of Zacharie “SOKE” Raymond and Yannick “KNY FACTORY” Rastogi. They’re behind hits by international star Sean Paul, as well as homegrown artists like La Zarra, Rêve, Preston Pablo, Zach Zoya, Marie-Mai and many others. Everyone wants to work with them! They stepped onstage several times during the Gala, winning the Anglophone Popular Music Award (for “Flowers Need Rain,” performed by Preston Pablo); the International Award (for “Tu t’en iras,” performed by La Zarra); and the prestigious Songwriter Award – Non-Performer. Here’s a snippet of their entertaining acceptance speech, and their thoughts from the red carpet.
Click on the image to play the Banx & Ranx video interview from the SOCAN Gala
Ginette Reno has left a permanent mark on Québec, and continues to do so, having just released her 42nd album. Her career path is full of important encounters with songwriters, who she says have given her the greatest gifts, and “taught her how to live.” That career is now celebrated with a Special Achievement Award. We caught up with her after this emotional moment to discuss, among other things, her special relationship with the creators of her songs.
Click on the image to play the Ginette Reno video interview from the 2023 SOCAN Gala
In a world dominated by men, Nathalie Bonin is one of the most active screen composers in recent years – and one of the most rewarded as well. Among the international honours she’s earned over the past two years are a 2022 award and nomination at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards; being a 2022 finalist at the Music+Sound Awards; an award and nomination at the Mark Awards; and two awards for her scoring work for the documentary Women Warriors: The Voice of Change. Small wonder she was honoured at the Gala with the Screen Composer of the Year Award.
Click on the image to play the Nathalie Bonin video interview from the 2023 SOCAN Gala
This year’s SOCAN Songwriter Award – Performer went to a duo who seem to have found a recipe for success, since every one of their radio singles has topped the charts, at one point or another. With their song “À ma manière” having accumulated more than three million views on YouTube, and the song “Partout” having just passed the million-view mark, and with nearly 60,000 copies sold of the album Acrophobie, Roxane Bruneau and Mathieu Brisset more than deserved their SOCAN Gala honour! We caught up with them on the red carpet to find out more about their creative bond.
Click on the image to play the Roxanne Bruneau video interview from the 2023 SOCAN Gala