Chic Gamine

Chic Gamine
OriginWinnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
GenresFolk, pop
Years active2007 – present
MembersAlexa Dirks
Andrina Turenne
Annick Bremault
Sacha Daoud
Benoit Morier
Past membersAriane Jean

Chic Gamine is a Canadian musical group from Winnipeg, Manitoba.[1] Formed in 2007 by vocalists Ariane Jean, Alexa Dirks, Andrina Turenne, Annick Bremault and drummer Sacha Daoud,[2] they began with a vocal pop style backed only by drums, but later evolved to add more instrumentation.[1] Jean, Turenne and Bremault had previously been members of the larger vocal group Madrigaïa.[3]

The band released its self-titled debut album in 2008.[4] They received two Canadian Folk Music Award nominations at the 4th Canadian Folk Music Awards that year for Best Vocal Group and Best New Artist.[5] and the album won the Juno Award for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year - Group at the Juno Awards of 2009.[6]

They followed up with City City in 2010,[7] receiving another Juno Award nomination for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year - Group at the Juno Awards of 2011.[8] In 2013 they released Closer, a compilation of tracks from their first two albums released as their introduction to the United States market.[9]

Jean left the band in 2014,[10] and was replaced by Benoit Morier on bass guitar.[11] The band released a Christmas EP in 2014,[12] before following up in 2015 with their third studio album, Light a Match.[13]

Dirks also performs as a solo artist under the stage name Begonia.[14]

  1. ^ a b "French-Canadian girl group Chic Gamine has gone full-on pop, rock and soul" Archived 2018-08-28 at the Wayback Machine. BeatRoute Magazine, March 10, 2015.
  2. ^ "Chic Gamine booked for California festival". Winnipeg Free Press, August 15, 2008.
  3. ^ "Vocal heroes". Winnipeg Free Press, August 13, 2009.
  4. ^ "C'est très Chic to be a female vocal group". Winnipeg Free Press, November 22, 2008.
  5. ^ "List of nominees for the Canadian Folk Music Awards". Canadian Press, October 8, 2008.
  6. ^ "Taking home a Juno...". Waterloo Region Record, March 31, 2009.
  7. ^ "Local acts fill Winnipeg stages this weekend". Winnipeg Free Press, November 10, 2010.
  8. ^ "Five local artists up for Juno awards". Winnipeg Free Press, February 2, 2011.
  9. ^ "Chic Gamine: The Girl-Group Sound, Stripped To Its Bones". NPR, March 31, 2013.
  10. ^ "Chic Gamine follow their musical instincts; Juno-winning Winnipeg band 'always evolving'". Edmonton Journal, February 27, 2014.
  11. ^ "Fired up". Winnipeg Free Press, October 1, 2015.
  12. ^ "Santa and his band are coming down your chimney; From Grumpy Cat to Motown to Downton Abbey, there's festive listening for all". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, December 11, 2014.
  13. ^ Katie Presley, "Review: Chic Gamine, 'Light A Match'". NPR, October 14, 2015.
  14. ^ "No shrinking violet: Begonia talks power and confidence ahead of Saskatoon jazz fest shows". CBC News Saskatoon, June 24, 2017.