Are we still ashamed to come from Laval?

Within Montreal, journalist Louis-Philippe Messier travels above all else, his office in his backpack, searching for fascinating people and subjects. It speaks to everyone and cares about all circles in this urban history.

Did you know that many artists from Laval are ashamed to come from this city?

When I heard Luc de la Rochellier’s touching new song about his childhood in Laval de Rapids, it surprised me. In fact, it’s an album entirely dedicated to Laval, with references to the Viau Bridge and Laval Centre, which the artist launched this week.

Beau Dommage has long been immortalized in songs from Montreal neighborhoods. By comparison, technically, Laval does not exist. As if life in El Jesús was limited to Colossos and the misty (deceased) soulless shopping malls, dilapidated streets, and historyless neighborhoods where nothing happens, that inspires nothing. “If I said to myself from Laval, people were smiling… Laval was a bush below Longueuil,” says Luc de La Rochelle, who arrived in Montreal in the 1980s.

the abomination

The idea of ​​singing Laval never crossed his mind. Michel Rivard started his singing career in his childhood neighborhood. Me, I had to wait until I turned 54 for my country. “

at the release of his album Rhapsody Lavaloise At the Cabaret Lion d’or, I invited two young artists who claim to be from Laval.

Poet Ariane Gagnon, 33, admits she gave up her home island while studying creative writing at UQAM. In her late twenties, not only did she return home, she dedicated her collection titled disgust anatomy To “Laval, my beloved symmetrical city.”

Musician Mark Gravel, also 33, is pure. Because his companions at the Cégep de Saint-Laurent did not care about his origin, he decided to bid by adopting the artist’s name “Marc Gravel de Laval”.

Made in Laval

For three years, Mr. Gravel suggested that his city limit the books or albums made in Laval in its bookshops. He found himself the spokesperson for this initiative called “Made in Laval”.

He was recently nominated for a Gemini Award for Music for the series The last felquistGravel will release an album next spring. Like Luc de Larochellière, even this “lavallité” activist risks doing it… in Montreal!

“Laval has a population of 440,000, but there is no proper setting for a budding artist, and that contributes to the problem,” he says.

“I wasn’t able to launch my collection in my neighborhood because there was no bookstore in Saint Rose,” adds M.^I Gagnon.

Turk head

I don’t understand the reasons for anti-Laval arrogance. “Laval’s cultural and urban model embodies the opposite of what the Plateau, Rosemont or Villery represents, and because of its proximity and this difference, Laval is a paper, a counter-model,” explains author Matteo Pelisle, who presented his article Welcome to the land of ordinary life Explore the world of suburbs.

According to Mr. Pelesl, may Laval rest in peace because Montreal has found a new Turkish face. “The new chip in trendy Montreal neighborhoods is Quebec City and its radios, which make people laugh and elicit disdain.”