Year: 2026

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N.35 The fire inside

There are no good or bad artists.
We express ourselves.
We let ourselves go. We don’t judge.
We celebrate the freedom that is ours.
We sing for the life that breathes into us the visceral energy that drives us forward.

We won’t be here for very long.
We break down the barriers. We mustn’t let ourselves be brought down.
The strength within us is stronger than all conditioning.

We live in a crazy society. We are both colonizers and colonized. We are shaped by an oppressive system that diminishes the potential of the human soul. So we take everything that has been given to us, imposed on us, and violently instilled in us, and digest it in the unquenchable fire of our guts. We spit it back out into the world, one artistic expression at a time.

We break our chains, then we help others free themselves as well.
We change the world one action at a time.

What we say, what we do, how we do it, and why we do it is paramount.
The evolution of a race plagued by a spirit of war and division inevitably comes through awareness of our daily actions.

We must not underestimate the impact of our actions.
Kindness will defeat all the tyrants of this world.
Cooperation shall bring our oppressive systems to ashes.

The path is endless.
It is up to us to leave a better world behind when we depart.
It will be up to future generations to carry the torch.

And then, when paradise becomes a reality in the minds and hearts of every being on this planet, another mountain will rise before us. There is no end.
Life flows and expands regardless.

When maturity sinks deep into our bones, working toward a more compassionate, humorous, and authentic world becomes a given.
We must plant trees, knowing full well that we may never get to relax in their shade.

That, to me, is what it means to be an artist.
That, in my view, is what it means to be alive.

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N.34 Listening, Dancing and Foolishness

As one a.m. rungs around, I’m still at La Récré on DeLorimier.
First time here, never heard of it before coming.
It’s super artistic, a little trashy in all the right ways and imbued with an air of creative freedom.

Now, if you know me a little, finding me in a bar in the early hours of the morning is not a regular occurrence anymore. I’ve played in so many in my younger days that it still feels like going to the office.

I go to bars for two reasons: Music and Dance.
Tonight, both are here to greet me.

The more I hang in these sorts of places, the crowd somehow keeps getting younger and younger.

I can already picture myself being an old rocker of a dude rippin’ the guitar for a bunch of 20 year olds. It ain’t so far off.

And so is Life.

The wheel turns.
The planet spins.
The ink empties itself on the page
My mustache grows ticker by the minute and damn am I glad to be living!

Tonight, it’s ‘’Sacré Jam’’.
An event of free dancing and musical improv.
My good pal Amine hit me up and told me I’d fit in.

He put me in a team of musicians I do not know, I get there fifteen minutes before showtime and we play for an hour. Just my kind of party!

A highly creative place takes hold when I tune the way I play not only to the musicians on the stage but also to the myriad of dancers. At first, I may be trying to consciously match a person’s movements but pretty soon, I forget who plays what first and the whole thing just flows like a ferocious spring river.

To take it a step further, I tune the way I play to the venue and how it emanates at that moment. If I want to go beyond all of that, I tune into the universe: I plug in the vastness of silence and accept everything that comes.

Now that’s my kind of party!

The further I grow into musicality, the more I know the interconnectivity of all things.

Socializing is a lot like jamming.
Telling a good story is a lot like musical composing: choosing textures, colors, build ups and punch lines to get the point across. Organizing events is a lot like having a great conversation.

There is no separation. Information can easily crossover one domain to another.
Knowing one thing deeply opens a lot of doors.
It gets easier to venture into unexpected territories.

Boy am I glad to be living!

As 2 a.m. rungs around, I’m getting philosophical again and I am reminded of a very important fact:

Even the wisest of fools needs a good night’s sleep.

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Sunday Chronicles n.82 As fierce as a morning sunrise

Just the other day, on the balcony, as I was soaking in the warm sun whilst being tickled by the frisky springtime wind, I realized something.

Everything is a teacher.
Each and all little situations, people, objects, landscapes, emotions, thoughts and all the rest has something to teach.

One only has to bear witness, pay attention and provide the password that opens all doors:
‘’Thank you’’

I used to believe I had to work harder.
But no matter how hard, I never seemed to get where I wanted.
On the off chance that I got there, I got there at the end of my energy, unable to truly enjoy the fruits of my labor.

I grew up in a society built on fighting and competition.

Us against them.
Winners and losers.

Being endlessly judged if we are worthy enough to get to the next level.
Having to sit for long hours to gorge on information in order to regurgitate it on an exam paper.

Taken out of ourselves most of our youth to pay tribute to a soulless machine out of control.

Some of us get scared by the ordeal.
Some of us tune out.
Some of us dissociate.
Some of us thrive
Some of us remain lost in the fog for the rest of our lives.

The man I am today knows.
Everything is a teacher.
Everything can be used for growth.
It is up to me to find out the lesson.
No one can decide how I am within myself unless I give my permission first.

My life is my own.
I am free

And so are you.

Through authentic presence and tender surrender of simply being can the strongest of chains evaporate. The way is not without pitfalls but the journey towards true freedom is one of the greatest treasures we can offer ourselves and share the fruits with our fellows.

Nothing on this path is perfect but through acceptance of what we can change and what we cannot change, can clarity blossom as fiercely as a sunrise on the ocean’s horizon.

Have a great Sunday my friend!

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N.32 Of leadership, dance and tables

One of these Sundays, a couple of friends and I went to help our common pal, Phantom, for his dance event. The Tribes War Battle 5.

We do the build up, tear down, video and photography.
I’m on photographer duty.

Dance offers a new challenge that I dig. The dynamic movements push me deep into the present moment in order to capture the illusive ‘’perfect shot’’.

It starts with the children category. Most of them are Phantom’s students.

The ambiance is family friendly and devoid of judgment.
The kids uncover their best moves in front of the public.
For most, it is their first dance battle.

The music rages on and Phantom is the MC.
A little girl ventures on the floor. She twists and turns to the style of brukup.

At the mic, Phantom says ‘’yeah! let’s go! it’s your body. It’s your music!’’

The moment got inscribed into my memory.

A phrase so simple yet so strong.
A true example of positive leadership that empowers children.
It moved me.

That’s the kind of action our world needs.
It’s famished for it.

We all want to be free
We all want to be seen and accepted
We all want to thrive in a sane environment filled with care.

Most of us did not grow up in that type of world.
But, we can offer it to others who follow in our footsteps.
It is a choice we can make.

All in all, I believe true richness is the one we give away freely.
A sort of energy that grows the more we share it.

That’s the type of abundance that interests me truly.

The impact we have on our environment is surprising. None of us is a lonely island in the middle of sea. We are interconnected whether we know it or not.

I’m at this point in my life where I decide to nourish what surrounds me with joy, acceptance, compassion and love. In terms of ‘’shareable richness’’ I have the honor and gratitude to consider myself a very rich man.

All of this reminds me of a story a percussionist friend of mine told me, one late night, after a gig. It goes like this:

‘’I was in the States for skating and one of my bro was a well known DJ in the area.
He gave DJ classes to young guys from the hood.

One night, at the club, the place was packed and my buddy was the headliner.
During his set, he gives the reins to his student so that he makes a couple of beats and soaks up the experience. The kid obviously has talent.

Meanwhile, he comes to hang with us by the side of the stage.

We chill and some guy asks him: ‘’aren’t you afraid he’s going to steal your crowd? Everybody is here for you, you should enjoy it, don’t you think?’’

To which my bro responded
‘’No man, I ain’t afraid. There’s enough food for everybody on the table’’

Sometimes the simplest phrases are those that are most impactful.

‘’There’s enough food for everyone on the table’’
‘’It’s your body. It’s your music’’

I thank you for the positive leadership my friends!
I’ll do my best to give back all those riches.

AHO!

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N.31 In the Mouth of Living

There are some, who, after a long day, go back home for the purpose of staring into a t.v screen. But us, we go into an old church to make contemporary dance and music.

To each his/her own life.

I season Mathie’s arm aerobics with my non-tonal guitar playing. It’s all a question of dynamics, tone and rhythms. Notes are not so important.

Rafa slams the praying kneelers to the ground with fervor. I drag a chair across the floor for its unique squeak quality and Alex drops noise pads of his own making. Christian shouts into the snare drum. Rhythmicality is optional.

The dancers share temporary stories, wordlessly expressed. They express the spaciality of the church, its natural reverb and our nameless music.
The scripted choreography is non-existing.

It’s total freedom.

Devoid of judgments or second thoughts, we thrive on each other’s inspirations.
Within the confines of this evening, there are no creative limitations.

It’s a visceral celebration of our fundamental freedom of being.
Time dissipates in an ocean of sounds and corporality.

For the first edition, I’m there as a photographer. The perfect opportunity to hone my experimental photography. I let the flow of the moment take over.

At the second one, I am standing upright on one of the mass benches. Guitar in hand, I get inspired by impromptu movements that manifests in my line of sight.

A thought passes through me.
‘’I’d do that of my Life, it makes me so happy’’

This is the kind of thing that I love deeply. I couldn’t do any of it outside of Montréal, city of artists.

Well well well, matter of factly, that’s exactly what I am currently doing with friends I appreciate. Life is well tailored.

Good place, good moment in time and good team.

All of it in an old chapel turned into a center for social and cultural organisms.

There are intangible riches in this world.
It’s not with experimental art that I’ll be able to buy a house by the sea but it sure fills my heart with an untamed sense of celebratory gratitude.

How great it is to be alive!

The other day, during a literary quest at the national public library, I stumble upon a stand bearing the name ‘’talk to an elderly for 25 cents’’

An old guy with gray hair is sitting on a stool. Our eyes meet.

‘’What is this?’’ I ask
‘’Well, sit and find out’’ he says.

‘’what’s your name?’’
‘’Hervey, and you?
‘’Simon’’

We discuss anything and everything in between for a moment. I ask him what has been his life filled with.

Hervey is 77 years old. Father of 3.
He trains everyday. He’s been happily married for 48 years.

48 years…

And to think that, myself, I haven’t retained an intimate relationship for more than 9 months. My curiosity pushes me to ask ‘’how does one maintain an intimate relationship sane and thriving for 48 years?’’

‘’It’s quite simple, you’ve got to have three lives: yours, hers and ours’’

He begins to explain that there must be enough similarities and differences between the two for the relation to remain sparkly throughout the years.

He loves sports
She just started the gym, at 77 years old.

He is very social
She prefers books

Both are passionate about cooking
Both were already parents when they met

You can’t be afraid of trying and failing, he tells me. Constant learning keeps you young and happy.

After our exchange, I put a dollar in the donation jar and say
‘’here’s a dollar, that’ll pay for the next person’’

‘’That is one of the most beautiful things to do in this world’’ he says.
‘’Life is made in such a way that giving and helping without conditions always comes back around. And not necessarily in the ways you’d expect. It is bound to happen. I did it all my life, to pay for the next guy and render services without counting. My life has truly been a profound beauty because of it.’’

‘’Thanks Hervey, I needed to hear that today’’

I get up from my seat.
I shake his hand and truck’ on down the road with a smile on my heart.