Trois-Rivières, Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - The Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières will once again light up the sky of the Parc Portuaire de la Cité de Laviolette on Saturday evening, August 10, with a grand pyromusical show paying tribute to the artists, artisans, and volunteers who have brought us the Trois-Rivières en Blues festival. Fifteen artists who have marked the 15 editions of the festival will be highlighted in the soundtrack of the fireworks by Royal Pyrotechnie. Additionally, three musical groups, including Louis Michot and his Troubadours Cadiens (with Corey Ledet), freshly arrived from Lafayette, Louisiana, will bring the blues to the city on the main stage by the St. Lawrence River.
"When we saw that Trois-Rivières en Blues was forced to take a break for the summer of 2024, as blues enthusiasts, we wanted to tip our hats to the people who have put our city on the blues map," explained Dominic Fugère, General Director of the GP3R. "In addition to a pyromusical tribute to the artists who have marked the festival, we needed to add a stage performance worthy of 3R en Blues. That’s why we invited the double Grammy winner Louis Michot along with his Troubadours Cadiens and the virtuoso accordionist Corey Ledet."
Known for his iconoclastic style of Cajun, Creole, and Zydeco music, Louis Michot, who sings mainly in French, had a ready response when asked if he could come to honor an important blues festival: "We can play the blues all day and all night! I was raised playing the blues on the guitar, learned from my brother Andre (guitarist of the Lost Bayou Ramblers) who is a monster on the guitar... Corey has been playing the blues since he was 12... The best part is that we are Cajun, Creole, and Zydeco musicians, but our common language in music is the blues... and French! It will all be in one show, Cajun, Zydeco, Blues, originals, standards, everything!" added this neighbor of Zachary Richard, both geographically and musically.
The initiative was warmly welcomed by the team that has been bringing Trois-Rivières en Blues to life since 2009.
"This evening will be a balm on the disappointment of not being able to hold Trois-Rivières en Blues this year," expressed President Christian Gamache. "We are happy to see that our efforts are not forgotten, and we are convinced that August 10 will be another occasion to prove the passion of the people of Trois-Rivières for the blues."
The Crackers, whose atomic funk is well-seasoned with blues accents, will open the show at 8 PM, while a surprise yet to be revealed will close the evening after the pyromusical show.
If last year's air quality and flammability conditions allowed GP3R to light up the sky with a 400-drone aeromusical display, this year, conditions are favorable for a return to fireworks. One thing remains the same: the support of local businesses allows GP3R to offer this grand evening aimed primarily at thanking the people of Trois-Rivières for welcoming the world through the Grand Prix. Salon de jeux de Trois-Rivières, Maurécon, GB Démolition, Trois-Rivières Chevrolet, and Doucet+Turcotte Architects are all returning to support this grand evening, while OmniFab joins the list of patrons, which is expected to grow by August 10.
As per long tradition, the GP3R activities will again kick off on Thursday evening, August 8, at the Parc Portuaire de Trois-Rivières with the exhibition of NASCAR Canada trailers, cars participating in the weekend races, and their drivers on-site to sign autographs. New this year, in connection with the integrated environmental program GP3Vert, the documentary Virage Vert: les règles du jeu by Cathrine Perrin will be screened on a big screen before the presentation of Ford vs Ferrari. Some of Quebec’s most innovative green technology companies will take the opportunity to showcase their activities to festival-goers.
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For more information:
Dominic Fugère, General Director
dfugere@gp3r.com +1 819 386 7079