Josée VACHON

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Born in Quebec and raised in Maine, Josée VACHON shares her Franco-American upbringing through her own music and the traditional and contemparary folksongs of Quebec and Acadia. Her clear, soothing voice, accompanied by the guitar, piano and occasional clogging and spoons, has captivated audiences throughout New England and Canada, whether she sings a haunting ballad or springs into a spirited humorous sing-along.

Though she often entertained at her family gatherings in Quebec, Josée VACHON began singing publicly thanks to the support of the Franco-American Office at the University of Maine, where she discovered others like herself who shared a rich heritage. With growing support from the surrounding community, VACHON quickly gained recognition as a new Franco-American talent through her first performances at state festivals in Lewiston and Madawaska, Maine. From there she was invited to other New England festivals, schools and cultural events and finally decided to dedicate herself full-time to music.

She has recorded six albums: Josée (1983), Entre moi (1985), Noël&endash;mes souvenirs (1988), N'oublie pas (1990), La Voix d'une mère (1992), her first releaseon compact disc, and Collection vol. 1, the latter two distributed throughout Canada on Disques Jouflu.

Her international television appearances include Le Grand échiqier on Antenne 2 (Paris), Les Démons du midi on Radio-Canada television (Montreal), and Coup d'œil on Radio-Canada (Moncton, New Brunswick). She has served as a Franco-American ambassadrice through musical presentations at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., in Martinique and several times in France and Quebec.

In addition to her recording and performing careers, Josée VACHON is host of the popular television program,Bonjour! , the most widely seen French-language television variety show produced in the United States, a co-production of l'Assocation Canado-Américaine and United Channel 8 in Manchester, N.H. This program airs on Maine Public Television as well as numerous cable stations throughout New England, Louisiana and Canada.

When on stage, Josée VACHON 's warm personality and engaging enthusiasm convey her heritage.

"Auteur, compositeure, interprète et animatrice, Josée VACHON, c'est une belle voix tout d'abord. C'est ensuite une musique qui vous donne envie de chanter, une musique qui déborde de joie de vivre et d'énergie." (Coup d'œil, Radio Canada, Moncton, Nouveau-Brunswick)

Québécoise d'origine, Josée passe sa jeunesse dans le Maine et étudie à l'Université du Maine à Orono. C'est là qu'elle rencontre les gens de l'Office franco-américain qui savent appuyer sa carrière musicale. Avec l'accompagnement de sa guitare elle fait son premier spectacle au Festival Franco-Américain de Lewiston, Maine en 1980 et depuis, continue à faire des spectacles culturels dans les communautés francophones à travers le nord-est.

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