FIESTA AFRICANA @ The Backstage Lounge – Vancouver

Next FIESTA AFRICANA is on Saturday, April 27 @ The Backstage Lounge.

This classic monthly Vancouver dance party features the best in new and vintage African, Latin, Brazilian and tropical dance music !

This time, our special guest on percussion will be Raphael Geronimo, leader of the latin jazz band RUMBA CALZADA

Expect a little more latin flavor !

1 – Broadcasting & Music journalism

RADIO

Producer / host / columnist on Radio-Canada radio (the French CBC) since 1992.

To listen to my columns on music (in French), subscribe to my Facebook page HERE / Pour écouter mes chroniques et découvrir des musiques de partout, abonnez-vous à ma page ICI .

2019-present

Monthly column featuring Canada’s young Inuit music artists

Monthly column featuring Canada’s First Nations music artists

both on the radio show CULTURE ET CONFITURE (Radio-Canada)

2011-2018

Over 1500 weekly columns featuring World Music artists/genres/albums on the weekly radio show LES SAMEDIS DU MONDE (Radio-Canada)

2015-2018

Wrote, produced and hosted the summer season Saturday show SONGE D’UN SAMEDI D’ÉTÉ (Radio-Canada) Only delivering good news and good music 😉 !

2015-present

On the morning show PHARE OUEST, I have a column where I present the young and upcoming music artists from BC & Yukon that are shaking things up in the music bizz. It’s called PLAQUES TECHTO-RYTHMES

2012-2015

National weekly column where I presented a ”fake quizz” called SEARCHING FOR THE SOURCE OF SUCCESS, a series on unusual covers of famous songs coming from unexpected places. I also dabbled into THE SONGS THAT CHANGED THE COURSE OF HISTORY OF A COUNTRY,  and THE FUTURE SOUNDS OF CANADA (on the electro-aboriginal music scene). Every week, across Canada.

2000-2010

Produced and hosted hundreds of radio specials dedicated to World Music, including Strictement Mondial.

1995-1999

Wrote, produced and hosted on Radio-Canada’s national network the 3 hour long cult World Music radio show NeoGeo – Polaroid musical du nouveau désordre mondial Sundays from 10pm to 1am

You can browse through the complete list of radio projects on my CV below.

PRINT / WEB

As a contributor to the UK magazine SONGLINES, I write features, live & CD reviews.

I mostly cover the Canadian Indigenous music scene.

My 4-page full feature called THE FUTURE SOUNDS OF CANADA was published in the January 2014 issue. 

In June 2015, my 4-page piece on Tanya Tagaq made the cover. 

  

For the Radio-Canada.ca website Espaces Autochtones, I wrote a series of 3 articles (in French) on the work of ShoShona Kish, an Anishinabekwe community organizer, producer, activist & touring musician with the JUNO award-winning band Digging Roots.

                         

1. October 2018, ShoShona Kish received the “Professional Excellence Award” at the WOMEX world music expo/conference in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/espaces-autochtones/1132602/des-artistes-autochtones-canadiens-se-distinguent-a-une-grande-foire-internationale 

2. December 2018, ShoShona Kish helped curate the Indigenous Sounds Series at Mundial Montréal, North America’s world music summit.

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/espaces-autochtones/1139071/la-musique-comme-outil-de-dialogue

3. February 2019, working in partnership with Folk Alliance International, ShoShona Kish organized and facilitated the first International Indigenous Music Summit during FAI 2019 Conference on the traditional and un-ceded territory of the Kanien’keh:ka of Kahnawà:ke.

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/espaces-autochtones/1156038/les-musiciens-autochtones-a-lheure-de-la-mondialisation

2. World Music DJ

 

I breathe music. I live for music and I love to play music for people and talk about it on radio. My first paying gig was at 16 in Kibuye (Rwanda) and I never looked back. I’ve played on boats (the France-Ireland ferry crossing), trains (in the Piedmont, NW Italy), bars, restaurants, clubs and festivals. I have a knowledge and a passion for African, Brazilian, Latin, Flamenco, Ska, Reggae & other Caribbean music, Electronica, Middle Eastern and Film Music etc… The collision of cultures has given us great music and still does. I am interested in collisions, experiments and meetings through music. Music is light years ahead of politics and current social debates. Music is also timeless. As a DJ, I always want to have a live element. Most of the time, I play with one or many percussionists.

 

I’ve been DJing ever since I’ve been able to put a needle on a record (that was before I knew how to walk according to my mother; a crawler DJ I was). I specialize in what some call World Music. From Art Gallery openings to Dance Clubs, Concert Halls and Catwalks, I have been creating soundscapes and soundtracks to create a musical trip. Since moving to Vancouver in 1986, I’ve opened for such artists as THE THIEVERY CORPORATION, GILBERTO GIL, PARIS COMBO and LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES.

I’ve had many club residencies, the most notables being AFRODISIA at The ANZA Club (1992-1999), LAZY PLEASURES at The Chameleon (1994-2001), ELECTROPICAL at The Backstage Lounge (2001-2011), FIESTA AFRICANA at The Backstage Lounge (2011-2018)

Let’s not forget the musicians & percussionists who play with me regularly: Yoro Noukoussi, Israel Toto Berriel, Raphael Geronimo (Rumba Calzada), Navaro Franco (Zambai Trio), Sacha Levin, Nick Apivor, Curtis Andrew, Jack Duncan, Liam MacDonald, Robin Layne.

HISTORY

Past events: 

  

  

 

                

        

                          

      

Past residencies in Vancouver:

With my music mate Michael Laycock, we held for 10 years (Nov 2004-Nov 2014) a monthly WorldBeat Dance Party called ELECTROPICAL at the Backstage Lounge. A cool and hot spot on an island…..

 

I also hosted a weekly event (5 to 9pm) at The Calabash Bistro in Vancouver called COCONUT THURSDAYS ”sun-infused soundtrack for after work gatherings” spinning reggae, ska, calypso etc. (2014-2015)

A weekly event called CLAVE ! in the funky Tiki Lounge of the world famous Waldorf Hotel. (2013)

Back in the days (1992-2003) with my DJ partner Tobu Ley, we were doing a monthly African dance party called AFRODISIA…

 

….and a weekly lounge event called LAZY PLEASURES at the wonderful CHAMELEON Lounge.

Other events in Vancouver…..

2000

The first ELECTROPICAL with Conrado Beckerman

1992-1997

Acid Jazz days at The Bottle, The Pic & The Chocolate Milk

(with DJs Clarence, David Jones, Michael Golf…)

I’ve opened for some artists that I like and respect. Recently, LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES from Venezuela, THE THIEVERY CORPORATION from D.C. and local bands like Delhi2Dublin and Tambura Rasa.

I also do custom soundtracks for gallery openings, fashion shows, theme parties etc.

Check my CV below for details.

3. Concerts and Events coordinator

With my music mate, sound engineer Xavier Berbudeau, we have a production company, NeoGeo Productions. Past noteworthy events include brazilian artist BÏA IN CONCERT, LOVE IN THE TIME OF ANDALUCIA , THE ALCHEMYST AND THE BURNERS and Italian Jazz/Cabaret pianist PAOLO SERAZZI.

  

For 3 years (2012-2013-2014), I was the musical director of the Western Canada chapter of LE DÎNER EN BLANC, the classy flash mob picnic organized by THE SOCIAL CONCIERGE that took place in Victoria (BC), and Vancouver (BC). Booked/put together live bands and supplied dinner/dance music.

4. Film-Related Work

”Metteur en sons” / Soundscape artist for numerous documentaries. I hire composers, negociate terms, do some needle-dropping etc
I also do voice-over in French for any types of projects and commercials. I can do many accents. Previous projects with REAL WORLD MEDIA (Vancouver) and RED LETTER FILMS (Surrey) abounds.

Since 2010, I am part of the board of directors of the VANCOUVER LATIN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL, a not-for-profit organization with the mission to provide a forum for the promotion and exhibition of Latin American cinema in Vancouver. This annual festival encourages dialogue among cultures, and explores and celebrates the art of contemporary Latin American and Latin-Canadian filmmaking. The festival is taking place the last week of August every year. VLAFF’s mandate is the encouragement and appreciation of motion pictures as a medium of art, information and education. Since 2003, VLAFF has provided audiences with the unique opportunity to watch inspiring films and interact with guest filmmakers from across Latin America and the diaspora. Our special screenings also allow me to do the music selection for all to enjoy.

5. Percussionist
I play Cajón, a box-shaped percussion instrument that originates from Peru and used extensively in Flamenco music, Cuban music and Brazilian music. These days you can hear it also in such music as blues, pop, rock, funk, world music, fusion, jazz etc. I call it a drum kit in a seat !

I ran two international bookstores in Vancouver between 1987 and 2010. Remember Manhattan Books & Sophia Books ? That was me behind the counter and the concept.

Stay in touch:

http://www.facebook.com/marc.fournier

neogeo.marc (at) gmail.com
+1.604.328.2191

Thanks for dropping by !

CV – CV – CV – CV – CV – CV – CV – CV – CV – CV – CV – CV – CV – CV – CV – CV

Experience