Special Projects

The Percussive Secretaries–Les Secrétaires Percutantes

1995-2001

The Percussives Secretaries—Les Secrétaires Percutantes was a musical collective comprised of 7 actress-percussionists: Nathalie Claude, Mireille Leblanc, Suzanne Lemoine, Sylvie Moreau, Brigitte Poupart, Dominique Quesnel, and Isabelle Villeneuve.

Born from a series of great events that brought them together in 1995, they develop their musical concept in tune with a powerful artistic mandate: Spread the good news: the emancipation, liberation, fulfillment, and pleasure of WOMEN… through…PERCUSSION.

They created the characters of these very peculiar office secretaries, who left their typewriters in the search for more invigorating and fullfilling beats. With their vibrating djembes between their legs, their stylish glasses and tight strict suits, they let go of their inhibitions, and celebrated the return of their primitive force in an intoxicating crescendo. They always ended their shows with a collective musical orgasm, where heels, blazers and tight hairdos were finally set free and liberated in ecstatic relief.

Freely mixing theater, music, singing and dance, the secretaries played djembe, dundun, derbouka, congas, cowbell, maracas, and even flute, whistle and jawharp. Their musical inspiration covered many styles: reggae, raï, rap, techno, country-western, motown, brazilian, african, japanese kodo, german contemporary, and everything kitsch.

Between 1995-2001 they played at (amongst others):

Festival Nuit d’Afrique; La Marche Mondiale des Femmes; Welcoming-tribute to Cesaria Evora/BMG recording company; Gala des Olivier at TVA (Clémence Desrochers hommage); Les Francofolies de Montreal; Wild & Wet (circuit party); Closing party for Montreal’s World Film Festival; Just for Laughs; FTA cabaret (Festival de théâtre des Amériques); Nuit Blanche sur tableau noir; 10th anniversary cabaret for Studio 303; TV show “Pink Cadillac” Radio-Canada; Benefit Party for Stella and for the sex workers; Street Theatre Festival of Shawinigan; Rhythmes au féminin Festival; TV show “Les Choix de Sophie” on Télé-Québec; Black and Blue (circuit party); Trilogy event for Pol Pelletier; Cabaret des Incantations de la Pleine Lune; “Girls in the Sky” at the Sky Club; Voix de Femmes; Festival Humour au Féminin; benefit parties (Brouhaha Dance, O’Vertigo, Building Dance …) and various shows and performances at the beloved cabaret Lion d’Or, where they created their grandiose last opus: “Spring Symphony for Seven New Skins”.