These were taken a couple/few weeks ago in Montreal. The first set is when Haiti won one of the qualifying games of the World Cup. This was across the street from where I was staying on Boulevard St. Laurent in the Mile End. The excitement caused everyone to spill out into the street with drums, flags- all the things that make a celebration.
And my night ended in a karaoke bar of seemingly professional singers. Everyone was excellent. I was told by my new friend Victoria that people mostly practice their songs before they do karaoke- this is not a spontaneous, drunken affair. Well, definitely not spontaneous, but somewhat drunken. Also the bartender/owner. I didn’t do a good job of capturing how fun he was. If he knew and liked a song, he would sing back up from behind the bar. He also had a tambourine that he played as accompaniment- from behind the bar. And if you didn’t get on stage fast enough after you picked your song, he’d begin singing the song for you. He hi fived or fist bumped most everyone that came in. And apparently the bar is only open three days a week and the rest of the time? Victoria said he was a flaneur- a man of leisure. Also, she said that sometimes there’s an older guy that accompanies on guitar. What sweet and bizarre heaven was this?
Meanwhile, on the other side of the street from the celebration- it was a dinner at a fancy place for fancy ladies.
This guy! Three is probably too many photos of him, but he was like a butterfly that unraveled. Not in his singing- he wasn’t hiding anything there, but in his stage performance. His singing sounded just like what you’d expect from seeing these photos.
The bartender!! Just look at that tambourine action.
New friend Victoria with the excellent voice and song choices.
Also this guy. He was one of the exceptions to the professional singer rule. But he was really into it and also brought a fan base with him.