Lady Lorraine loves to sing

Lorraine Klaasen a hérité de son amour pour le chant de sa mère, Thandie Klaasen, l’une des chanteuses de jazz renommées d’Afrique du Sud. Lady Lorraine elle-même vit et respire son propre style de canton, tissant une tapisserie musicale de mots et de phrases du zoulou, du xhosa et d’autres langues sud-africaines qui évoquent l’esprit de la terre et de son peuple, de son histoire et de sa culture. Son don pour la chanson a valu à la chanteuse montréalaise un succès international, y compris un prix Juno en 2013 pour meilleur album Worldbeat. performance in honour of the renowned jazz singer next May, at Concordia University’s Oscar Peterson Hall. In a sense, her evening entertaining listeners in the cozy intimacy of Le Chenail, as well as every other venue on her performance schedule this season, will serve as a warmup to her memorial concert honouring the life and spirit of her mother, through Lady Lorraine’s own unique style of Township Music.

“When I was a little girl, I used to say ‘I want to sing like my mum when I grow up.’” Klaasen added. “I could see how my mum made people happy with her singing. It’s a wonderful therapeutic gift.”

Lady Lorraine uses a cooking metaphor to describe her style of Township Music.

“I call it (township music) a mixed masala,” she explained. “It’s a variety of South African styles.”