CSHF announces the induction of the iconic jazz tune ‘Marie-Hélène’

Alexandre Désilets pays tribute to one of Sylvain Lelièvre’s most celebrated songs as part of CSHF and CBC/Radio-Canada’s ‘Covered Classics’ series

TORONTO, October 5, 2015 – The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) is pleased to announce its latest song induction into the Hall of Fame, ‘Marie-Hélène’, a touching jazz song written and originally recorded in 1976 by beloved Quebec singer-songwriter, author, and poet Sylvain Lelièvre.

‘Marie-Hélène’ is the 11^th song to be celebrated through the Covered Classics series, a collaboration between the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and CBC/Radio-Canada that invites notable Canadian artists to perform their own rendition of a newly inducted song. Reinterpreting ‘Marie-Hélène’ is Montreal singer-songwriter Alexandre Désilets. “Sylvain Lelièvre is such a distinguished songwriter. It is an honour to pay tribute to him and one of his iconic songs,” says Alexandre. Click here to view his performance, an entertaining electric-pop take on the song.

‘Marie-Hélène’ is an intriguing character study, sung from the perspective of a young woman starting her adult life in the big city. The song’s laid-back jazz groove made ‘Marie-Hélène’ a favourite of Quebec radio stations, and its popularity has endured; in 2001 the song earned Sylvain a coveted SOCAN Classic Award for 25,000 radio plays. Sylvain Lelièvre, adored throughout Quebec and France for his skill with the French language, was already known for his hit song ‘Petit matin’ when in 1976 he released ‘Marie-Hélène’ on his album “Programme Double”. The album, and in particular the catchy ‘Marie-Hélène’, firmly established Sylvain as a giant of Quebec songwriting.

“I’m thrilled that ‘Marie-Hélène’ has been inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame,” says Sylvain’s widow. “It’s an honour to have Sylvain’s song, which can be described as ‘timeless’, as part of the Covered Classics series. This recognition highlights the work and talent of Sylvain and the tribute performance gives his song a different ‘color’ that will no doubt capture new audiences.”

For a complete list of 2015 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame song inductions and links to the new Covered Classics versions, visit https://cshfprd.wpenginepowered.com/inductionceremony/2015-song-inductions/

About the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (www.uatcshf.ca) honours and celebrates Canadian songwriters and those who have dedicated their lives to the legacy of music, and works to educate the public about these achievements. National and non-profit, the Hall of Fame is guided by its own board of directors who comprise both Anglophone and Francophone music creators and publishers, as well as representation from the record industry. In December 2011, SOCAN (the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) acquired the Hall of Fame. The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame’s mandate aligns with SOCAN’s objectives as a songwriter and publisher membership-based organization.

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Media contact, to arrange an interview:
Christine Liber, Liberty Ink Communications (for CSHF)
Christine@LibertyInk.ca, 416-651-4722 ext. 1