The group Less Toches unveiled their new single “Gente Paisano”, a revisited version of the anthem “Gens du Pays” on June 24.
Less Toches is the musical collision of five explosive Montreal characters, a veritable big bang of cumbia that is both unexpected and refreshing. Signed under the independent label MTL Sauce Piquante, the group infuses this musical tradition with the poetry, passion and humor that characterize it. Inspired by the eternal magic of Southern troubadours and popular Latin American music, Less Toches takes its name from both a Latin American bird and a Colombian expression meaning “clumsy”.
Humor and flight translate into a fresh interpretation of the peasant and riverside spirit, cumbia and accordion music. Their Colombian, Mexican and Argentinian origins combine to revive the rhythms that marked their childhood through the folk tradition: the cumbia luminosa of Montreal!
Less Toches return to their roots with “Gente Paisano,” their crazy version of the classic song “Gens du Pays,” released for Quebec’s national holiday. It was during a good summer party, late at night, that the bassist of Less Toches, Lucas Maxit, heard “Gens du Pays” playing in the kitchen. The passionate voices of his fiery friends make him imagine the beauty of the melody to the rhythm of the Colombian vallenato. He brings this to Les Toches, who capture his feeling, adding the accordion and lyrics in Spanish, giving the classic a renewal effect in the hearts of new generations.
For the studio recording of the song, Acadian violinist Sébastien Leblanc brings his traditional tunes to Afro-Colombian rhythms. The artists Lapelúda, Alice Bro, as well as Laroie also add a Colombian-Queb feminine touch in the voices of the heart.
Find Less Toches this summer during their big summer tour: August 9 | Bout du Monde Festival, Gaspé, QC. August 21 | Intercultural Festival of Rimouski, QC. August 23 | Toronto Folk Fest, ON.August 24 | Drom Toronto, ON.Sep 19 | Festitook, Quebec City, QC.Sept 26 | Cultivate, Port Hope, ON.Oct 9 | Désillet Hall, MTL, QC.Oct. 22 | Valleyfield, QC.Oct 24 | MDC Bellechasse, SDDB, QC.