“…The event remains important because it allows us to discover a number of local musicians, some of whom have not yet signed on, and who represent the living forces among the city’s cultural communities and other musical circles.”

“…The major interest of Matière à Musée was that the worksite was located right in the middle of the street…in the very heart of Crescent Street, a commercial and upscale street, the commercial artery par excellence of the city’s west end. The installation of this worksite and the presence of the sculptors for a month were to bring a dynamic to this urban environment, a questioning and awareness on the part of the thousands of visitors and passers-by.”

“…A piece by renowned sculptor Armand Vaillancourt is in danger of disappearing if it is not relocated by the end of September. His latest piece was created for the sculpture event of the 7th Carnaval du soleil …On the outside of the cylinder on the left are the names of 32 companies in Montreal and the suburbs, all or part of whose revenues come from the manufacture of armaments or parts for military use.”

“…In short, a celebration of the sun which, as Dr. Arcelin, President of the Quebec Chapter of the Canadian Multiculturalism Council, points out, will bring Quebecers of different origins closer together under the auspices of art in all its versatility.”

“…The whole of Montreal is invited, until June 24, to a big summer celebration…A multidisciplinary initiative, the Carnaval du soleil brings together north of Maisonneuve four local professional sculptors, Armand Vaillancourt, Yvanhoé Fortier, Serges Beaumont and Don Darby.”

“…Three sculptures are taking shape on Crescent St., north of Maisonneuve Ave. offering the public a rare opportunity to watch artworks in progress and discuss them with the artists.”

“…A sample of multicultural music in Montreal? The Carnaval du soleil, 7th edition, offers you a very good one…local music, be it latina, reggae, calypso, merengue, jazz or blues is therefore prioritized in the programming. Local music is always denigrated here, and I find this attitude quite decadent,” stresses Louise Matte, fed up with seeing excellent local musicians earn peanuts and receive very little visibility in the media. “

“…In the traditional musical language of his country, Haiti, Julien Umojha, offers a message of coming together with the drum, which was one of the world’s first means of communication…Since its creation in 1983 the Carnaval du soleil has expanded considerably to now host special events of all kinds.”

“…Three major events will be showcasing Third World music in the coming weeks: the Carnaval du soleil, Rythme du monde and a fragment of the Jazz Festival are up to their ears in world beat. Obviously, this music won’t be dominating Montreal showbizz this summer, but the prospect of so many concerts of the genre is impressive… Louise Matte, a jack-of-all-trades with a long-standing involvement in cultural communities, has been organizing this popular celebration since 1983. Her initiative soon inspired other prospectors of cultural novelty.”

“…Throughout the carnival, sculpture events and an artisans’ market are also planned. In addition, Carnaval collaborator Les Foufounes électriques will be offering a variety of performances, including live painting. Various forms of artistic expression are associated with this sixth edition of Carnaval du soleil: tropical music, performances, sculpture and live painting.”

“…Carnaval du soleil is an extraordinary multidisciplinary celebration that, according to coordinator Louise Matte, combines the musician’s palette of sounds with the artist’s colorful palette. At its inception in 1983, Carnaval du soleil was solely a festival of tropical music. The following year, visual arts were added. The idea was to get artists out of their galleries and studios and demystify the creative process. The dynamic interplay between music and visual arts makes Carnaval du soleil an original event, accessible to all.”

“This time, the theme is : Art in the street under the sign of the sun. Sculptors, painters and poets will be on hand with their versatile, accessible art, blending harmoniously with the warm, tropical rhythms. This year,” points out Louise Matte of the Carnaval du soleil organizing committee, “several government departments have contributed financially…Hydro-Québec, for its part, has contributed for the second year running,” she adds.

“…Carnival of the sun. The Bibliothèque nationale on rue St-Denis is covered in white cotton banners, which in turn are covered in graffiti. A car in reverse, a work by painter Robert Deschênes, blocks the main entrance…at the top of the steps, sculptor Vaillancourt has installed four barrels filled with soapy water. Industrial vacuum cleaners spill out masses of foam, some of it colored. A little later, an obese tranny (Divine look-alike), a caricature of a woman, will roll down the steps covered in soap-soaked cardboard…Above the door, behind the sylphs, six meters off the ground on a parapet barely a foot high, a dragonfly teller (BRIDG-IT), a yellow singer (Ergo) and a geometric dancer (Diane Robertson) would appear…All the fun lay in the Library’s imaginary discomfiture and its degradation of the codes of entertainment. A healthy delinquency!”

“… Carnaval du soleil: Don’t bother driving down St. Denis between Maisonneuve and Ontario this weekend, the road’s been taken over by sun worshippers. It’s the third annual Carnaval du soleil, a two-day blow-out of art, dance, environmental installations and music to welcome back the sun from its winter in Florida.”