L'Oumigmag - Habitant (2019)

Living in the geographical, spiritual and imaginary territories of Quebec in music. It is this proposal that animates the jazz and avant-trad ensemble Oumigmag led by the composer, guitarist and poet Sébastien Sauvageau.

With its audacious double Habitant album, L'Oumigmag continues the luminous quest begun with Territoires (2017) by throwing a fresh and refreshing light on the musical roots of Quebec. Habitant is a true crossing of the musical memories of Quebec and gives to see in music the river, the forest, the link of the inhabitant with its territory, is considered for a long time naive that the group proposes to magnify just like the traditional tunes.

Inhabitant is conceived as a space to visit and live with subtle melodic reminders from one room to another. From vast ensemble pieces with progressive accents, to intimate and warm solos, the album certainly surprises. Co-directed by Ludovic Bonnier at the Studio du Chemin 4, Habitant seems to have come out of another era by its scale and the meticulousness of the sound details.

Sébastien Sauvageau reworked the ensemble to make it an amazing sextet with guitar / mandolin, violin / viola d'amour, saxophone / bass clarinet, double bass / electric bass and two drummers and percussionists. Like its music that mixes contemporary jazz, traditional music with sounds of classical contemporary music, the ensemble brings together six musicians from musical horizons rarely gathered or even contrasting. Strong and unique musical personalities at the service of the same idea: to create an innovative and unprecedented music with the power of evoking tenfold and bright light.

In an acoustic jazz that is sensitive to the richness of timbre, group improvisation and contemporary play modes, L'Oumigmag creates vast soundscapes and river compositions in which the light passes through a traditional air.