carmen & david

Carmen & David come from Québec city, Canada. In the past 9 years, they gave not less than 600 concerts of jazz, french songs, pop and ethnic music in many cities of Canada, South America, Europe, Oceania and Asia. They recorded three CDs under XXI-21 label in Montreal and Universal records: " Bleu " (2003), " Swing Manouche " (2004) and Grand Voyageur (2007). Both received good very critics from the press.

They performed in major festivals all around the world like the Winter Festival of Sarajevo, theJazzmandu Festival in Népal, the jazz fest Music Carousell of Zagreb, the international festivities of the francophonie in Singapour, Taipei, Kaoshung, Bendar seri Begawan, New Delhi, Bangalore, Jakarta, yogyakarta and Islamabad, the International Guitar Festival of Zory in Poland, Levis's jazz Fest in Quebec and so many others.

Many of their concerts were broadcasted by national televisons and radios like Radio-Canada, CBC, 89.1FM Islamabad, Radio Uno (Bosnia), National Television of Bosnia and the very well known british television BBC World.

Carmen studied classical and jazz voice at Laval University in Québec city. Her vocal polyvalence gave her the opportunity to play as much in famous operas and jazz clubs all over the world. She's also a very popular vocal teacher for her extraordinary technique and her eclecticism.

David got many diplomas in classical and jazz music at Laval University and Quebec Conservatory. He completes in 2007 a doctorate in baroque guitar interpretation at Montreal University. Very active as a soloist and in chamber music, he played in more than 15 countries on 4 continents. He recorded 15 Cds - among them, the integral work of Robert De Visée - and he is teaching guitar at Sainte-Foy's college.

The new show "Grand Voyageur" by Carmen & David and their awesome band is now available as well as the new CD!

 Aime-moi (Henri Salvador) With strings 
orchestra
 Balancer (Maurane) 
 Lembra de mim With strings orcherta
 Ticket To Ride (Lennon-McCartney)

Extraits de "Swing Manouche"

 Pour faire une Jam (C. Aznavour)
 À Québec au clair de lune (M. Delisle)
 Le Québécois (F. Leclerc)
 À Paris

Extraits de "Bleu"

 Que reste-t-il de nos amours 
       (C.Trenet)
 They Can't take that awya from me 
       (G. Gershwin)

" Carmen et David : A real révélation! " Vincent Gauvin, Rythme FM, Québec

"Jacques' impressive guitar playing, combined with Genest's terrific vocals, quickly drew a crowd to the auditorium of UI's School of Cultural Studies." The Jakarta Post, INDONÉSIE

" Le public a été ravi par les jeunes musiciens [Carmen & David].
Le duo du Canada a donné un vrai spectacle au public de Sarajevo! La manière fantastique de jouer de la guitare de David Jacques a été suivie par les tons doux et mélodieux de la soliste vocale Carmen Genest, qui jouait aussi des instruments de percussion." Sarajevski Kanton, BOSNIE

" [Carmen & David] present well known standards with a singular, a freshness and with originality. their spontaneity and their natural are attractive and contagious. Carmen's voice, contralto, is warm, deep, spacious, sometimes "black", her vocal possibilities are huge. David"s playing is virtoso, soft, subtil, dedicated. (...) The pieces were performed with invention and audacity." Joanna Grabowiecka, Rybnik.com.pl, POLAND

" David is a self-affected musician who nonetheless impressed with his control of the instrument and sensitive handling" 11/11/05, The Statesman, INDIA

" A number of popular songs from The Beatles such as "I Wanna Be Your Man", "Ticket To Ride", "Hard Days Night", hypnotized the audience when performed by jazz duo David Jacques and Carmen Genest in front of jazz lovers last Thursday at the Franco-Indonesian Institute (LIP) Yogyakarta." Kedaulatan Rakyat, March 18, 2007, INDONÉSIE

" The Quebec, Canada jazz duo, David Jacques and Carmen Genest, presented a new colour, with a musical arrangement that remained fresh and easy to the ear. Their songs just flowed like swift water that nobody could stop. To make a bridge between song, the Canadian jazz duo fluently entertained the audience by jamming their instruments in a way that is still easy and comfortable to the ear of their listeners." The Republika, March 15, 2007, INDONÉSIE

"Pour célébrer la Francophonie à Singapour, au Pakistan et en Indonésie, on a présenté des concerts publics du duo canadien-français formé de David Jacques et de Carmen Genest. Les représentations offertes par les ambassades du Canada proposaient un large éventail de pièces musicales, de Félix Leclerc à Édith Piaf, et de Gershwin aux Beatles. La voix puissante et évocatrice de Carmen, jumelée au talent musical de David, a su charmer le public et a contribué à l'immense succès des concerts. Leurs prestations ont permis d'illustrer la nature même du Canada, les avantages de la diversité et de la valeur des autres langues agissant en tant que fenêtres sur un monde complexe et en évolution." Ministère des Affaires Étrangères du Canada

" La grande découverte de ce festival (Festival de jazz de Lévis): Carmen! En fait, il s’agit du duo Carmen et David, deux complices qui promènent leur sensibilité jazzy aux quatre coins du globe depuis quelques années. David excelle à la guitare alors que Carmen possède une voix chaude et hypnotisante qui rappelle un peu la chanteuse française Liane Foly." Reine-May Crescence, Canoe.com, CANADA

" The flamboyant Carmen whose evocative contralto voice captivated the audience (…)" The Statesman, INDIA

"Apart from having a husky and powerful voice, well suited to fast-paced numbers and ballads alike, Carmen turned out to be a consummate "scat" singer, her command of this improvisatory technique matching the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. And David's improvisatory skill on the guitar, heard to be best advantage on a couple of solos, was evident to the discerning listener even when Carmen was singing. For, while she was improvising through scat, he was not merely accompanying her but setting up full-blooded if rather quieter melodic improvisations on the guitar." The Hindu, INDIA

"This was a very satisfying and enjoyable concert for the jazz buff." The Hindu, INDIA

" [...] So far, so straightforward. What is fantastic, though, is what these two manage to create between the guitar and the voice. First, the guitar, which often stays well in the background, supporting the voice, chameleoning between rhythm and bass and only occasionally coming out to take superb solos. Across the concert, David Jaques laid down a bravura history of the modern guitar from Charlie Christian to Bossa Nova to rock, and all of it with no fanfare, no showmanship and really genuine feeling. On top of this, below and around this, was Carmen Genest, with what in this impoverished language can only be called her 'voice'. (...) I won't say the [organizers] have completely made up for all the dross we normally get in this town, but for that one evening I will forgive a lot." Delhi City Limits, November 30, 2005, INDE

"Canadian pair Carmen and David were up next and no matter how many times you listen to them, you will never get tired. Their flamboyant jazz, sprinkled with tinges of French, is totally enthralling." Postnuke, Kathmandu, NEPAL

" Carmen, while playing the percussions, sang a couple of French numbers and English numbers like their own rendition of Beatles with a perfect-pitch voice" The Kathmandu Post, NEPAL

" Capturing the original nuances of improvisational techniques, the band Carmen & David created high energy sounds of latin jazz" The Himalayan Times, NEPAL

"The show that began with Ticket to Ride made students ride high throughout the show. Carmen was as exquisite as ever, drifting amazingly between scales" The Himalayan Times, NEPAL

"The show started off with a great performance by the Canadian duo Carmen & David" The Kathmandu Post, NEPAL

"What we saw last night was more than just a show, more than just music, and sure, much more than just another fun night. It was magic!" Jazz Urbano, Santiago, Chili.

"Excellent new album (...) All new, all nice! (...) tasty and refreshing arrangements with original personality (...) A wonderful and very fascinating album!" CKRL Radio, Québec city.

"The CD SWING MANOUCHE is impeccable, a first quality product!" Michel Roy, Beauce-Nouvelles (Newspaper).

"Wonderful Concert in Zory!" Franciszeck Wiekzorek, Zory international festival, Poland.