Félix Leclerc

Working as a radio dramatist and actor in the Mauricie woods, Leclerc wrote poetic folk songs accompanied only by his acoustic guitar. In 1950, discovered by French impresario Jacques Canetti, he performed at the ABC in Paris, winning France's Grand Prix du Disque and international stardom.

Leclerc's rustic poetic language, celebrating loggers, snowbound forests, and national dignity in songs like Moi, mes souliers and Le Tour de l'île, laid the foundations for Quebec's cultural awakening. Settling on Île d'Orléans, he became an elder statesman of the sovereignist movement, honored by the Félix Awards (ADISQ).