Dédé Fortin
Dédé Fortin | |
---|---|
Birth name | André Fortin |
Born | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | 17 November 1962
Genres | Folk rock, Ska/Reggae, Blues rock |
Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, violin, guitar |
Years active | 1990–2000 |
Website | fondationandrededefortin.com (Archived from the original 24 March 2012.) |
André "Dédé" Fortin (17 November 1962 – 8 May 2000) was a founding member,
Born in rural Quebec, André "Dédé" Fortin was the tenth of eleven children. After studying cinema at the Université de Montréal, he formed the folk-rock band Les Colocs in 1990. The band's music addressed serious issues such as poverty, loss of community, and drug dependence. Fortin was also an activist for Quebec sovereignty, campaigning for the "Yes" side in the 1995 Quebec referendum. The last LP from Les Colocs, Dehors Novembre, won the Félix Award for Rock Album of the Year.
Fortin struggled with depression and died by suicide in 2000. His legacy includes the renaming of a street in his hometown, a biographical film, and the Fondation Andre Dédé Fortin, which focuses on depression education and suicide prevention.
Early life
Fortin was born to Alfred Fortin and Gisèle Tremblay on a farm near the small village of
Les Colocs
Fortin was long interested in music and started writing song lyrics. In 1990, he formed Les Colocs, after meeting
Fortin was a passionate believer in and activist for
Dehors Novembre (1998), the last LP from the group, was written and performed with the help of the Diouf brothers, whose background from Senegal added a new element to the band's music. It has become Fortin and the band's most celebrated work, and it won the Félix Award for the Rock Album of the Year.[3]
Death and legacy
On 8 May 2000, Fortin died by suicide at his apartment. The day before, the Colocs manager Raymond Paquin had received a poem by Fortin. He published it posthumously in
Fortin has been remembered in different ways:
- Saint-Thomas-Didyme, where Fortin was born, renamed Rang Saint-Henri as "Chemin Dédé-Fortin" in his honor in 2006.[2]
- In 2009, a film about Fortin's life, entitled Through the Mist (Dédé à travers les brumes), was released, starring Sébastien Ricard as Fortin.[3]
- The Fondation Andre Dédé Fortin was established to educate about depression and prevent suicides; it has established a 24-hour crisis line and conducts workshops to help people in need.[5]
- A bande-dessinée (graphic novel) Dédé, illustrated by Christian Quesnel.
See also
References
- ^ "Dédé Fortin". Fondation Dédé Fortin (in French). Retrieved 12 September 2016.
- ^ a b "Hommage à André Fortin du groupe musical Les Colocs" Archived 23 December 2005 at the Wayback Machine, Saint-Thomas-Dydime
- ^ a b Kelly, Brendan (2 June 2008). "Recreating a rock legend". The Gazette. Archived from the original on 15 May 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- ^ Encyclopedia Of Death, Agora, Quebec, (French)
- ^ "Fondation Dédé Fortin" Website 6. "Christian Quesnel - Dédé" Website