Martin de la Chasse Galerie - French Canadian Song

Music by la Bottine Souriante, vocals & arrangement by Farya Faraji. This isn’t a folk song but rather an original song written by local folk band la Bottine Souriante, who are probably the main performers of our traditional music here in Québec. I wanted to add my spin to their excellent song by providing a more folk sounding version, as theirs does have some strong modern and jazz vibes alongside the folk sound. The story deals with the folk legend of the Chasse-Galerie, a story where woodcutters working in the remote regions of the province on New Year’s Eve make a pact with the Devil to run the Chasse-Galerie: embarking on a flying canoe to be able to reach their family quickly for the celebrations. Different versions of the story exist: in most, the Devil accepts under the condition that the men must not swear or uttter the Lord’s name in vain, or else they will go to hell, though in some versions, the Devil acts kindly and forgives them. The version of the story sung here sets the term a