Performing identities: Who is 'Hart-Rouge'?

The music group Hart-Rouge has generated interest not only with the music that they make, but by who they are as Saskatchewan-born francophone Canadians. In this thesis, I explore the history of the group (who are all siblings in the Campagne family), their life experience as musicians, their music repertoire and style, and how these factors play a role in the Campagnes' cultural identities. Two factors have been chosen for detailed study: the use of French and/or English in Hart-Rouge's repertoire and their use of the breath to create a unique vocal style.

The research for this project focused on the recorded music and film documentaries of Hart-Rouge, including Hart-Rouge: So Many Miles and Words Between Us (1992), Le coeur de dire (1992), and a segment from Adrienne Clarkson Presents (1995). These three films provided valuable material concerning the group's musical background and career, family, and childhoods on a farm on the prairies. Hart-Rouge's archives in Montreal also provided useful details from the Campagnes' early days as La famille Campagne up to the present. Issues of representation are discussed with reference to the films. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)