QUEBEC CITY -- To attend a Souldia concert is to immerse yourself in its history, a Canadian critic wrote of the multi-award winning Québécois rapper. And oh, what a long, winding and inspiring history it is… one marked by hardships and the strength of character needed to overcome them.
The power of that history radiated throughout the Abraham Dunes (where Souldia had eagerly attended concerts as a youth), when the renowned rapper performed there this July at the Festival d'été de Québec. Taking his distinctive music in multiple directions, Souldia made each and every song in his set, which featured selections from Monstre, his new (and 13th album,) as well as familiar hits, reflect his story in a unique way.
This was one of the many things that made lighting his headline show a true pleasure for the Onedot team, which was involved in the show’s creation. “Our number one rule when programming a show is to make sure every song has its own unique visual identity,” said Onedot’s Érik Nowosielski-Lamoureux, the lead lighting designer. “Once our programming is complete, we always go back and watch the entire show. If two songs feel too similar, we'll adjust the lighting to give each one its own signature look. This particular stage design was extremely versatile, which made it easy to create distinct looks throughout the performance while keeping the show fresh and engaging.”
Nowosielski-Lamoureux is quick to add that the Onedot team was fortunate to work with an overall show design and on a massive and very versatile stage that allowed their creativity to flourish. “So many things came together in this production that amplified the power of our lighting,” he said. “Marc-Olivier Commeau, our Creative Director, was responsible for the overall creative vision of the show. We used his artistic direction as the foundation for the lighting design, and he also created all of the video content. A big thank you also goes to Quebec City–based lighting designer Pier-Luc Boucher for creating such an incredible stage design.”
Working in this supportive environment, the Onedot team and their collaborators created a gripping environment on stage that brought the audience into the world that gave rise to Souldia’s music. At times that world was harsh with searing light piercing dark space and illuminating pieces of dystopian scenic pieces. At other times, it was vividly imaginative with abstract video images set against monochromatic washes.
Helping Onedot create the show’s deeply moving lighting element were 48 Color STRIKE M strobe-washes and 32 COLORado PXL Curve 12 motorize battens from CHAUVET Professional, which were supplied by Solotech.
“Pier-Luc Boucher did a fantastic job integrating the Color STRIKE M into the stage design,” said Nowosielski-Lamoureux. “Rather than placing them in just one location, they were distributed throughout the entire stage, allowing us to create impactful looks from every angle. At low intensity, this fixture produces beautiful, saturated colors and subtle eye-candy effects that add depth to the stage. At full output, it becomes an incredibly powerful strobe that can completely transform the energy of a song. It's one of those fixtures that can do almost everything.”
Nowosielski-Lamoureux and his Onedot collègue programmer-operator Maxence Gendron also drew on the versatility of COLORado PXL Curve 12s in their rig. “Creative possibilities are unlimited with this fixture,” he said. “They almost feel like having twelve individual wash lights in a single unit, giving you incredible flexibility for effects and pixel mapping.”
In addition to expressing gratitude to his many collaborators, including PMs Mathieu Couture and Marc-Antoine Tanguay from Onedot, Nowosielski-Lamoureux was especially thankful to Souldia.
“I'd like to sincerely thank Souldia and the label, 7ième Ciel, for placing their trust in Onedot for this project,” he said, then added that headlining the Festival d'été de Québec is “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many artists,” and another chapter to be added to the history of everyone involved in this show.
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CHAUVET Professional offers innovative professional lighting fixtures for the production and touring market as well as permanent installation in theaters, hospitality venues, cruise ships, clubs, television and architainment applications. For more information, please visit www.chauvetprofessional.com
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