2020 The Covid Year

It took me a while to decide how I was going to start this blog as it has been so long since I have written that I did not want to start on a negative note.  That is a little hard as this year in particular has started out not like any of the others.  Myself and Franco Quebec Productions worked really hard in the last 2 years to produce and create a business that we thought would amount to something great this year.  We had bookings (weddings, corporate events, festivals) planned this summer as well as a 7 week run (14 shows) in Rougemont in September to promote the show Cabaret Pastiche. We had worked hard to promote our classes which in turn were also cancelled. Needless to say, we are rather disappointed that it did not work out.       

To all the artists that participated in the Cabaret Pastiche in February, we thank you for all your hard work.  That show in particular is on my list of one of the top ten shows I have done in my career.  It represented a small version of a grand plan that I believe would have led to the type of production I hope to one day achieve. If you missed it you can take a look at https://www.youtube.com/femmechakra . I know this year will be hard for all the artists that rely on their art to survive and I can only hope that you are all finding creative ways to keep busy as we all know that life without the arts is intolerable.  Be safe and my thoughts are with you. We are still working hard to promote and hopefully 2021 will be a very different year. 

On a positive note, the website for Franco Quebec Productions ( https://www.francoquebec.com/ ) is finally done! We are still looking for talent so if you are a band, duo, singer, dancer or have a distinct talent we want to hear from you.  We are hoping to evolve and promoting great talent is one our goals.  Please don`t hesitate to contact me femmechakra@gmail.com. 

Although 2020 did not start well I am grateful that I am healthy, safe and sane.  This is just another diversion from the route that I set sail a long time ago to journey.  Hopefully the rest of the year will be smooth sailing.  I wish you all good health, love and happiness.  I missed so many of you in the last few months that I cannot wait to finally see you.   

  

Looking for Talent / Recherche du Talent

Hey everyone, hope you are having a wonderful summer as of date. Not that I did not want to write a blog in the last 6 months, but I figured if I have nothing interesting, educational or positive to say, what would be the point! Between the winter blues, the battle of the wits and working hard, I`m glad the summer is finally here.   I have no plans this summer except to relax, get back some Zen and hopefully enjoy Montreal and it`s surroundings. 

As September will eventually arrive, I wanted to mention that I am looking into doing something different this Fall.  In conglomeration with others, we are looking for Montreal and surrounding talent: *Singers, dancers, bands, troupes, comedians, DJ`s and MC`s, all ages are welcome.

If you have talent I would like to know.  Please send any promotional clips, videos, CV`s or if you don`t have any promotional tools please contact me as we may hold auditions.  There are no costs involved, the focus is to build a new show as well as to help local talent with booking opportunities.  You or your agent can send all material to femmechakra@gmail.com.  We are looking for both English and French performers (SVP me contacter si vous avez besoin l`information en Francais) and/or if you have any questions. If there are any artists that I have previously worked with that would be interested, please feel free to let me know.  This is a great opportunity for upcoming artists as well as professional artists as the aim is to promote and support Montreal and surrounding talent.  Please share this if you may know someone or a group that is looking to join a great team of dedicated artists.  Applications will be taken until August 20, 2018.

I hope everyone has a great summer and that the weather is beautiful.  I will hopefully be next to water, enjoying the fresh air and/or enjoying great company this season.  Cheers to you!

*Qualifications:

Singers: Looking for solo lead male and female lead singers, cover or original.  Style may range but at this time we are not looking for hard rock or metal performers.  For cover music artists, we are looking for Pop, Hip Hop, Latin, Jazz, Blues and/or 50`s to today versatile artists.  For original music, please be sure you have all the rights to your music and/or specify what studio, producer or agent you have.  Auditions may be open for beginner singers, but you must have photo and CV. 

Back up vocalists: Looking for female back vocalists preferably with some dance experience. 

Dancers: Currently, we are only looking for solo male and female dancers with a background in ballet, jazz, tap, Latin, social, swing, and/or couples dance. We are also looking for solo Oriental and Belly Dancers. Couples and Oriental/Belly Dancers must have 3 to 4 choreographed routines already prepared. 

Bands: Looking for cover bands. If you are a duo or trio, you must have at least 50-minutes of material already prepared.  Full bands (4 or more), a 2-hour full length show is required. 

Dance Troupes (Must consists of 6 or more dancers): Looking for International dance styles, Hip Hop and New Age troupes.  Must have 3 to 4 choreographed routines already prepared.     

Comedians:  Clean programs with a minimum of 15 minutes of performance. 

MC`s/Hosts: Experience in public speaking or MC work, very comfortable with small and large groups. 

DJ`s: If you are an experienced DJ (more than 3 years) having worked at weddings, corporate events, festivals and such, please get in touch.

 

 

Starting the year off with a smile!

Hey everyone! I was going to start the year off by doing a video for my Montreal Art & Fitness, but life can get busy quickly, so I decided a blog would be the best way to start 2018!!!


I`m feeling lucky this year as like everyone else I try and make better decisions for the New Year by setting goals and trying to obtain them.  I really think it is easier when you have something that helps you to stay motivated.   On January 28th I will be performing for Les Productions Pierrette Dubois along side Jacques Vallée for a cabaret show.  I have not done the whole cabaret thing with dancers and costumes in a while, but I thought it would be a challenge to change it up a little this time by adding some of my original songs, some back vocals and some fun new cover songs.  Never would I have thought I would be doing Cher but I`m excited to try something new and it`s great that it is in January as it`s usually a very quiet time for artists.  The show is a bilingual show and Jacques is doing some of his originals as well as some French classics like Les Classels, Jeunesses D`Aujourd`hui and Nuit de Montréal.  It is really nice to be back in a group setting and working as a team.  The show is in Montreal and if you are interested please don`t hesitate to let me know, the tickets are $20.00.

The great thing about it is that I am training again and hopefully this will set the tone for the rest of the year.  I`m not sure if and/or when we will perform again along side but it`s definitely motivating. I am hoping to film the show and if all works out it should be up in February on My Music YouTube Channel.  A heads up to all the artists I worked with, all my shows are now on My Music channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCabV75B6Jq_3mgSExrQIMBQ, check them out, it is super fun going down memory lane.

So that`s my update, I really do hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is starting the year on a positive note.  Again, I wanted to thank everyone that watched the latest interviews with local talent, it really was meant to help support and hopefully next September I can introduce you to a few new and creative hard-working artists.  Thank you for subscribing to My Montreal Art & Fitness  https://www.youtube.com/femmechakra and coming up, I am hoping to catch a few clips behind the scenes. 

I hope everyone has a great January, stay warm and see you in February!

My Montreal Art & Fitness 2017

I really hope everyone had a wonderful summer and that the school year has started out well.  I must say that 2017 has been quite rewarding as well as full of change so far.  It started with a well-deserved vacation to Cuba which was long overdue and quite the experience as it was my first time vacationing alone (You can check it out at https://www.youtube.com/femmechakra).  

I finally managed to upload a lot of my songs and old shows on my new YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCabV75B6Jq_3mgSExrQIMBQ which was fun and brought back many great memories. As I am the queen of the delete button and although it still needs some work, I am proud I put them up and will keep them up.

If you missed my last post, I did manage to take all my poetry and short stories and self-publish my book, A Life of Understanding.   It`s more of a memoire of thoughts that I felt would be something I would like to remember in my old age but you are welcome to read it and give me your thoughts (Link amazon on https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B072N3GPLL and on Blurb at http://www.blurb.ca/b/7998143-a-life-of-understanding ).  

You can of course keep up to date with everything I do on my website www.femmechakra.com which I finally changed from Flash so it is available on cellphones.  You can purchase my book and music, view my bio as well as other resources regarding My Montreal Art and Fitness. 

The last half of the year was focused on my artistic venues, coming up, I will be focusing on having you get to know a few new artists.  As October 31st will be the 3rd anniversary of My Montreal Art and Fitness, every Tuesday, from October 31st to December 12th please help support local talent by watching their interviews and getting to know them a bit better. One of the goals for me doing this project had everything to do with helping others and encouraging art in Montreal so I do hope you will find an artist that you can relate to or one that may inspire you.  You can view all the interviews on My YouTube Femmechakra. A huge thank you to all the artists that took their time, it was wonderful either seeing you again or getting to know you better. 

 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Fall season and a Happy Halloween, hopefully the weather will hold out as long as possible and the winter months will not start too early.  Wishing you all love xxoo.

 

My New Poetry & Short Story Book - A Life of Understanding

I am proud to announce that I finally published some of my poetry and short stories. Over the last few years, some of my friends have received my poems as gifts for special occasions as many of them are positive and in celebration of the many people that I cared for a great deal.

I started writing them when I was 11 years old and above each published story or poem is the year that they were written, over the years the writing changes a great deal in style and format. I was reluctant at first as a few of the poems are reminders of hard choices, pain and loss but I am who I am today because of those moments and decisions. It puts into perspective the girl I once was to the woman I strive to be.

I do hope some are motivational and / or people find a reflection in themselves having experienced or felt a certain circumstance or feeling. I`m grateful to have loved, cared and respected so many people and because of them, I was able to create these memories. With all it`s good and bad it does capture a piece of me.

If you would like to purchase a copy you can visit my website for all the links www.femmechakra.com.

The preview and soft cover are available on Blurb and/or you can purchase it on an E-reader at Amazon. Thank you in advance for the support and please do not hesitate to let me know what you think.

 

 

 

New Thoughts, New Ideas and a Positive Attitude

Life is full of ups and downs and some years carry more burdens and hardships than others. I have and always will be a person that strives at being positive. I believe that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel but sometimes taking a break, removing the clutter, re-evaluating directions can make a huge difference. When dramatic life changes occur, it is easier to just move ahead, not concentrate as it`s too hard to feel but in that midst, you can find that the experience will lead to new beginnings, new hope and clarity. That is what I am looking forward to for the rest of 2017.

 As an artist and one that is constantly changing, learning and evolving, I have been told numerous amount of times to pick one direction and go with that as a Master is someone that concentrates on one discipline as oppose to many. For me, that would not be possible. Life is meant to be an experience and although it would be much more lucrative to focus in one area, I love change. I am and have been throughout my life a professional dancer, choreographer, singer, producer and writer. Dr. K. Anders Ericsson of Florida State University, as well as other researchers, have found that it takes around 10 years or 10,000 hours of practice to master something. In that context by the time I am 60 I should have 5 master degrees..lol. My point being that I am always going to be a versatile artist as without Art, life would be intolerable.

On that note, I have been told that because I focus on many projects and different venues, people don`t really grasp what I have done, what I am doing and what are my projects. As I have never been good at self-promotion, I have not really put my work into perspective. Hence why I updated my website www.femmechakra.com. This will be my target website as it will be kept up to date. Presently you can listen and buy my music which has been a very long time coming, you can view some of my video productions from my YouTube Channel and get an idea of what I am currently doing. My social links are also available for those specific projects. In general, I am trying to make it as simple as possible to follow. Thanks to those that take the time to read, watch, listen and/or subscribe, I really do appreciate it. I could be a private artist but what fun is that if you can`t share it with someone.

I have a few new projects that I am currently working on that I will be sharing soon and I hope in the coming months to find some new and interesting ideas. Thanks again and if I don`t see some on you over the summer, I hope it is a great one. Hopefully Mother Nature will be kind to us.

Missing Mom, FECU and Happy Mother`s Day!

It`s hard to believe it`s already been a little over a year since my mom passed away. I will never forget how the experience changed my life in so many ways. I`m sure it`s not the same for everyone as not everyone get`s to experience the closeness I had with my mom but at one point or another, if you ever truly love someone and lose them, it can be life altering. I miss her everyday. The phone calls that so frequently annoyed me when she was around. The bond that we had of understanding, accepting and caring. The laughs, the cries and the friendship. The one person that loved me unconditionally, was my biggest fan and that never judged me. Even in death she taught me so much. Never take life for granted as from one day to the next you never know what can happen and be sympathetic and caring when you hear that someone has lost someone as you should never forget how you once felt. I am so grateful that I got to spend so much time with her in her last years and although she is not here, her presence is constantly felt and remembered.

She would have been happy to know that I attended the fundraiser for the FECU, Foundation for the Education of the Children in Uganda. I find it unfortunate how in 2017 children still cannot pursue education. Whether it be here, Uganda or Internationally, all children should have the right to basic education. The FECU mission is to do just that, enable underprivileged children to pursue secondary education. Fr. David Kiyingi, a 24 year Montreal retired High School teacher was born in Uganda and has dedicated his efforts to address such issues. A huge thanks to Nada for inviting me and of course seeing all the old team from Dynamic Entertainment. The singer, Eddie Laudi, was absolutely wonderful. I love the 50`s classic and his charming vocal energy and style fit the occasion perfectly. I met some new and friendly people and spent time with familiar faces, had a great meal, entertainment and all for a good cause! If you would like to support or become a member of this foundation please contact Fr. David Kiyingi at 514-426-5593, (cell) 514-213-5778 or kiyingi.fr.david@gmail.com.

Although my mother is not here to celebrate I do have many people I care about that are doing their best at being the most fantastic mothers they can be. In that regards, I hope you all have a wonderful Mother`s Day as you all deserve it, big kisses!

Into the Woods, Allo Sherbrooke and Happy Easter!

Well it has been an interesting few weeks. Venturing from one part of town to the other, I started by catching the closing show of ``Into the Woods`` on March 26th at the Hudson Village Theatre. I really do love going back and seeing the productions by the Hudson Music Club as it brings back some great memories. It`s already been 4 years since the production of Oklahoma and yet I still feel privileged having met and worked with so many great artists. John Wilson, an all around great guy and friend who still gives a great performance every time I see him on stage and Dan Wheeler whom I have seen in numerous amount of productions just seems to get better each time! Each time I see Gail Marchand perform she still makes me laugh and those costumes, absolutely stunning! A huge congratulations to everyone in the show as it was really well produced and to a few of the artists I had never heard or seen, awesome job! Looking forward to next year`s production.

As much as enjoyed watching a show I can`t say I felt the same way about performing in one..lol. I headed to Sherbrooke last Sunday to perform along Jacques Valley as he was celebrating his birthday and invited me to join him on stage. It had been well over a year since I had performed and I was really nervous doing a show that I would be on stage straight for 40 minutes. I was disappointed with myself as vocally I should have been better prepared but it was nice to see some familiar faces and receive some appreciation by those that did enjoy the show. I was also angry at myself for not owning my weight. If you don`t know, in the last few weeks I have been trying to slowly get back into shape and instead of just accepting that fact, I chose to try and hide it. I wore a large top trying to hide the fat and instead it made me look like I was 6 months pregnant. We live and learn and next time I will know better and hopefully in time, working on my flaws, it won`t be an issue for me. It was nice performing along side Jacques as I think he has evolved into a great entertainer and hopefully one day in the future we will get to perform side by side once again.

I am slowly getting around to posting all my old shows on my Music YouTube Channel which has been really interesting as I get to go back and relive the moments. 15 years is a long time to have performed professionally and I am proud that I got to live such fabulous memories. You can catch them on my channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCabV75B6Jq_3mgSExrQIMBQ

Well I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend filled with happy memories and great family and friends moments. I spent some time in Magog this weekend and have to say, it is a beautiful place to visit. A huge thanks to my Bestie for inviting me and hopefully I will venture out there again during the summer. Wishing you all the best and hopefully see you soon, Happy Easter!|

My Fitness Journey, One Month Already!!!

Time really does pass fast. I started dancing (or training depending on what you call my work out) and it has already been a month. I know I should be disappointed that I managed to get myself into this mess again but I am still pretty proud of myself. Anybody that has stopped and started training again knows how much it can hurt and how hard it is to get back on the boat and start again. To all of those in this same boat, cheers to you! Yes it is smarter not to stop and start but it`s nice to know I can still manage to get back up once I fall.

I started my music channel last year and although I have loaded most of my songs I have not been doing too much in that category. I prefer right now to practice at home where only my neighbors can complain, lol. I sing and write all the time so although it`s nice to have a public, I enjoy it just as much in my own little bubble. However for years I have put up and taken down all my shows (which is almost as crazy as starting and stopping exercise ) this time I am putting up all of them. I started this week with My VHS Years which is pretty cool because although it makes me feel a tad older it reminds me of some pretty great years and performances. I still don`t completely understand how I managed to produce, film and pay for all my demos and yet never had the courage to keep them up. Was it a lack of self-confidence or fear of rejection, maybe but today I am just as proud of them as I am of my fitness choreographies, my interviews and all the work I have done on my channel. It won`t be appreciated by everybody but it`s nice to know that some enjoy it. You can listen and watch at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCabV75B6Jq_3mgSExrQIMBQ,

I am not sure if it is because I am getting older or wiser but what I thought was important has changed and I am realizing that I have a deeper appreciation of the times spent with friends and family. A huge thanks to the ladies that dropped for dinner for my birthday, what a memorable night full of laughter, wine and good food. Next week you can catch a glimpse of that on My Montreal Art & Fitness, who knew that a night at home could be so much fun!

As for me, baby steps all the way! I hope everyone has a great week and on a final positive note, only 7 days left until Spring!

Happy Valentine`s Day!

I can`t believe it`s already February. To all of you that are happily in love and celebrating, I wish you all a very Happy Valentine`s Day. To those that have not found love this year, join the gang! We can celebrate together with a cheers for being independent and waiting for the real thing.

Besides starting the year off positive by taking my first solo vacation (catch it on Femme Chakra YouTube), I did make a new years resolution to start taking out the clutter. You see I am one of those people that like to jump on a project with enthusiasm, finish it as professionally, quickly and as best as I can. The problem with house and personnel clutter is that there never seems to be enough time to finish everything I want to do. So this year I decided I`m going to take baby steps and do a little week by week. Besides the relentless cleaning of going through way too many CD`s of pictures, music and videos as well as the bunch of crap I seemed to have accumulated in the last 6 years of living here, I have only scratched the surface. It will take time but I am positive, I got a lot accomplished and it really does feel great once you finish something you set your mind to do.

In regards to the arts, this month I`m going to start uploading my old shows on my music channel. I have my cover album up as well as some of my original songs but I want to put up my old shows. I honestly think that they are part of my journey, I am proud of them and I want to share some of my accomplishments. I promised myself last year that I would be an open book, they made me who I am today and I`m happy I got to experience them.

In regards to fitness, I can`t say 2016 was my best year. I am slowly getting back to eating healthier by wiping away some bad habits first and slowly I will get into the physical part. Albeit knowing how to eat properly and train properly, I am someone that mentally has to be motivated to jump back on the boat. It`s never healthy to stop and start but I am not one to judge on that behavior as I am the perfect example. Every time I stop I have to go through all the physical pain again, it really is a vicious cycle. Why stop then? It's still a question I ponder but I factor in that it's my mental state which in turn leads to a mix of bad habits, laziness and lack of motivation. The good thing is I have been up and down before and I am extremely resilient (Thanks Mom!). At first you don't succeed, try, try again!

So I am wishing you all a fabulous Happy Valentine`s. For those in love, be thankful you have someone that makes you happy and that is there for you. For those like me that are not, it`s still a happy occasion as once you know what love really is, you won`t settle for less than what you had. It`s worth the wait! Have a great day everyone and I will see you soon.


That Way for you - Written by Anne-Marie Taylor and Adamack Beats
One of the first songs I wrote years ago in 2010 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f6BzWB7DnU

Vacationing Alone for the First Time

My philosophy this year is that life is too short. I enjoyed my vacations to other countries when I went with friends and loved ones but time is precious and I did not want to miss an opportunity out of the fear of going alone. I have to thank a colleague of mine as she really did push the subject and considering she is 55 years old and she travels all over the world by herself, it did give me a boost when making the final decision. If she could do it I was pretty sure I could manage it.

I have to admit it was frightening when the time came to jump into the taxi and make my way to the airport as the full realization kicked in that I was leaving. Fear has a funny way of amplifying the situation, will I be lonely, will I get lost, will I be safe or what if I need help seem to cross my mind a lot but nothing ventured is nothing gained, so off I went.

I believe that if you enjoy your own company and know how to keep yourself busy then a solo vacation is for you. I write, film and books are my best friends (finished 4 in one week) so I knew that I would enjoy my time without having to meet anyone and use the time to relax and enjoy the sun. Not having Internet was a little difficult but the break really was refreshing. In this day and age we are all so accustomed to having it as our source of entertainment that we seem to forget that there are other simple pleasures.

I know I am a sociable person but I am shy around people I do not know and in large groups so I was anxious that I would not meet people. Needless to say that I was worried for no reason. From the first day, people were warm, friendly and inviting. I met some really great people from all over Canada and Europe, made new friends and hopefully some lasting connections. A smile really does go a long way.

I must be pretty lucky as I had 7 days of sunshine with no rain, the beach was beautiful and the resort was what I expected. You can catch the video on my YouTube coming up this week to catch a glimpse of the resort, my trip to Havana and meet some of the fun and entertaining people I met. https://www.youtube.com/femmechakra

I did learn a lot this week. I feel braver, self-reliant and self-assured that I am capable of doing anything once I set my mind to it. The relaxation, the sun, the beach and the peace and quiet gave me time to focus and think clearly.  Being sociable and listening to their stories not only widened my mindset but reminded me how much I really do enjoy meeting new people. It really did give me a lot to reflect on and I am proud that I did not let fear and self-doubt get in my way of experiencing something new and different. If you ever thought of leaving alone, do it, it is well worth it. All in all, a well needed and deserved vacation.