Dominique Fils-Aimé - Stay Tuned!
Dominique Fils-Aimé
Stay Tuned!
There is something familiar yet different with Dominique Fils-Aimé’s sophomore album Stay Tuned!, which has been out for a month now on (virtual) record shelves.
The Montreal-based singer-songwriter continues the magic from her debut of somehow being impactful with her vocals by being subdued.
Fils-Aimé’s theme of social justice – a recurring thread throughout her catalogue of contemporary soul and jazz – carries itself without the need to belt out lyrics or include high-intensity instrumental compositions.
If you appreciated her Feist-like harmonies and her bursts of instruments playfully popping out at times throughout her previous album, you’ll find those here too.
What has changed, however, is the tone in which she delivers her messages. Stay Tuned! is at moments celebratory and at other times it starts to pull you into darkness.
The line between uplifting and sorrowful becomes blurred in Fils-Aimé’s work. She can go from haunting to triumphant seamlessly within in a four-minute song – as she does in “Joy River” – something more likely heard in a several minutes-long symphonic score.
This interplay of going from depths to light also appears between her songs, such as during the aptly named “Where There Is Smoke” and “There Is Probably Fire”, yet the former song will never bring you down too low and the latter will never take you to peak jubilation.
The melancholy mood Fils-Aimé carries throughout this album is perhaps reflective of her passion for human rights. If so, it seems all the more fitting that she will be headlining a one-of-a-kind show at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg this summer.
On June 18, Jazz Winnipeg hosts JazzFest x CMHR, an immersive multistage concert event at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
FEATURING Cécile McLorin Salvant, Joshua Redman Quartet, Brian Blade & the Fellowship, Laila Biali, Dominique Fils-Aimé, and Beverly Glenn-Copeland.
AND Erin Propp & Larry Roy, Sean Irvine Quintet, trío telfær, Civvie, Mike Manny, and Micaylee Rodyniuk.
In addition to live music, event-goers will be able to experience intimate talks with artists sharing their stories involving human rights. Patrons will also have access to all museum galleries during the event.