Dumas and Marilyne Léonard Don’t Let the Rain Ruin The Party [Photos]

On the 24th of June, Québec celebrated its National holiday, Saint-Jean Baptiste, and the city of Longueuil decided to double up on the holiday by offering two days of musical fun for their party-minded citizens. The celebrations got off to a start on the night of the 23rd in the middle of the old historic part of the city. After some kind words by our local politicians and a raising of the Fleurdelisé, it was time to get the party started, as we all hoped that the dark rain clouds that were hovering nearby wouldn’t spoil the fun.

Our first artist to hit the stage at the Parc St. Marc in Longueuil was up-and-coming superstar Marilyne Léonard. Still in her early 20s, Leonard has already followed quite the path. From singing and learning the guitar in elementary school, being a quarter-finalist on La Voix as a teenager, signing a first record contract just a few years later and being named one of Radio-Canada’s ‘Revelations of the Year’ for 2023, Léonard’s career trajectory is still looking up.

Her most recent album was her 2022 debut, Vie d’Ange. She promised the crowd that a new album was in the works and that if we ever saw her perform again in Longueuil without a new album having already been released, we would be allowed to boo her without mercy. Somehow, I don’t see that ever happening. The young crowd was in love with her and her genre-mixing performance. You don’t boo young talent, you anxiously await their next work of art.

The first photograph of her in this set really stood out for me. I had noticed the lights behind Marilyne were rotating, and I managed to time my shot just right so that it looked like there were two little wings coming from her back. It’s a little angelic, but there is also a little devil in there.

Sadly, those dark clouds I mentioned earlier decided to open just as Leonard was finishing up her set. Mere minutes later, it was a full downpour. I’ve been photographing outdoor concerts for eleven years now. In that time I have been fortunate to only get caught in one downpour. Sadly, that number has been bumped up to two. Luckily, I had a raincoat and a protective sleeve for my camera, but the sleeve quickly fogged up, and I decided to throw caution to the wind.

Much of the crowd left as the rain got more intense. Those who remained were treated to an energetic concert by a performer who has been described as a beast of the stage. After more than 20 years of performing, the name Dumas has already been established for a long time in Québec. Millions of albums have been sold, and album number twelve, Cosmologie, was released in January to the happiness of his many fans as they knew that it meant he would soon be returning to the stage.

Apart from his huge music catalogue, it’s Dumas’ live show which is his calling card. In French, he is often described as being ‘une grande bête de scène.’ That loosely translates into him being a beast of a performer on stage. His performance during the ‘Le Cours des Jours – Live’ tour earned him an ADISQ nomination for ‘Concert of the Year.’ Though Mother Nature did her best to bring everyone down, Dumas did not disappoint, giving his all for the loyal and very wet people who remained to enjoy his music.

Dumas & Marilyne Léonard @ Parc St-Marc (Longueuil, QC) on June 23, 2024

66 photos