Paul Chaput

Website: www.paulchaput.com

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Paul Chaput has just finished his second CD, Old Lovers, which addresses the ancient relationships between Men and Women and between the Earth and the “two-leggeds.” An eclectic mix of folk, blues and ballads, Old Lovers was produced by Paul Mills of The Millstream, and will be released September 9, 2004 at the Rivoli.

With full-bodied lyrics and a rich voice that speaks from experience, Paul Chaput presents us with his latest CD, Old Lovers. Inspired by his muse and partner Julie Bergeron, Chaput takes us along as he explores love lost and lamented, touches on the roots of our relationships with family, history and mother earth, and reaches a place where mysteries await; the potential of a flowering relationship, the conquering of fear, the difficult growth of humans and humanity into adulthood.

Chaput’s caramel-smooth vocal delivery and accomplished guitar work in this new collection of songs deliver laid-back sweetness like a cottage weekend. She Came Home Again Today is the soundtrack for doing dishes on a Sunday morning, while the song Never No Never feels like a favourite rocking chair in the afternoon sun. Rosie mourns the waste of a dear love in the traditional folk vein; the jazzier Use Your Mind delivers its wry message with the easy-going feel of a grown-up girl from Ipanema. To wrap up the day, the lush, comfortable sound of Done So Easily would go well with an evening in a comfortable recliner and a good glass of wine.

As the summer comes to a close, Paul Chaput leaves us with his contemplative reflections on life’s sorrows and joys in his latest CD, Old Lovers, to be released September 9 at the Rivoli.

Biography

In his second CD, Old Lovers, Paul addresses the ancient relationships between Men and Women and between the Earth and the “two-leggeds.” Old Lovers, an eclectic mix of folk, blues and ballads, was produced by Paul Mills of the Millstream, and will be released in September 9, 2004 at the Rivoli.

Paul has been writing and performing his own music since 1965. For his first CD, a mix of folk and jazzy blues called “Sweet Rain, White Lights, Red Blues”, he was nominated in the categories of Best Male Artist and Best Folk Album at the 2002 Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. He was also featured as a performer at the 2002 awards ceremony held at the SkyDome.

Also involved in the arts as an organizer, Paul is now Chair of the Toronto-based Métis Artists Collective, and is Executive Director of the annual Métis Arts Festival; Evolution of the Voyageur, which took place July 17 – 18 this year at Black Creek Pioneer Village.

For many years, Paul has worked in radio, film and television. He wrote and directed the docudrama “The Power of the Circle: Restorative Justice in NAN Communities,” as well as composing the soundtrack for it and four episodes of “Finding Our Talk: A Journey Through Aboriginal Languages”, which is currently airing on APTN. Paul hosts and narrates the radio version of Finding Our Talk on the national satellite Aboriginal Voices Radio Network (AVRN), in addition to being involved as host, associate producer and occasional director on the television series.

Originally from St. Adolphe, Manitoba, Paul Chaput is a Métis artist involved in such diverse realms as political activism, guest lecturing at universities on Métis issues, poetry and carving, as well as music. In the early 90’s, he was one of four founding members of the Métis Nation of Ontario, and has worked for the past six years as a facilitator/negotiator between the federal government and First Nations. In February of 1995, Paul was awarded the Star of Courage by Governor General Romeo LeBlanc in Ottawa for rescuing a number of people from a blaze in downtown Toronto.