"Choiniere's finely detailed, emotionally rich music is a testament to Franco-American creativity. It's also a channel through which tradition meets modernity: Her work combines the rugged vitality of Quebecois folk music with the wistful poetry of cabaret and cafe culture. ...[Her} 2003 solo debut, Coeur Fragile, was well received by both traditional music enthusiasts and world-pop fans. Its elegant simplicity belies a sophisticated compositional style, one that evokes both the passion of French-Canadian folk and Old World romanticism."
-Casey Rea
Music Editor, Seven Days Newspaper, Feb. 8-15, 2006.
Seven Days Newspaper
REVIEW, COEUR FRAGILE
"...the very fact that [Michele] is from Vermont imparts her album with a certain intangible quality. The songs, most of which project simple, heartfelt sentiments, are very ably supported by first-class musicians, among whom are members of Le Vent du Nord. ..."
-Paul-Emile Comeau
Reviewer, Dirty Linen Magazine #125 - August/September 2006.
REVIEW, COEUR FRAGILE
"St. Albans native Michele Choiniere has been working on this recording of traditional French-Canadian and original songs for years. Now that it's finally here -- just in time for performances at the Enosburg Opera House on November 29 and at First Night Burlington [at the Flynn Theatre Main Stage] -- longtime fans and first-time listeners alike will be impressed and delighted. Choiniere has always been inspired by the late, great Martha Pellerin, who was also an important voice for French music in Vermont. On Coeur Fragile (fragile heart) she rises to the challenge of presenting new material along with traditional music that she's sung all her life. The mix works. Choiniere sings beautifully in both French and English, and is accompanied here by past and present members of Matapat and Le Vent du Nord, two of the hottest Canadian bands going. The result is sometimes jazzy, sometimes tres romantique, and always full of heart. Choiniere's... show[s] will include a performance by Le Vent du Nord, which absolutely guarantees a spectacular night of music."
-Robert Resnick
Host, All the Traditions radio program, Vermont Public Radio
Reviewed in Seven Days Newspaper, V. 9, No. 14, Nov. 26-Dec. 3, 2003.
Seven Days Newspaper
"Michele Choiniere is
a singer-songwriter of great talent and promise. Writing and singing in
both English and French, she powerfully expresses her cultural identity
as a bilingual Franco-American from the New England borderlands. Her repertory
and vocal style are as eclectic as they are evocative: jaunty French cabaret
songs rub elbows with contemplative ballads and pop-tinged lyrical folk
melodies. The overarching emotion of this music is a dark gaiety, sophisticated
and brooding. Ms. Choiniere represents contemporary New England "roots"
music at its best."
Dr. Ted Levin
Ethnomusicologist and Professor of Music
Dartmouth College, NH
"....from the experience
of a young woman growing up in a predominantly French speaking culture
in Northwestern Vermont, with a balanced appetite for modern influences
and fresh ideas, comes a side of Michele I am utterly delighted to discover.
Her new CD is the equivalent of a coming out party for an important new
artist. As a friend and admirer of the Michele I thought I knew, let me
be the first to introduce you to the Michele everyone should know about
and listen to."
Mark Sustic
Founder and Past-President
Champlain Valley Folk Festival
Burlington, VT
"Michele is a fine example of a young and talented
Franco-American Artist whose creativity includes cultural expression.
She draws from her rich cultural heritage and creates an exciting contemporary
sound. An inspiration to others!"
the late Martha Pellerin
Franglais Cultural Center,
Middlesex, VT