For the second year in a row, a singer from St. Lazare, MB., has topped the GX94 Talent Search.
In 2017 it was Julianna Moore thanks in large part to a great rendition of the challenging ‘Crazy’ made famous by Patsy Cline, who won it all.
This time Solange Simard, crediting her rendition of ‘Diane’ from artist Cam, who won the silver buckle, limited edition jacket, and a chance to record a pair of songs.
“’Diane’ is very powerful,” said the 16-year-old Simard after her win on the Painted Hand Casino Main Stage at the Yorkton Exhibition Saturday.
Simard said the song is rather new on the music scene, but she said it caught the judge’s attention in a preliminary round of the competition, so it was a natural to come back with it at the finals.
Simard then turned to a familiar Creedence Clearwater Revival standard ‘Ever See the Rain’ to round out her two-song set.
“It was my first time performing it,” she said, adding working with the band that all finalists had for the show helped.
While confident in her performance the win still came as a surprise.
“There were a lot of talented singers,” she said, adding when her name was announced she was of course thrilled. “My heart was running when I was announced.”
For Simard the GX Star Search came in her first year in the contest, a rarity in the 25-plus years of the competition.
However, Simard did have experience to draw upon. The performer is completely bilingual and has performed in front of some large audiences singing in French.
And she was chosen to record a song as the Manitoba representative on a French recording done in Quebec.
So will she choose to record a French country song as part of her win in Yorkton.
“I have thought about it. I’ve heard a bunch of great French country songs,” she said, adding she knows that would create a language barrier for local listeners, “but it is under consideration.”
While still barely a teenager, Simard already has years of experience in terms of singing.
When asked when she started her reply was “since I’ve been able to talk.”
Simard added it is almost in her blood, too.
“It’s something a lot of my extended family does,” she said, adding that runs from her dad, to various uncles and aunts.
That network of musical family was important.
“It’s very important that they come and support me,” she said, adding “I know they’ll always be there.”
As for her own interest, Simard said she likes that her voice can affect an audience.
“I like seeing the reaction when I start singing,” she said, although she admitted in Yorkton she chose not to wear her glasses, so she didn’t see the large audience well as she concentrated on the singing.
