After a decade as a successful early childhood Kindermusik educator, Jocelyne Baribeau got caught up in her own magic - tangled if you will - in a world of puppets and boas to become the irrepressible, the bubbly, the ever popular Madame Diva.

In spite of her flamboyant, eccentric self, Madame Diva’s underlying goal en anglais et in French, is to take her young audience on a journey to explore an absolutely inclusive world wrapping children with a comforting blanket of melody and insightful lyrics that were noted as some of the most poignant of 2009 by the juries of the Western Canadian Music Award’s and Canadian Folk Music Award’s.

'I once read an article on ‘recovering your heart’ and it asked the question ‘What did you dream of doing or being when you were ten, twelve, fourteen…’. It was an essential question for me to consider as at the time, I spent more time teaching than performing, as it seemed the responsible thing to do. Little did I know that I would one evening dream up Madame Diva and that my life would alter so very much! I learned that for me, I had to accept and embrace that I was indeed an artist and that there was no shame in taking to the stage to dance, sing and create with children. Today, I give some 75 songwriting workshops in schools per year and tour ‘Le spectacle époustouflant’ (the ‘amazing’ show) with a fantastic troupe of puppeteers that bring humor, joy and music to children and their families.’

Jocelyne is passionate about her French Canadian roots and is also the Artistic Director of L’Ensemble folklorique de la Rivière-Rouge (a French-Canadian dance troupe that was created in 1947). She runs the dance programming at the Centre culturel franco-manitobain and is ever appreciative of her fellow staff and of the director of the CCFM who are tremendously supportive of her arts practice outside of her part-time work with the cultural centre.

This past spring, Jocelyne was the invited guest soloist for the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir, which featured her performing as non other than ‘Jocelyne Baribeau’ with her contemporary arrangements of traditional French folk tunes. It was a thrill to hear the arrangements come to life for the folk singer.

Upcoming schedule:

Festival du Voyageur:

• as MADAME DIVA Feb 18 at 3:15 p.m. and Feb 19 th at 11:00 a.m. At La Prarie Tent (Voyageur Park)

• as herself with La Bardasse Feb 25th 8 pm Relais du Voyageur ( CCFM) Feb 26th 1:30 at the Sugar Shack (at Voyageur Park)

• along with L’EFRR (dance troupe) Feb 17th 8:30 pm Voyageur Trading Post (CCFM); Feb 18th 11:30 a.m. Rivière-Rouge Tent (Voyageur Park); Feb 20th 1pm and 3pm Pambian Tent (Voyageur Park)

Touring Ontario in April

And for those dreams? Well Jocelyne has not finished fulfilling them just yet! In the horizon are hopes for a DVD for children and if she dreams big, a series of children’s books and a TV show for children to reach a broader audience still!

Her next album VIVA LA DIVA, funded in part by Manitoba Film and Sound will be released late in 2012 along with a much requested album in English for those little fans who like the melodies but aren’t quite catching the words!

Website:
www.madamediva.com
www.sonicbids.com/madamediva