In the intimate space of the National Arts Centre’s Fourth Stage, two very different but equally talented Manitoba-based francophone artists share the spotlight in an evening of great, original music.

2010 WCMA Award Winner for Outstanding Francophone Album Daniel ROA has made a huge splash on the francophone music scene across the country since releasing his debut solo album, “Le Nombril du Monde”, in 2009.  Celebrated for its incisive, poetic lyrics and a driving, pop heartbeat, the album signals the arrival of an artist who has been among the most in-demand percussionists in Western Canada for the last decade.  A dynamic stage performer, ROA brings a fascination with language and an obvious love of life to his songwriting and singing.  At once a dreamer and a joker, his music blends a wonderful originality with inspiration ranging from funk, to latin swing, to alternative pop.

Nadia Gaudet was born in a field of wheat in 1981, and when you hear her haunting voice, it’s not hard to imagine you hear echoes of the Prairie wind singing through the grain.  With her almost ethereal stage presence, evocative, lingering melodies, and eerie, beautiful tone, the Manitoba singer-songwriter  has developed a unique musical style she describes as “butterfly rock.” Singing in both French and English, her songs blend the simple organic piano sound that underpins all her music, with a more experimental electronic vibe, resulting in tuneful, dreamy mood music that seems to open a window into the deepest heart of this fascinating artist.