Many may recall Vincent Druda, the young 21 year old prodigy who won over our Outaouais audience at the 4th edition of Viree Blues Boreale, then was awarded the Lys Blues for Discovery Band and also for Composer of the Year, all in 2006. But to many admirers’ surprise, after a resounding entrance into the Blues World, this 6 string virtuoso seemed to vanish. Many thought that his father’s sudden death had snuffed out the Blues little flame ... Aldo Druda, a highly active outstanding figure of the Blues, mostly in Quebec, had been diagnosed with cancer 5 years earlier. But love revives many flames! ... In 2015, an excellent singer by the name of Nadia Waltz was awarded the Aldo Druda Rising Star Lys Blues at the gala. This singer who was breaking through quite the same way our 4th edition guest star did has indeed become the life partner of Vincent Druda ... who found his way back in her company! So, we are so very pleased to welcome them at Viree Blues Boreale to launch their very 1st opus.
Born in Acton-Vale, a town in Monteregie on the border of Quebec’s Estrie, Nadia Waltz has always been into music. With two musician parents who always seemed between practice and performance, Nadia Waltz, nevertheless, refused for a while to sing or play despite her parents’ incitements ... until her teens! But she finally yielded to an official request from her father to take up his Alliance pop/rock band’s job as their lead singer. She performed with that band for a few years, then decided to start her own rock band, The Dave Waltz Band. That’s when she met Vincent Druda who right away detected her top talent and major potential ... and maybe a bit more ... now that we know a tad further! And that’s with Vincent Druda that Nadia Waltz was introduced to The Blues. She was thus introduced to the Bonnie Raitt, Susan Tedeschi and Beth Hart ... A friendship which bloomed into a common relationship, then into love, likely from our point of vue that’s all what was needed to revive that little flame for the Blues.
Introduced to the Blues from age 8, listening to the Paul Butterfield, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Robert Johnson and other major Bluesmen, Vincent Druda got his first guitar at 11. Encouraged by his father, after a few years studying the guitar, he walked on stage for the very first time in a well-known Granby bar. He surprised the crowd with explosive solos and a top stage presence. Boosted, he kept on and, at 15, he met Luc Beaulieu guitarist and symphonic music composer who took him under his wing to teach him various guitar techniques: the flamenco, latin rhythms, rock, neo-classical ... and naturally, The Blues! He learned composition, how to read music the right way and an extremely important subject ... how to listen properly. In the meantime he began performing with a band, The Reflex. This brought him a versatility which added up to an already impressive knowledge for that age. As a guitar prodigy, at only 16, he was invited to step on stage with an experienced Blues band, Bobby F. White. Invited to do one song, he was kept on stage as the soloist for the whole night. In 2000 he brought together his first band and at 17, was invited to his first Blues Festival, in St Hyacinthe. Then, the next year, he was invited to the famous “Les Guitaristes Blues de Montreal” (Montreal’s Blues Guitarists Festival) with, among others, Jean Millaire, Gaston Gagnon, Christian Malette... That same year, he stepped on stage at the Valleyfield Blues Festival where local newspapers elected him The Festival’s Revelation. He was then invited to the first Lys Blues Gala where he was once more selected for the Lys Blues Gala Discovery Award. Unfortunately, after being awarded 2 Lys Blues, the recording of a highly praised album, Vincent Druda vanished ... but fortunately, we now know that it was not definitely!
Three years flew by since Nadia Waltz and Vincent Druda created The Aidan Blues Band. With hard work, things got into place so that they could perform at the 5th edition of “Femmes en Blues", and at the Palace Blues Nights in Granby and a bit everywhere in the Province. A first demo in January 2015 and the award to Nadia Waltz for Discovery of the Year at the 2015 Lys Blues Gala launched Nadia Waltz and The Aidan Blues Band for good. After dazzling most of the Provinces of Ontario, of Quebec and a little later in Europe with their heavy Blues, they will be presenting you with their very 1st opus. Nadia Waltz, a charismatic singer with a powerful voice, Vincent Druda, a virtuoso guitarist, together with a more than solid rhythmic section made of Jonathan Helie on bass and Michaël Waltz on drums. A performance that promises to be intense from start to the very end and that nobody will want to miss, the launch of the album by Nadia Waltz and The Aidan Blues Band, the Blues Discovery of 2015 on the 23rd edition of Viree Blues Boreale, on Wednesday, April 27 2016, around 8h00 p.m., at the well-known venue, Bar Le Petit Chicago, so easy to find at 50 Promenade du Portage, in the Old Hull sector. Tickets are right now on sale at: www.vireeblues.ca and will also be available at the door, always for only 20$. You can also take advantage of our profitable, practical and pleasant supper & show package and enjoy the delicious charcoal grilled dishes of Galo Piri Piri Restaurant (www.galopiripiri.com), only 2 doors from Le Petit Chicago, which will reserve your assigned places at the show by making reservations at (819)771-7474. In the meantime, you can find further information on our guest at: aidanband.wix.com/news . You should also check our own site which, provides you with links to all of our guests sites and so many other interesting information at: www.vireeblues.ca . For inquiries, please get in touch with us at: info@vireeblues.ca . Make very sure to get the latest information on this show by taking part in the facebook event for this show at: www.facebook.com/events/444225789107282/ and mostly, make really sure to join and like us on our facebook page at: www.facebook.com/vireeblues .