The Montreal music industry has a lot be proud of after the top three Canadian contributions to this years Grammy nominations were all Montrealers.
Serban Ghenea, KAYTRANADA and Yannick Nezet-Seguin were nominated, though none of them won.
From open mic nights to the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival, Canada’s second largest city encourages young musicians to share their creativity with a diverse, bilingual community.
What aspects of the city make musicians thrive?
“There’s a whole lot brewing in Montreal in terms of young creators. I see students experimenting, playing or singing and releasing on Spotify. Today, you don’t need a studio or a record deal. It doesn’t matter that [your song] has been recorded in a bedroom—it’s the authenticity and urgency that count,” says Georges Dimitrov, a Montreal-based composer and lecturer at Concordia University.
For some, the city connects English and French speakers through music.
“People are open and friendly – curious to discover and listen to new things. There are four universities, so that makes for a lot of young people coming from around the world, as well as research and experimentation,” says Dimitrov.
The low-cost of living attracts young Canadians. According to Statistics Canada, a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto is approximately $1,700 compared to $1,000 in Montreal. For starving artists, this makes a big difference.
“Stemming from the affordability idea, if we can have many energetic and inspiring artists of diverse ages and backgrounds, the city becomes a wonderful melting pot of inspiration”, says James Celmens Seely, a sound recording assistant professor at McGill University.
“And thus [it’s] the perfect place to launch artists into successful careers in the city and beyond.”
Ghenea is an accomplished audio engineer who has contributed to several pop hits including “All Too Well (Ten Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]” by Taylor Swift, “7 rings” by Ariana Grande and “Unholy” by Sam Smith.
Born in Romania and moving to Montreal when he was seven-years-old, Ghenea studied jazz at Concordia and then pursued sound recording at McGill. He started his music success in North America’s largest French speaking city. Ghenea’s 21 Grammy wins and three-time Latin Grammy wins reflects the music culture and education in Montreal.
“It’s vibrant and creative. The bilingual aspect brings Anglo-American and Franco-European influences together.” says Dimitrov, who singled out KAYTRANADA as an example of a musician with a Haitian background. “There’s a huge Haitian community in Montreal, but [there is also] modern U.S. hip-hop vibes.”
Louis Kevin Celestin, also known as KAYTRANADA, started his music career in a suburb outside the city.
Unlike other artists who spent their time studying music formally, he dropped out of high school to support his family. In 2021, he became the first Black producer and openly gay man to win a Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album.
Nezet-Seguin began his love for music at five-years-old, when he learned to play piano. At 10-years-old, he decided he wanted to be a conductor. He is currently the Music Director at Orchestre Métropolitain. This year he was nominated for three Grammys, winning for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.
“It’s all about the scene” says Dimitrov. “Brian Eno said that ‘geniuses’ don’t grow out of nowhere, you need fertile ground, roots.”
For musicians such as Dimitrov and others, Montreal has this and more.
(Infographic by Isaac Hung)