CANO
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Founder | André Paiement, Rachel Paiement, Wasyl Kohut, Marcel Aymar, David Burt, Michel Kendel, John Doerr, Michel Dasti |
| Defunct | 1985 |
| Headquarters | Sudbury , Canada |
| Products | Progressive rock and folk rock music |
CANO, a Canadian band specializing in progressive rock and active between 1975 and 1985, holds the distinction of being the most prominent musical ensemble in Franco-Ontarian history.
Origins
CANO emerged from the Coopérative des artistes du Nouvel-Ontario (Artists' Cooperative of Northern Ontario), an artistic collective established in 1970 in Sudbury, Ontario. This cooperative played a pivotal role in nurturing major cultural organizations within the Franco-Ontarian community, such as the Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario, Prise de Parole publishing, Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario, La Nuit sur l'étang festival, and CANO-Musique.
The cooperative also acquired a 320-acre property in Earlton, which served as both an artists’ retreat and a buffalo ranch.
Musical group
Established in the autumn of 1975, CANO’s lineup featured singer-guitarist siblings André Paiement and Rachel Paiement, violinist Wasyl Kohut, guitarists Marcel Aymar and David Burt, pianist Michel Kendel, bassist John Doerr, and drummer Michel Dasti. Their inaugural performance took place on December 1 at La Slague in Sudbury. The band’s debut album, Tous dans l'même bateau, was released in 1976 after being recorded at a studio located on the Paiements’ farm near Sturgeon Falls.
Their musical style fused traditional French folk music with original compositions by Aymar, the Paiement siblings, and writer Robert Dickson. The introduction of English-language songs came with their third album, Eclipse, while their fourth release, Rendezvous, predominantly featured English tracks aimed at reaching broader audiences. CANO achieved chart success on francophone pop platforms in Quebec and France, as well as on English Canadian outlets like CFNY and RPM Magazine with singles such as "Rebound" and "Carrie."
In 1978, the group endured the tragic loss of André Paiement by suicide. The following year, they appeared in the National Film Board documentary titled CANO, Notes on a Collective Experience.
The 1980 compilation Spirit of the North highlighted CANO’s diverse influences spanning pop, rock, jazz, and folk. That same year, some of their music was featured in the documentary A Wives' Tale (Une histoire de femmes),, which chronicled the 1978 Inco strike in Sudbury.
Following Rachel Paiement’s exit from the band in 1980, CANO released Camouflage under the new name Masque, marking their only album fully performed in English. After violinist Wasyl Kohut passed away in 1981, he was succeeded by Ben Mink. By this period, CANO had moved their base to Toronto.
During the 1980s, CITY-TV adopted one of CANO’s tracks as the theme for its Great Movies series; additionally, the band composed scores for several National Film Board projects.
In 1984, members Aymar, Burt, Mink, Mary Lu Zahalan, and Rob Yale recorded CANO’s final album titled Visible. This was followed by tours across Ontario, Quebec, and Japan before the group disbanded.
Revival
In 2003, Universal Music Canada issued a CANO greatest hits collection as part of its 20th Century Masters series.
The albums Rendezvous and Eclipse were subsequently re-released digitally on iTunes during summer 2008 and spring 2009 respectively.
CANO reunited for a performance at the 2010 edition of La Nuit sur l'étang, featuring Monique Paiement—sister to André and Rachel—as lead vocalist.
Celebrating their 35th anniversary in 2011, Aymar, Burt, Doerr, Dasti, and Kendel came together again for concerts held in Ottawa, North Bay, Sturgeon Falls, and Kapuskasing. These shows included support from Michel Bénac of Swing, Monique Paiement, Andrea Lindsay, and Stéphane Paquette. The Ottawa performance was recorded for broadcast on TFO.
Legacy
CANO played a significant role in founding two prominent Sudbury music events: the bilingual folk gathering known as Northern Lights Festival Boréal and the Franco-Ontarian cultural celebration called La Nuit sur l'étang, both of which continue to thrive today.
In 2021, two iconic tracks from CANO's first album—André Paiement's "Dimanche après-midi" and Marcel Aymar's "Baie Sainte-Marie"—were honored by being inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Discography
- 1976 - Tous dans l'même bateau
- 1977 - Au nord de notre vie
- 1978 - Eclipse
- 1979 - Rendezvous
- 1980 - Spirit of the North
- 1981 - Camouflage (released under the name Masque)
- 1985 - Visible
- 2003 - The Best of CANO (20th Century Masters)