Rhythm Activism
| Company type | Music collective |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Founder | Sylvain Côté, Norman Nawrocki |
| Defunct | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Montreal , Canada |
| Products | Music recordings, theatrical performances |
Rhythm Activism was a Montreal-based Canadian music collective primarily led by Sylvain Côté and Norman Nawrocki. Established in 1985 initially as a poetry and music group, they transitioned into delivering a politically charged style of "rock 'n roll cabaret" that fused elements of post-punk with folk. Over the course of their career, they produced 36 recordings.
Frequently, the ensemble quickly released albums to back political movements such as the 1990 Oka Crisis and a Quebec student strike. The majority of their work was issued under their own label, Les Pages Noires, while their last album, Jesus Was Gay, was released through G7 Welcoming Committee Records.
Their song "Leo Lachance" appeared on the 1999 G7 compilation Return of the Read Menace, and "Down in the Mines" was included on the 2005 G7 compilation Take Penacilin Now.
In addition to music, Rhythm Activism created theatrical performances in Montreal, notably the "community circus cabaret comedy" titled Le Cirque en Ca$h during 1997–98. They also toured alongside artists such as DOA, John Giorno, Mecca Normal, and Linton Kwesi Johnson.
Discography
- Rhythm Activism (1986)
- Rhythm Activism Live (1987)
- Resist Much, Obey Little (1987)
- Louis Riel in China (1988)
- Un logement pour une chanson (1990)
- Fight the Hike! (1990)
- Perogies, Pasta and Liberty (1990)
- Oka (1990)
- War is the Health of the State (1991)
- Oka II (1992)
- Tumbleweed (1993)
- Blood & Mud (1994)
- More Kick! (1995)
- Buffalo, Burgers & Beer (1995)
- Jesus Was Gay (1998)
Videography
- That's the way we tie our shoes : a recipe by Rhythm Activism (1996)
- Alive and kicking : the first ten years of Rhythm Activism (1997)
See also
External links
- Rhythm Activism at Nothingness.org
- Rhythm Activism archived at G7 Welcoming Committee Records
- Rhythm Activism at music.cbc.ca (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)