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Back from left to right: Michel Balliet, Nadia Brossoit, Bernard Desormeau (ex-member), Remi Haf (ex-member), and Godfried Toussaint. In front: Claudine Malard. Not in the photo: Martin Bonin.

Yoro-Sou is a Montreal-based group that specializes in West-African music with emphasis on percussion, song and dance. The word Yoro-Sou (actually two words "yoro" and "sou" with the "sou" pronounced like the "sou" in "soup") means "hot sun" in the Bete language, one of the 74 languages of the Ivory Coast. Find out more about musicians from the Ivory Coast.

The members of the group represent a true mixture of cultures from around the world. Michel Balliet is from the Ivory Coast, Nadia Brossoit is Quebequoise from Mexican Apache ancestors, Claudine Malard is from Reunion Island, Martin Bonin is from Montreal, and Godfried Toussaint of Flemish, Walloon, French and Danish descent, was born in Belgium but grew up in South America.

Ex-Members: Remi Haf // Bernard Desormeau // Karla Etienne

What Music-Multi-Montreal and the Press have to say.

Photos from the 1998 FrancoFolies Festival in Montreal.

Photos from Music-Multi-Montreal at Salle Pierre Mercure.

More photos can be found in the Yoro-Sou Photo Album.
Press Reviews: Club.Culture

• Regretably, Yoro-Sou broke up in the summer of 2001.

For more information about the group, the type of music we play and our upcoming performances contact Nadia Brossoit at 593-7825.

• June 24, (Saturday) 2000, St. Jean Batiste Celebrations, City Hall, 300 St. Charles Street, Longueil, Montreal, 15:00hr, Free.
• February 8, (Tuesday) 2000, Academie les Estacades, Cap de la Madelaine, Quebec, 12:00pm.
• November 27, (Saturday) 1999, Hilton Bonaventure Hotel, Ballroom, Montreal @ 19:00 and 21:30.
• November 22, (Monday) 1999, The Radisson Hotel, Salle Cartier A, Montreal @ 20:30.
• November 4, (Thursday) 1999, Maison de la Culture Pointe Aux Trembles, 14001 Notre Dame Street East, Pointe Aux Trembles (Montreal), @20:00. Free tickets at the door.
• October 13, (Wednesday) 1999, Theatre Corona, Maison de la Culture Marie-Uguay, 2490 West Notre-Dame, Montreal, @20:00. Free tickets at the door.
• September 1, (Wednesday) 1999, at the Village de la Francophonie, VIIIth Francophone Summit, Moncton, New Brunswick. Wednesday Show, Dieppe, @ 20hr:30. $15 at the door.
• August 14, (Saturday) 1999, L'Amphitheatre, 150, chemin Saint-Francois, Saint-Mathiew-du-Parc, Quebec, @ 20hr:30. $15 at the door. Tel: (819) 532-2600.
• August 1, (Sunday) 1999, Les FrancoFolies de Montreal, (Le Monde Interculturel Desjardins), Rue Jeanne-Mance, Montreal, 19:00hr and 21:00hr.
• July 18, (Sunday) 1999, Rendez-Vous Ethnique, Parc du Portuaire, Trois Rivieres, Quebec @ 22:30, free.
• July 2 and 3, (Friday and Saturday) 1999, Theatre de Verdure, Parc Lafontaine, Sherbrooke St. and Papineau, Montreal, @ 20:00, free entrance.
• June 27, (Sunday) 1999, Multicultural Feast, Town Hall, Ville Lasalle, 17:00hr.
• June 26, (Saturday) 1999, Francophonie Festival, Musee des Beaux Arts du Canada, 380 Promenade, Ottawa, 12:30 and 16:00 hrs.
• June 17, (Thursday) 1999, Eau-Koul, Cafe Campus, 57 Prince Arthur East, Montreal, 19:00hr. Tel: 844-1010, 12$.
• June 6, (Sunday) 1999, Feria du Velo de Montreal, Parc Jeanne Mance Festivities, 13:45.
• April 24, (Saturday) 1999, Souper Cirque, Centre Jean-Claude Malepart, 2633 Ontario St. East, Montreal. Tel: (514)521-6884, 14:00hr and 20:00hr.
• March 27, (Saturday) 1999, Music-Multi-Montreal Showcase, Just for Laughs Museum, 2111 St. Laurence Blvd., Montreal @ 20:30 hr. Tel: 845-4000. Closing act after four other groups: Mariachi Figueroa (Mexico), Boubacar Diabate (Senegal), Reveillons (Quebec) and Poetica (Brazil).
• March 19, (Friday) 1999, Club Soda, 5240 Park Avenue, Montreal. Tel: 790-1245, 270-7848.
• February 13, (Saturday) 1999, Maison de la Culture Ahuntsic - Cartierville, Auditorium of Ahuntsic CEGEP, 9155 St. Hubert Street, Montreal @ 20:00hr. Tel:872-8749. Free admission.
• February 9, (Tuesday) 1999, Academie les Estacades, Cap de la Madelaine, Quebec, 12:00pm.
• January 16, (Saturday) 1999, @22:00hr, Quai des Brumes, 4481 St. Dennis St., Montreal. Tel: 499-0467.
• December 20, (Sunday) 1998, @20:00hr. Benefit-Evening for the Victims of Hurricane Mitch, La Playa, 4459 St. Laurence Blvd., Montreal. $10.00 at the door.
• December 20, (Sunday) 1998, @ 15:00hr. Institute for Human Development, Knowlton, (Eastern Townships), Quebec.
• December 19, (Saturday) 1998, @ 20:00hr. Institute for Human Development, Knowlton, (Eastern Townships), Quebec.
• December 16, (Wednesday) 1998, 22:00, Club Le Balattou, 4372 St. Lawrence Blvd., Montreal. Tel: 845-5447.
• December 12, (Saturday) 1998, 20:30, Le Zest, 2100 Bennett St., Montreal, (tel:253-7007).
• December 10, (Thursday) 1998, Human Rights Concert-50th Anniversary, The Spectrum, Montreal.
• December 1, (Tuesday) 1998, Benefit for International AIDS  Day, Just for Laughs Museum, 2111 St. Laurence Blvd., Montreal. Tel: 845-4000.
• Le Maquisart, "La Nuit de Sans Abri," 323, Rue des Forges, Trois Rivieres, Quebec, Friday, November 20, 1998 @20:00hr. Tel: (819)379-0235.
• Maison de la Culture Cote-des-Neiges, 5290, Ch. de la Cote des Neiges, (Metro Cotes des Neiges), Montreal, Tuesday, November 17, 1998, @ 20:00hr. Tel: 872-6895. No charge; courtesy of the City of Montreal.
• Daniel Johnson Secondary School, Montreal, Wednesday, November 11, 1998 @ 12:00.
• Centre de Loisirs l'Acadie, 2005 Victor Dore, Montreal, Saturday, November 7, 1998 @ 20:00hr. Tel: (514) 856-2224.
• Institute for Human Development, Knowlton, (Eastern Townships), Quebec, Saturday, September 19, 1998 @ 19:30. Tel: (514) 242-1961.
• Tam Tam Macadam: Couleurs et Rythmes du Monde, 520, sue Sacre-Coeur Ouest, Alma, Quebec, August 27-30, 1998. Tel: (418) 668-5211. Sponsored by CSI.
• Friday, 27th @ 22:00hr
• Saturday, 29th @20:00hr
• Sunday, 30th @15:00hr
• Cirque du Soleil, La Carriere Miron, 8400 2nd Avenue, Montreal, August 16, 1998, 11:00hr.
• Thomson House (McGill University), Montreal, for the closing party of The Tenth Canadian Conference on Computational Geometry, August 12, 1998, 21:00hr.
• La Maison Touristique de l'Ouest de l'Isle, Isle Perrot, Quebec, July 28, 1998, 18:30hr.
• Aerofolies (International Aeronautics Festival) Colisee de Guiges, St. Bruno des Guigues, Abitibi-Temiscamingue, Quebec, July 25, 1998, 21:30hr, Information: Pierre Ives (1-819-629-7074).
• Rendez-Vous Ethnique, Parc du Portuaire, Trois Rivieres, Quebec, July 19, 1998, 21:40hr.
• Theatre de Verdure, Parc Lafontaine, Sherbrooke St. and Papineau, Montreal, July 15, 1998, 20:30hr.
• Le Moulin St. Michel, Becancourt, July 11, 1998, 18:30hr.
• Club Le Balattou, 4372 St. Lawrence St., Montreal, July 1, 1998, 22:00, $5 at the door. Tel: 845-5447.
• Canada Day Festival, Old Port, Montreal, Bonsecours Stage, June 30, 1998.
• Les FrancoFolies de Montreal, (Le Monde Interculturel Desjardins), Rue Jeanne-Mance, Montreal.
June 20, 20:00hr and 23:00hr
June 21, 19:30hr and 23:00hr
June 25, 20:00hr and 23:00hr
June 26, 20:00hr and 23:00hr
• The Bicycle Tour of Lac St. Jean, (Benoit Levesque Sports Arena), Roberval, Quebec, June 13, 1998.
• Festival Un Air d'Afrique, Ville de Riviere du Loup, Quebec, June 7, 1998.
• Le Building Dance, 4152 Boul. St. Laurent, Third Floor, Montreal, May 16, 1998, 21:00h. (Tel: 842-1887)
• Ecole Cavalier de la Salle, 9199 Rue Central, Montreal, May 15, 1998.
• Spring Festival, Salle Salaberry, 1710 Beaudry, Montreal, May 8, 1998.
• Le Building Dance, 4152 Boul. St. Laurent, Third Floor, Montreal, May 2, 1998. (Tel: 842-1887)
• World Music Festival, Music Multi-Montreal, Centre Pierre Peladeau, Salle Pierre Mercure, Montreal, Sunday, April 5, 1998, 3:00 pm. Information: (514) 856-3787.
• Le Zest, 2100 Bennett St., Montreal, Saturday, March 14, 1998, 21:00 (tel:253-7007).
• Cafe Campus, 57 Prince Arthur East, Montreal, March 6, 1998.
• Studio Isart, 263 St-Antoine West, Montreal, February 28, 1998.
• Bar L'Barouf, 4171 St-Denis, Montreal, December 20, 1997.
• St. Louis College , Lachine, (Montreal) December 4, 1997.
• Cafe Sarajevo, Montreal, December 3, 1997.
• Television, Cable-Channel 9, "2/3 World", Videotron, Montreal, recorded December 1, 1997. Aired 5 times the week of December 15, 1997.
• Daniel Johnson Secondary School, Montreal, November 10, 1997.
• University of Quebec in Montreal, Montreal, October 30, 1997.
• Marie-Anne Secondary School, Montreal, September 26, 1997.
• Parc de la Cite du Havre (Easter Seals Benefit for the Handicapped Children of Quebec), Montreal, August 9, 1997.
• L'Esplanade, Joliette, Quebec, July 3 & 4, 1997.
• Festival Nuit Blanche sur Tableau Noir, Rue Mont Royal, Montreal, June 12, 13, 14 and 15, 1997.
• Lachine Secondary School, Lachine, Quebec, June 4, 1997.
• The Comedy Nest, 1740 Rene Levesque, Montreal, May 25, 1997.
• CEGEP du Vieux Montreal, Montreal, May 22, 1997.
• Salon de la Jeunesse, Olympic Stadium, Montreal, April 18, 1997.
• Le Cirque, 141 Rue St. Laurent Est, Montreal, April 3, 1997.

We are also listed in The Montre@l Page. Check them out for lots more information on the Montreal music scene. The URL of this site is: http://www-cgrl.cs.mcgill.ca/~godfried/percussion/yorosou.html