Boom Desjardins

Montreal native Boom Dejardins was first introduced to the Canadian listening public in the late '90s as a member of the québécois rock group La Chicane. The band first formed when he and guitarist Alain Villeneuve put their heads together in 1993, not joined by bandmates Martin Bedard, Christian LeGault, and Eric LeMieux until 1996. The band released their debut record in 1999, entitled En Catimini, which went on to win a Juno Award and achieve double-platinum status. The band's follow-up disc, Disparu, is met with similar success, garnering invitations to perform internationally. In the meantime, Desjardins launched his own Boombox label, housed under DKDD. A series of important media appearances, including acting as professor on the acclaimed Star Academie TV show, laid the groundwork for Desjardins' departure from La Chicane in pursuit of a solo career. In November 2004 enthusiastic fans welcomed Boom Desjardin's self-titled debut, which sold more than 130,000 copies. The record's consistent presence on national charts, followed by a sold-out concert tour, was testament to the project's strength and artist's trajectory. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez