Stromae — Racine Carrée Live, Bell Centre, Montréal, 2015

Live concert film of Stromae, ‘Racine Carrée Live’, captured at the Bell Centre in Montréal in September 2015, at the close of the world tour behind the album Racine Carrée. Directed by Luc Van Haver and Gautier & Leduc and released on DVD and Blu-ray, this official recording documents the show that made the Belgian artist Paul Van Haver one of the leading figures of contemporary French-language song. Across nearly two hours, Stromae unfolds a stripped-back staging and a highly choreographed physical language, carrying songs of social, melancholic writing — from ‘Alors on danse’ to ‘Papaoutai’, ‘Formidable’, ‘Tous les mêmes’ and ‘Ta fête’ — over arrangements where lyric-driven chanson meets electro and African rhythms. An avowed heir to Jacques Brel, he blends storytelling, biting humour and a gift for the hook before a captivated crowd. This filmed live concert is a reference document for understanding the Stromae phenomenon at the peak of Racine Carrée, in one of North America’s largest arenas. A full French-language concert to watch in its entirety.