Monia Lamarche is truly an all-in-one artiste. Adding yet another feather to her cap, the song-writer, singer, performer, model and actress, who is performing in India, has been dabbling with composing lately and seems excited with the results. Lamarche performs like a real rockstar, singing away in several languages, including French, English, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese and Italian. “I grew up listening to mostly American and English music, but I couldn’t understand the lyrics when I was young as I was raised with French. Nonetheless, I would sing the words as I heard them, without knowing what they meant. Later, I learned English in school and one day, when I was about 19, I remember hearing ‘Like a Virgin’ by Madonna. It was the first time I understood every single word of the song and I realised why everybody laughed when I had sung to a room full of people,” she says.
That was then. Today Monia has every quality to mesmerise her audience. “Our repertoire is a mix of jazz and pop-lounge music. For instance, we’ll perform Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra’s songs as well as some lounge versions of Lady Gaga, Dido and Bruno Mars’ hits,” she says bursting with excitement about being in Delhi. “This must sound clichéd but I have been looking to come to Delhi and explore its vibrancy and culture, something you don’t find everywhere. I’m even happier to be at the Polo Lounge (Hyatt Regency, Delhi) because it’s like singing in my own living room. The atmosphere is warm and it reminds me of my country, Canada, with its glorious leather couches, shining wooden walls, high ceilings and a cosy fire place,” she says, recalling a performance before which she caught a cold but the audience encouraged her to keep the show going.
When she is not singing, her days pass by either modelling or acting. “I’ve modelled for about 400 fashion shows and photo shoots. During the same time, I worked on about 40 films, music videos and commercials,” she says reaffirming that music is still what excites her the most. In the last six years, Lamarche has negotiated her own contracts and performed at more than 800 shows in Canada, Egypt, Singapore, Maldives, Morocco and now India. “For my own pleasure, I’ve composed about 30 songs — melodies and lyrics in both French and English,” says Lamarche, and off she goes to her little studio, just in time to rehearse for the show tonight.