CANO -

CANO — aka Coopérative des Artistes du Nouvel-Ontario — was a French-Canadian symphonic-folk collective from Sadbury in Northern-Ontario. They released four albums between 1976 and 1979 on A&M. After their 1981 effort under the pseudonym Masque, they reinstated CANO for a 1985 sixth album on Ready Records.

Members: Marcel Aymar (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), David Burt (electric guitar, acoustic guitar), Michel Dasti (drums, percussion), John Doerr (electric bass, trombone, synthesizer), Michel Kendel (vocals, keyboards, piano, Fender Rhodes, electric guitar), André Paiement (vocals, guitar, 1975-78), Rachel Paiement (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, 1975-80), Wasyl Kohut (violin, 1975-81)

Background

CANO grew out of the Coopérative des Artistes du Nouvel-Ontario, a Sudbury artists’ movement founded in 1970 to build a Franco-Ontarian cultural base in Northern Ontario. André Paiement stood near the center of that movement. Born in Sturgeon Falls on June 28, 1950, he studied translation at Laurentian University, wrote and staged Moé, j’viens du Nord, s’tie! in 1970, helped launch Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario, and worked across theatre, festivals, and music before CANO-Musique took shape in 1975.

Rachel Paiement, born in Sturgeon Falls in 1955, arrived with earlier experience in the group Morgan and shared the early CANO front line with her brother André, Marcel Aymar, and the rest of the ensemble. Marcel Aymar came from Meteghan, Nova Scotia, moved to Sudbury in 1972, and also worked in Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario. Around them stood the band’s instrumental core: guitarist David Burt, drummer Michel Dasti, bassist-trombonist John Doerr, keyboardist Michel Kendel, and violinist Wasyl Kohut.

Musically, CANO blended French folk material with rock instruments and regional reference points. They rehearsed and recorded inside a converted building on the Paiement family farm near Sturgeon Falls.

Tous dans l’même Bateau

CANO released their debut album, Tous dans l’même Bateau, in October 1976 on A&M.

The album sets acoustic guitar, violin, electric guitar, bass, piano, Rhodes, and percussion into long, ensemble-shaped pieces with a strong vocal presence from André and Rachel Paiement, Marcel Aymar, and the rest of the group. Dasti and Doerr hold a flexible backbone, Kohut’s violin cuts through the upper register, and Kendel’s keyboards expand the harmonic range.

Musically, Tous dans l’même Bateau splits between short pastoral songs and three longer pieces with spacious passages. “Viens Nous Voir” starts in a darker register, with acoustic guitar and violin under André Paiement’s poetic vocal line, while “Le Vieux Médéric” breaks into a faster rural dance pulse. “Les Rues d’Ottawa” softens the pace with piano and Rachel Paiement’s more delicate lead.

Side two stretches outward through “En Plein Hiver,” which begins with slow acoustic movement and choral lift, then opens in the middle to electric piano, bass, congas, and touches of electric guitar before circling back to the opening mood. “Baie Ste-Marie” closes the album on its widest canvas: seabird effects, creaking-boat detail, acoustic strum, electric piano, bongos, mellow guitar, horns, and Wasyl Kohut’s violin, which arcs across the stereo field before the track settles into a slower, more solemn coda.

A1. “Viens Nous Voir” [Come See Us] (8:37) — Marcel Aymar
A2. “Dimanche Après-Midi” [Sunday Afternoon] (3:40) — André Paiement
A3. “Pluie Estivale” [Summer Rain] (2:51) — Rachel Paiement, Suzie Beauchemin
A4. “Le Vieux Médéric” [Old Médéric] (3:00) — André Paiement
A5. “Les Rues d’Ottawa” [The Streets of Ottawa] (3:45) — Rachel Paiement

B1. “En Plein Hiver” [In Midwinter] (9:25) — André Paiement
B2. “Chanson Pour Suzie” [Song for Suzie] (1:00) — Rachel Paiement
B3. “Baie Ste-Marie” [St. Mary’s Bay] (9:12) — David Burt, John Doerr, Marcel Aymar, Wasyl Kohut

CANO recorded Tous dans l’même bateau at Son Québec from August 2 to 21, 1976 with co-producers Luc Cousineau and Red Mitchell and engineer Pete Tessier. Jimmy Tanaka added congas on “Baie Ste-Marie,” Nick Ayoub played clarinet on “En Plein Hiver,” and Merv Doerr added second trombone on “Baie Ste-Marie.” The album came in a gatefold sleeve with cover direction by Michael Gallagher, illustration by Sheila Piersig, and photography by Cederic Michaud.

A&M lifted “Le Vieux Médéric” and “Pluie Estivale” as a promo singles in mono and stereo forms.

Au Nord de Notre Vie

CANO released their second album, Au Nord de Notre Vie, in October 1977 on A&M.

The second album broadens the keyboard and string surface while keeping the ensemble voice intact. Kendel’s grand piano, Rhodes, and synthesizer take a larger role, Burt’s guitar and Doerr’s bass-synth work sharpen the attack, and Kohut’s acoustic-electric violin keeps the music in motion across the longer pieces.

Au Nord de Notre Vie centers on piano, acoustic guitar, violin, and Rachel Paiement’s voice. “Che-Zeebe” opens with a clear high lead over a fuller band setting, while “Automne” keeps a lighter surface. The three-part title suite stretches into piano-led passages, slower violin lines, and a gradual rise in intensity across its eleven-minute span.

“Mon Pays” begins in a more lyrical register, then eases into a quieter middle stretch where bass and bird-call detail lead into a looser instrumental passage before the closing return. “Frère Jacques” appears in a rearranged form, and “Spirit of the North” ends the album as an instrumental, with Kohut’s violin stretched across a calm open setting.

Across the set, André and Rachel Paiement harmonize with Aymar, Burt, and Monique Paiement.

A1. “Che-Zeebe” (3:40) — Rachel Paiement, Marcel Aymar
A2. “Automne” [Autumn] (4:41) — Marcel Aymar
A3. Au Nord de Notre Vie (suite, 11:10) — Michael Kendel, Rachel Paiement, André Paiement, John Doerr, David Burt, Robert Dickson
a. — “Au Nord de Notre Vie” [In the North of Our Life]
b. — “En Mouvement” [In Motion]
c. — “Viens Suivre” [Come Follow]

B1. “La Première Fois” [The First Time] (4:43) — André Paiement
B2. “Mon Pays” [My Country] (12:18) — André Paiement, David Burt, John Doerr, Michael Kendel, Wasyl Kohut
B3. “Frère Jacques” [Brother Jacques] (3:17) — traditional, arr. David Burt
B4. “Spirit of the North” (6:08) — Wasyl Kohut

CANO recorded and mixed Au nord de notre vie at Phase One Studios from June 10 to 27, 1977 with producer Don Oriolo and engineer Ed Stasium. Alison Reynolds added cello, Matt Zimbel handled congas and percussion, and Kim Deschamps played dobro. Sterling Sound mastered the album in New York. The cover carried direction by Michael Gallagher, illustration by Cathy McLaren, and photography by Cederic Michaud.

A&M issued “Frère Jacques” (b/w “Automne”) as a single in 1977, alongside a promo mono-stereo pressing of “Frère Jacques.”

André Paiement died by suicide on January 23, 1978, the same day as Chicago guitarist Terry Kath.

Eclipse

CANO released their third album, Eclipse, in October 1978 on A&M. This was the first CANO album to include English-language material, and most of it took shape in the immediate aftermath of André Paiement’s death.

The album shifts more weight onto electric texture and a firmer rhythmic center. Burt’s guitar and Kohut’s violin move closer to the front, while Doerr and Dasti keep the pulse compact under Kendel’s piano and synthesizer lines. English-language material enters the sequence for the first time.

Eclipse works in shorter forms, but “Bienvenue 1984” still stretches the band into a slower, more deliberate arc. “Soleil Mon Chef” opens with theatrical speech and a rougher vocal tone, then “Ryshnychok (Earthly Mother)” and “Cercles de la Nuit” settle into smoother motion and more controlled pacing. “Rumrunner’s Runaway” keeps a lighter, simpler surface.

“Moon Lament” carries one of the stronger side-two performances, “Ça Roule” pulls the album back toward a more rural rhythmic gait, and “Bienvenue 1984” closes with a slow rise, a heavier rhythmic lock, a sudden stop, and an acoustic-piano-bongo rebuild.

A1. “Soleil Mon Chef” [Sun My Chief] (5:28) — André Paiement
A2. “Ryshnychok (Earthly Mother)” (4:00) — P. Maiboroda, adapted by CANO, Wasyl Kohut
A3. “Cercles de la Nuit” [Circles of the Night] (3:34) — Rachel Paiement
A4. “Rumrunner’s Runaway” (4:12) — Marcel Aymar

B1. “Moon Lament” (4:38) — John Doerr, Robert Dickson
B2. “Ça Roule” [It Rolls] (5:43) — David Burt, Marcel Aymar, Robert Dickson
B3. “Bienvenue 1984” [Welcome 1984] (8:53) — André Paiement, CANO

CANO recorded Eclipse with producer Eugene Martynec, engineer Ken Friesen, and assistant engineer Michael James Jackson. Burt arranged strings for guitar-led passages, Kohut arranged strings around the violin parts, and Cora Raine handled the cover illustration with Dean & Bradshaw on photography.

A&M issued “Ryshnychok (Earthly Mother)” as a promo single in 1978.

Rendezvous

CANO released their fourth album, Rendezvous, in September 1979 on A&M.

The album compresses the arrangements into tighter song lengths and gives the rhythm section a more direct role. Dasti and Doerr keep a firmer backbeat, Kendel brightens the upper register with piano and synthesizer, and Burt keeps the guitar lines pointed. Kohut’s violin remains in the blend, though the overall surface moves further toward English-language material.

Rendezvous packs most of its material into shorter, tighter forms with less room for extension. “Rebound,” “Clown Alley,” and “Floridarity Forever” all press forward on a brisker attack and a straighter beat. “Other Highways” restores some width through a more open arrangement, while “L’Autobus de la Pluie” brings back a lighter French-language dance step. “Entente” also lands among the stronger titles, and the closer provides the album’s widest closing statement within a comparatively compact span.

A1. “Rebound” (4:31) — Rachel Paiement, David Burt
A2. “Entente” (4:56) — Michael Kendel
A3. “Clown Alley” (3:09) — Marcel Aymar
A4. “Sometimes the Blues” (4:36) — Rachel Paiement, David Burt

B1. “Other Highways” (4:42) — Wasyl Kohut
B2. “L’Autobus de la Pluie” [The Rain Bus] (5:52) — Marcel Aymar, Wasyl Kohut, Gaston Tremblay
B3. “Floridarity Forever” (3:45) — David Burt, Marcel Aymar, Michel Dasti
B4. “Mime Artist” (5:50) — John Doerr, Marcel Aymar, Mark Delorme

CANO recorded Rendezvous at Manta Sound from July 9 to August 18, 1979 with producer Jim Vallance, engineer Hayward Parrott, and assistant engineer Frank Kitson. Matt Zimbel and Brian Leonard added percussion, Peter Schenkman played cello, and Monique Paiement assisted with vocal arrangements and backing vocals. Michael Gallagher directed the cover, Fifty Fingers and Paul Hodgson handled the design, and John Bentley took the photographs.

A&M issued “Rebound” (b/w “L’Autobus de la Pluie”) as an autumn single, which peaked just inside the RPM Top 100.

1980 Singles

In March 1980, CANO released a standalone cover of “Carrie,” a recent Cliff Richard hit backed with “Spirit of the North,” a Wasyl Kohut original.

“Carrie” concerns a missing girl whose dissapearance is under investigation by the narrator. Onetime Twilights guitarist Terry Britten collaborated with Scottish songwriter B.A. Robertson on the song, which originated on the 1979 Cliff Richard album Rock ‘n’ Roll Juvenile. CANO’s version reached No. 78 on the Canadian RPM.

In August, CANO released “Rendezvous,” the missing title track for their prior album, backed with “Long Way,” an original by David Burt, who wrote the a-side with Rachel Paiement and John Doerr.

In October, CANO released their third straight English-language single: “Feel Your Fire,” a group-composition backed with “Sometimes the Blues,” co-written by Burt and R. Paiement.

Camouflage

CANO released their fifth album, Camouflage, in 1981 on A&M under the name Masque.

The album recasts the group in a fully English-language setting and pushes the writing toward shorter, more direct structures. Kendel’s keyboards and Doerr’s bass-synth work keep the center dense, Burt’s guitar trims the edges with cleaner, harder shapes, and Aymar carries the main vocal role after Rachel Paiement’s departure. The name change matched a clear shift in presentation, but the core players remained recognizably CANO.

A1. “Voices” (4:03)
A2. “Camouflage” (3:51)
A3. “Push Button Love” (3:14)
A4. “I’m Not Scared” (2:32)
A5. “Russian Roulette” (2:53)

B1. “The First Taste” (4:12)
B2. “Bottom of a Bottle” (4:31)
B3. “Run for Your Life” (3:01)
B4. “Intuition” (4:28)
B5. “Everyday (Soldiers of Fortune)” (4:38)

Masque recorded Camouflage between April and June 1981 at Sounds Interchange with additional recording at Berryman Studios and Manta Sound. The band produced the album with co-producer and mixer Tom Bush. Jim Vallance produced the basic tracks for “Run for Your Life” in July 1980 at Manta Sound, and Le Studio handled additional mixing in July 1981. Ted Jensen mastered the album at Sterling Sound. Michael Gallagher directed the art, and Tony Bounsall oversaw sleeve production and design.

After this album, Wasyl Kohut died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Visible

CANO released their sixth album, Visible, in 1985 on Ready Records.

The final album brings the band name back and resets the lineup around Aymar, Burt, Dasti, and Kendel with Ben Mink in Kohut’s former string role and Mary Lu Zahalan in Rachel Paiement’s vocal place. The arrangements keep the group’s layered keyboard-guitar approach but place more emphasis on direct choruses, cleaner rhythm motion, and compact rock-pop forms than the A&M albums. One song revisits Camouflage in French form, and another pays tribute to André Paiement.

A1. “Partons” [Let’s Leave] (2:59) — John Doerr, Marcel Aymar, Michel Kendel
A2. “Pauline” (4:54) — Marcel Aymar
A3. “Au Lac du Corbeau Noir” [At Black Crow Lake] (4:19) — Marcel Aymar
A4. “Invisible” (6:38) — David Burt, Marcel Aymar, P. Des Bien

B1. “Mets Tes Gants” [Put On Your Gloves] (3:47) — Marcel Aymar
B2. “Je Rêve de Ta Lumière” [I Dream of Your Light] (3:39) — David Burt, Michel Kendel, Michel Dasti
B3. “Fond d’Une Bouteille” [Bottom of a Bottle] (4:29) — David Burt, Marcel Aymar
B4. “L’Élouèze des Concessions” [The Élouèze of the Rural Lots] (3:35) — Marcel Aymar
B5. “J’Ai Bien Vécu” [I Have Lived Well] (4:58) — André Paiement, Michel Kendel

CANO recorded Visible with self-production and released it through Ready Records under license from Cano Music Ltd. The later lineup replaced Wasyl Kohut with Ben Mink after Kohut’s 1981 death and replaced Rachel Paiement with Mary Lu Zahalan after Paiement’s move to the west coast.

Postlude

The band broke up after Visible, though later reunions followed. Rachel Paiement moved to Vancouver in 1980, worked in theatre and sessions, and wrote the French verse for “Tears Are Not Enough” in 1985. Marcel Aymar later recorded solo work and remained active in Franco-Ontarian music and theatre. In 2021, “Dimanche après-midi” and “Baie Sainte-Marie” entered the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Discography: