La Patente claimed victory at the Stingray Rising Star competition and now plans to expand its music to a broader audience.
Despite Harvest event cancellations caused by Hurricane Lee, the Stingray Rising Star competition was postponed to Oct. 22, with La Patente ultimately winning.
Related: The shows mustn’t go on: Harvest cancels Saturday shows due to Hurricane Lee
La Patente’s songs feature lyrics in French. They have been nominated for awards like Country Album of the Year at the 2023 ECMAs and French Album of the Year — now adding the Stingray Rising Star award to the list.
The winning musician or band earns a cash prize and assistance to promote their music in Canada and foreign markets.
Marc Colecchio, the band’s singer and songwriter, said the best moment of the night was when they were announced as the competition winner.
“It’s so great, and it’s good to give us a confidence boost that we can actually make French music in front of anglophone people who still enjoy the same language,” he said.
Colecchio said the band plays French music with a mix of rock, folk, country and punk. He added they are trying to get into the anglophone scene because he believes “music doesn’t have a language, it’s universal.”
Colecchio said he perceives a different response when they play in front of a French audience because “they will laugh at their jokes.” However, he added this competition allows them to expose their music to a bigger audience.
La Patente is on tour with a few more performances planned. Colecchio said they will take a break from touring to start working on their next album, which has to be released in September.
“When they announced our name, it was a good feeling. It was a good feeling — just to win.”
