Garolou (initially called Lougarou) developed around the nucleus of the Lalonde brothers, Marc and Michel. Native Ontarians, the nomads reunited in 1974, as part of a theater troupe in Prince Edward Island. They soon found themselves in contact with first-rate musicians from the East Coast, notably guitarist George Antoniak and keyboardist Steven Naylor. With the addition of drummer Michel “Stan” Deguire, the first line-up moved to the Laurentians, and quickly set to the task of building up a repertoire of valid rock music with progressive overtones. They found their repertoire from an unlikely source: archives of French-Canadian traditional folk music from noted musicologists such as Father Anselme Chiasson. Although crowds were receptive to their brand of traditional rock music, record company executives were not forthcoming. In a gesture of faith, Le Studio in Morin Heights, Quebec, opened their doors to the group during off-hours, with the group owing nothing until they secured a recording contract with the finished masters. Antoniak and Naylor would leave the group soon after their first album, to be replaced with guitarist Gilles Beaudoin and keyboardist Réginald Guay. (Beaudoin would leave before the third album, in turn replaced by Gaston Gagnon.) Although lineup changes are common, name changes are less so: faced with a lawsuit by a folk dance troupe with a similar title, the revitalized group settled on a replacement name. Garolou (“beware of the wolves”) seemed to mock the plaintiffs (whose name shared the description of “werewolves” with the original band moniker) while preserving a thematic link. Other albums were soon to follow, only serving to solidify the group’s popularity. By the early ’80s, they would be touring with artists such as Offenbach, Zachary Richard and Joe Cocker. After prolonged success while modernizing folkloric songs, the album “Centre-ville” in 1983 showcases the band’s own compositions. Album sales pale in comparison to the rest of their catalogue, and the group decides to disband. A reunion tour in the ’90s produces a live album, and paves the way for a new studio album, comprised solely of traditional songs with modern arrangements.
