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GALA DE DIX FEMMES DE L´ANNÉE
On May 13, 1984 Celine Dion took part at the "Gala Des Dix Femmes De L´Année", where she performed few songs. The concert took place in Quebec, Canada.
QUÉBEC 84 CONCERTS
On July 28, 1984 Celine Dion took part on Québec 84, a 63-consecutive days event in Quebec to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the discovery of Canada by Jacques Cartier. In the spring of 1984, Celine´s manager Rene Angelil had some propitious opportunities and lots of work to do. As part of the celebrations for the 450th anniversary of Jacques Carriers discovery of Canada, Celine was to perform in Quebec City´s Vieux Port (the Old Port) as part of a megashow featuring some thirty musicians and singers for an audience of some forty thousand people. If the weather cooperated, it would be a fantastic event. As part of this event, Celine gave two consecutive concerts on a floating stage at the Vieux Port of Quebec City in Quebec, Canada. The original date scheduled for the first concert was on July 27, 1984 but due to the bad weather conditions it was postponed to July 28 and 29, 1984. French songwriter Eddy Marnay surprised Celine when he came from France to attend her concerts at the Vieux Port. Celine performed her biggest hits accompanied by a 22-member orchestra, under the direction of Alain Noreau. Celine also paid tribute to French-Canadian singer-songwriter Félix Leclerc singing his famous song "Bozo". Celine also surprised the audience singing a medley with famous English American songs including "Fame", "Beat it" (by Michael Jackson), "Flashdance" and "Maniac". According to the Quebec magazine "Echo Vedettes", Celine performed in front of about 30,000 people (counting both concerts) but according to other sources, Celine performed in front of more than 40,000 people. These shows were two of the most importants concerts in Celine´s career until that moment. Although according to some sources, Québec 84 was a flop. Originally planned as an international event, it was only a local one.
CONCERTS IN PARIS
From November 6 to December 9, 1984 Celine Dion performed at the Olympia Theatre in Paris, France doing the first part of the humorist Patrick Sebastien´s show. The door to Paris was wide open for Celine´s carreer in 1984, and her manager Rene Angelil, finally opted for her to appear in the first half of the show put on by the comedian and singer Patrick Sébastien at the Paris Olympia. Accompanied by her mother, as usual, Celine was to spent two months in France with this show. Once again, Rene invited the Dion parents to come and see their daughter in Paris. For days on end, Adhémar (Celine´s father) scoured the streets and subways in search of the giant posters of his daughter, featuring her radiant smile and triumphant gaze. A Radio-Canada camera followed Celine everywhere. She spoke honestly about her stage fright and fear of performing, and about her friendships, her fame and her family. Never before had she spoken with so much openness and pleasure. The Olympia shows were successful, but nothing more. The public had come to see French singing star Patrick Sebastien. His material was heavy and dramatic, an amazing contrast with the enchanting sentimentality of this fresh-faced young woman. But at sixteen years old, to have sung at this world-class venue for over a month was a remarkable feat. It helped Celine diversify her audience. Anyway, it was a great promotion tool. Every French singer dreams of performing at the Olympia. Although it was just for an opening act, it gave Celine large exposure and Rene hoped it would be enough to stay on the track of the success initiated by the "D´amour ou d´amitié" hit single the year before. During the opening acts, Celine performs "D´amour ou d´amitié", "Mon ami m´a quittée" and "Mon rêve de toujours". In reference to these shows, Celine has said "At the Olympia, on the other hand, it was a whole new ball game. I had to prove myself. Patrick Sebastien and I belonged to two totally different universes. There was little chance that our audiences overlapped. Patrick told spicy stories to a rowdy audience that was loud and eager to laugh. They´d come to the Olympia for a knee-slapping good time. I liked to make people laugh, but not really in the same way as he did. Rene warned me. And, as usual, he took the opportunity to raise the ante as high as possible. I had never had to fight for anything in my life. Certainly not to attract the attention of others. More like the opposite. But because of Rene, because he wanted it and required it, I spent every evening fighting for five weeks. I nearly went hoarse I tried so hard. It was tough, difficult, and draining. But each night it was a victory. Not necessarily over the audience, but over myself, my fears. I aimed straight for my fears; I sang for the audience members who didn´t want to hear me, and who made it clear by talking in loud voices until it was time for Patrick Sebastien to take my place. Some evenings, however, I really made contact with the audience. These sudden turnarounds remain among the most beautiful experiences I´ve known onstage. It would only last a few seconds. All of a sudden people stopped talking and began to listen, without moving. It was like the calm after a storm. And when my song was finished, they applauded and shouted bravo. My stint at the Olympia as an opening act remains an unforgettable experience for me. I don´t think it marked a turning point in my career. But during those five weeks, I changed deeply, I learned, and, even more, I realized that I had grown up" (from an extract of the book "My Story, My Dream").
TÉLÉTHON DE LA PARALYSIE CÉRÉBRALE
In 1984 Celine Dion took part at the Téléthon de la Paralysie Cérébrale, a charity event to raise money for the victims from cerebral palsy. Celine performed one of her songs. The telethon was aired on Radio-Québec channel in Quebec, Canada.
CONCERT IN LASARRE
On March 29, 1985 Celine Dion performed in Lasarre, a city in Quebec, Canada. This concert was part of her first real own concert tour, a quebecer tour with more than 35 shows in Quebec, Canada. At the end of this show, Celine received flowers from the fans whom attended the concert.
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