Marie Claire Figadere is a remarkable young woman. A gifted singer, at 18 she is absolutely certain about what she wants to do with her life, so she’s off to Montreal to further her unswerving ambition: “I just want to be a performer.”
Headed for terciary-level study in Canada at the end of September, Figadere will take Professional Musical Theory for a year at a private academy, followed by three years at the University of Montreal studying Jazz for Vocal Performance.
Such aspirations don’t come cheap, but despite her youth Figadere is a realist. She’s been working really hard and saving for this opportunity, performing classical jazz standards and R&B with her jazz quartet (occasionally quintet) All Night Jazz. In August Viva la Musica acknowledged her potential by awarding her a scholarship to help with the expense.
To raise funds for her studies she will also be singing at a special fundraising Farewell Concert, themed as “an anthology of old standards, musicals and spirituals,” accompanied by Timothy G. Ruff Welch on piano.
The youngest of four children and fluent in Spanish, French and English, Figadere was born in Aix en Provence, France to a French father and Mexican mother. The family returned to Mexico when she was eight, first to Guadalajara and subsequently to Ajijic where she now lives.
Figadere learned violin at Ajijic’s Centro Regional de Estudios Musicales (CREM) and sang with its senior orchestra. Although she had sung in school choirs, her potential was spotted by Lily Elebracht when Figadere joined the Instituto Internacional of Chapala run by Elebracht and her sister Lana, whose help and encouragement, she says, “proved invaluable.”
Figadere has performed in “Showstoppers” and played the female lead in “The Fantasticks.” She met Welch when she joined Los Cantantes del Lago and sang several solos with the choir.
Welch found her mezzo-soprano voice exceptional and she has studied bel canto and vocal technique with him for four years. No-one who’s met her and heard her sing can dispute Welch’s professional assessment: “Marie Claire has everything it takes to become a professional musician: talent, desire, intelligence, dedication and charisma.”
Figadere says she “found her direction to jazz” at a Sade concert four years ago. She was inspired, not only by her music – R&B and soul - but by the way Sade moves, speaks and captivates her audience. From then on, Figadere knew exactly what she wanted to do, and she’s on her way.
By an odd coincidence, when she first gets to Montreal, Figadere will be staying with the former best friend she last saw in France when she was eight.
This came about following a chance encounter on Facebook, when they discovered they were both heading for studies in Montreal at the same time.
Figadere is delightful, exceptionally mature and intelligent. To her credit, she’s working really hard to fund the training she desires. Surely such dedication deserves our admiration and support, particularly at a really good concert?
Marie Claire’s Farewell Fundraiser Concert is at St. Andrew’s in Riberas del Pilar on Sunday, October 19, 4 p.m. Tickets are 200 pesos and available from Diane Pearl Colecciones, Instituto Internacional of Chapala on the Libramiento, or via email from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..