Known as the “introspective poet,” Georges Langford has been singing the Îles de la Madeleine for 40 years. Always reluctant to leave the Islands, the poet, writer and singer-songwriter wrote Le Frigidaire in 1970 in Montreal, a city he disliked and where, in spite of promises of success, his “fridge” was often empty even when he was able to work.
He recalls that Le Frigidaire came out of “an eventful bus ride in Montreal with no pen, no paper and, needless to say, no guitar to help the process. I had been thinking about the Iles de la Madeleine and all those Islanders who had come down to Montreal with a dream to one day return to their beloved island. By the time I reached my stop, I already had the idea for the song, the melody and half the lyrics. The other pieces of the puzzle fell into place musically all by themselves.”
The song was an instant success for singer-actor Tex Lecor, a colourful character and a jack-of-all-trades loved by Quebecers of all ages. Lecor has also successfully adapted the song for the world market, recording it in German, Italian, Spanish and English.
Since he has settled back in his native Iles de la Madeleine, Georges Langford has contributed to the foundation of the community radio station CFIM, headed an Acadian festival, participated in film projects and performed regularly in the Maritimes and Quebec. He released his latest album Il n’y a qu’une histoire in 2003.
