What does it sound like when Leonard Cohen fans of 50+ years sing I'm Your Man?
Die-hard fans pay tribute to music legend as Montreal museum unveils program of Cohen exhibit
It was a quest to find the most die-hard of Leonard Cohen fans.
The pre-requisite? Have at least 50 years of loving Cohen's music under your belt.
The opportunity? You get to pay tribute to the music legend, who died last November, by performing and recording your own version of his 1988 hit I'm Your Man.
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"I was a Leonard Cohen fan from the time I was 17," says one of the 18 people chosen to take part in the project called I'm Your Man (A Portrait of Leonard Cohen).
"I'm at the point of my life where there aren't that many once-in-a-lifetime experiences left, aside from death."
The recording sessions, which were shot at the Phi Centre in Montreal, have been turned into a 19-channel video installation by artist Candice Breitz.
The recordings also include the back-up vocals of the Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue Choir, an all-male choir representing the Westmount congregation that Cohen belonged to all his life. The choir also sang on Cohen's final album.
123 days, 40 performers
Commissioned by the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art, the release of the trailer for I'm Your Man (A Portrait of Leonard Cohen) coincides with the museum's unveiling of its programming for its special Leonard Cohen exhibition today.
Leonard Cohen — A Crack in Everything will launch on Nov. 9, one year after Cohen's death was made public.
It will feature commissioned work by filmmakers, visual artists and musicians including Quebec stars Ariane Moffatt, Jean Leloup and French singer Lou Doillon.
The artworks will stretch across disciplines, and include visual and performance-based pieces, as well as music and writing.
CBC/Radio-Canada is also co-creating several original productions for the exhibition and broadcasting some special events and concerts.
Leonard Cohen — A Crack in Everything will run for 123 days, closing on April 9, 2018.