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Ranee Lee - Compagne des arts et des lettres du Québec

Prix et reconnaissances

On May 29, 2023, Ranee Lee received the insignia of the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec, a prestigious distinction bestowed to personalities whose exemplary achievements contribute to the artistic and literary development of Quebec. Discover the tribute paid to her by the Council.

Originally from Brooklyn, singer, musician, and composer Ranee Lee has become the queen of jazz in her adoptive city of Montréal. A multitalented virtuoso, she has conquered the international scene and has let her light shine at the most prominent jazz festivals in the Americas, Africa, and Europe. In addition to her impressive discography, she is the author of books for children and theatrical, film, and television productions.

Given the challenges facing Black artists, she has paid tribute to the prominent figures who went before her while fighting to increase the presence of visible minorities on the stage. Her work has been recognized by many awards, from the Junos to the Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award.

A teacher for decades at Université Laval and McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, Ranee Lee has passed along much more than her knowledge of jazz. Like her heart, her voice has a memory and a mission. Flecked with heartbreak and sorrow, her voice speaks just as proudly of resilience and hope, making it an instrument of the triumph of love over adversity.

About the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec

The Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec This link will open in a new window is a distinction of the Council which aims to honor people who have made a remarkable contribution, through their commitment and dedication, to the development, promotion or influence of the arts and letters of Quebec. .

The Council would like to thank its partners, the Caisse de la Culture and the newspaper Le Devoir.

Discover the other recipients This link will open in a new window

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