Malaise around a show by Luck Mervil in Saint-Jerome

Luck Mervil's participation in a show presented Saturday night in Saint-Jérôme creates a "franc malaise" in the City, the singer was found guilty of sexual exploitation last year.

"The municipal administration has let the producers know that it is very uncomfortable with this choice," he said. Newspaper the director of communications of the City, Michel Therrien.

Despite this discomfort, the production company SM1 inc. has chosen to keep in his cast the singer of Haitian descent for this tribute to the late Georges Thurston, aka Boule Noire.

Mervil pleaded guilty in May 2018 to a charge of sexual exploitation of a 17-year-old when he was in a position of authority in the 1990s. He was sentenced to six months in prison. the House.

Singer Pierre Perpall was to be the main artist of the show, but his withdrawal forced production to find a substitute.

It turned to singer Gardy Fury, who also had to give up two weeks ago.

The City chose not to cancel the show, since public funds had already been invested. As for the hiring of Mr. Mervil, Mr. Therrien indicated that the producer was ultimately "sovereign" as to his artistic choices.

The widow of Boule Noire, Lorraine Cordeau, assumes entirely to have chosen this "friend of Georges" for this project that she calls "her baby".

"I'm not a bad guy at all because he's been honest, he's copied the music, and he has served his time," she said. Newspaper.

She does not believe that the spectators will share the malaise of the municipal administration when it will climb on the boards.

"He's great on stage. I do not see why people would react badly. […] We are talking about a career here, we do not have to penetrate his personal life. "