Ariane Moffatt

Already a platinum-selling artist in French-speaking Canada, Québécoise pop artist Ariane Moffatt is only now crossing over to the Anglophone market. Having just played a bunch of SXSW showcases, she joined CMW with a keyboard-heavy five-piece -- even the bassist had an extra keyboard Frankensteined to his bass, on some tracks playing both at the same time. Moffatt's set was well received from the start, her opening tracks sung in English, on the third song switching to French. Displaying an impressive vocal range and exuding a genuine energy and humble personality, there is no questioning her passion for what she does; several times the singer broke out into a huge grin while singing. Some of the best tracks were where Moffatt added additional percussion, and energy, on her floor tom. With her latest album, MA, riding high on the Canadian charts, there's no reason why her sincerity and infectious pop shouldn't make her even more popular with a wider audience.