Friends and partners in creation, Florence Lafontaine and Olivier Martin-Fréchette are two Montreal-based artists with multidisciplinary backgrounds who create and explore French-language dance music under the name DONALDA; a name given to the first women admitted to university in Quebec in the late 19th century, and a nod to the famous fictional character first introduced in the novel Un homme et son péché, who, for several generations, embodied the consequences of patriarchy.
Inspired by UK garage, dubstep, left-field bass, and other British electronic music subgenres, the duo also draws from the queer nightlife scene. That haven of expression and freedom fuels their artistic vision and worldview.
Florence and Olivier both have an academic background in digital, contemporary mixed-media and instrumental composition, as well as in jazz interpretation. They take a pedagogical approach to music in order to deconstruct the boundaries of musical genres. While getting people onto the dancefloor is DONALDA’s ultimate goal, they also seek to spark a musical curiosity among their audience, something that is central to their inclusive, unifying philosophy.
Whether through composition, sound design, or creative coding, the two musicians tap into their wide-ranging experiences to bring every stage of DONALDA’s creative process to life. This versatility imbues their sound with a coherent and deeply personal artistic identity.
DONALDA brings together club intuition and meticulous musical research through a celebration of diversity, the French language, and freedom.
