Information/Write-up
Les Sirocco was a short-lived vocal trio from Montreal composed of Hélène Vanier, Francine Jarry, and Franki Hart—three young women who began singing together casually before finding unexpected success on Canadian television in 1967.
Vanier and Jarry first met during their secretarial training courses, later working together at Expo 67, where Hélène served as a secretary and Francine as a press officer. They became close friends with Franki Hart, then a secretary at The Montreal Gazette, and the trio soon shared an apartment. Though none of them had formal vocal training, each had studied piano for several years and occasionally strummed guitar. Their singing began as a lighthearted hobby—until they asked, “Why not sing together?”
The answer came quickly. In May 1967, they auditioned for the televised talent competition Like Young on CFCF-TV (Channel 12) and won the grand prize. Within months, offers began pouring in, and by September they left their day jobs to pursue music full-time.
The group chose the name Les Sirocco (or The Sirocco Singers), inspired by the idea of a name that could be easily pronounced in any language—a fitting nod to their international ambitions. Their name was finalized in a hurry, just before a scheduled TV appearance, after a producer threatened to assign them a name if they didn’t choose one themselves.
In late 1967, the trio traveled to New York and performed at the prestigious Lambs Club. Their performance caught the attention of a producer affiliated with the Ed Sullivan Company, who was so impressed that he offered to mentor and promote the group.
Multilingual and culturally curious, the members of Les Sirocco performed songs in French, English, Spanish, German, Italian, and Hebrew. Their style drew influence from the global travels of Vanier and Jarry, who each returned from Mexico and Europe with melodies and musical ideas that infused their sound.
While their time together was brief, Les Sirocco remains notable for launching the career of Franki Hart, who would later achieve wider recognition as lead vocalist for the Montreal progressive rock band Riverson in the early 1970s.
-Robert Williston
Produced and arranged by Paul Baillargeon
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