December 16, 2020

OTTAWA—Well-known Franco-Ontarian musician and social media sensation Damien Robitaille will join Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, for a virtual discussion on Thursday, December 17, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. EST (English) and 2:30 p.m. (French). During these 30-minute GGconversations, the Governor General and her guest will talk about his experiences as a Canadian musician and will answer questions from viewers. Mr. Robitaille will also perform a few short selections of music live during the conversation.

Damien Robitaille recently made news when his one-man band version of Technotronic’s “Pump up the Jam” went viral on social media with over 10 million views. This is only the latest in a string of musical successes for Mr. Robitaille who, since 2006, has released 5 studio albums and normally keeps a busy touring calendar. The multi-instrumentalist has been performing his unique blend of “groovy music with funk, rocksteady, pop and soul accents, [and] a touch of 70s retro-kitsch” since he was a child growing up in Lafontaine, Ontario.

We invite you to submit questions for the Governor General and her guest to rsvp2@gg.ca or by using the live chat feature during the conversation. We want to hear from you!

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English live stream and simultaneous interpretation will be available at https://www.gg.ca/en/ggconversations and on the @GGJuliePayette YouTube and Facebook accounts.

French live stream and simultaneous interpretation will be available at https://www.gg.ca/fr/ggconversations and on the @GGJuliePayette YouTube and Facebook accounts.

Following the event, the recorded video will be posted on www.gg.ca.

Media information:

Rob McKinnon
Rideau Hall Press Office
343-548-1976 (cell)
Rob.McKinnon@gg.ca

Follow GGJuliePayette on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.