MANDATES ::

Brand Consulting.

Journalist. Frequent-Flyer. Star Whisperer.
As Herby Moreau hops from one premiere to another, the brands he partners with are as important as the celebs he interviews. We help with that.

CITIES ::

Anywhere that’s fabulous.

PARTIAL MEDIA COVERAGE ::

The Montreal Gazette

AskMen

Trailer for District V

The Huffington Post has now made it to the great White North.

MANDATES ::

Martine blogs for both the Québec & Canada versions of Huff Po.

CITIES ::

Double-u, double-u, double-u.

POSTS ::

Here (Québec edition).

Each week, La Presse newspaper interviews a media personality and makes a list of their sources. Sun Media’s New York correspondent Marie-Joelle Parent names Martine’s Twitter Feed as a source.

Read here.

When I started watching Letterman, he was smoking cigars on air. It was late-night and it was different from anything else on television. The show had an underground-cool factor. They booked the coolest music acts and some of New York’s most notorious notables. From the get-go, the brass at NBC were grooming Dave for the much coveted 11:30PM spot, once Johnny Carson – Letterman’s mentor – decided to retire.

But television is cruel. It’s a business where you recognize your friends from your enemies because they stab you in the chest and not in the back. And when it was time to pass the baton, NBC decided to hand it to the King of boring, the Master of predictable, the Lord of note-cards-during-interviews: Jay Leno. No need to sugar-coat it: Letterman had been fucked.

In his book The Late Shift, Bill Carter describes a depressed Letterman, ready to give everything up. It was Johnny Carson who convinced him to not quit late night television and to accept CBS’ lucrative offer. And he did. And then thrived, reminding us all that sometimes, Plan B is the better plan.

Letterman is more than a talk-show host and more than a pertinent interviewer. He’s a raconteur, a fan of indy bands and of Darlene Love, a geopolitical connoisseur even if he modestly tries to dumb himself down. Beyond the laughter, it’s Letterman’s sensitivity that often prevails. Never was that more true than in the wake of September 11th 2001.

Here’s Letterman, on the first show after the tragedy:

Like many others, Martine believes that 2 years after the earthquake in Haiti, it’s Tourism and rebranding that will help the Island get back on its feet. She commented on it, on Global News.

Watch here.

I’m old enough to remember that every 5-6 years, such essay or reportage comes out. And yes, the wealthy remain the same. When you follow Fortune Magazine’s annual list of the world’s wealthiest, it has been year after year, pretty much the same too. And, if you check back in 10 years, it’s safe to assume the names Slim, Gates and Buffet will still be there. Ditto for Haiti.

M Magazine‘s essay is just that, an essay. I’m not sure how much investigative journalism creeped up in there because most of what’s in it are known facts. I’m not going to go into the merits or semantics of the propos held by the interviewees. We could go back and forth forever as others have before.

I will however say this: the tone of the essay is condescending. So there is an elite that holds the majority of the wealth in Haiti? Is it not the same in most countries on planet Earth? I don’t have to like it but it’s a reality. So the wealthy in Haiti haven’t contributed in the country’s social fabric as much as they could have? As unfortunate as that may be, it is again very similar to other countries. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are exceptions. They’ve started a movement with their generosity perhaps, but it surely isn’t a trend amongst the world’s wealthiest.

Haiti is flawed and there are many injustices that must be denounced. Many things have to change, I know this. Condescendence, however is also a flaw that helas, too often rears its ugly head whenever the West talks about Haiti. That too, must change.

After spending a week in Cap-Haitien, Martine is now more than ever convinced that Haiti is the next “it” vacation spot.

Read here.

Because the way to her heart is through her stomach, Martine participated in Anthony Bourdain’s TV show “The Layover” which also served as an homage to Montreal’s love affair with food.

Watch here.

1. “Towers” – Bon Iver

In all fairness, Bon Iver’s entire album was my “go-to” this year for its melancholia and for its poetry:

2. “Take Care” – Drake, featuring Rihanna

I love Drake. It’s really as simple as that. Plus, the song contains a infectious Gil Scott-Heron sample. Rest in beats, Gil. Listen here.

I also happen to love the always magnifique Florence & The Machine who here, reprises Drake’s “Take Care”, live on the BBC 1:

3. “Break My Heart” – Estelle, featuring Rick Ross

R N’ B & Hip Hop go together like bagel & lox.

4. “Je Suis Venu Te Dire Que Je M’en Vais” – Rufus Wainwright & Lulu Gainsbourg

No one here questions that nothing will top the original. But I have yet to hear Rufus Wainwright without being shaken to my core.

5. “Murder By Excellence”, Jay-Z & Kanye West

Watch The Throne is an important album. Go pass the beats, bravado and Martin Margiela jackets and you will find an opus that is an analysis of America’s current state of the union. Murder By Excellence is a perfect example.

Bonus Track: “LoveSong”, Adele

How can you not fancy, Adele? Here, she reprises The Cure’s “Lovesong”. A real treat for yours truly, who grew up on ’80s British pop.

MANDATE ::

Communication strategy & media relations.

La Bolduc is a true Canadian icon. Thanks to 8 contemporary artists, this musical & interactive project revisits her heritage. This in not your grand-daddy’s La Bolduc.

Spankin’ new Apple app

CITY ::

Triple double-u.

PARTIAL MEDIA COVERAGE ::

MSN

Le Devoir

“Cliquez”, TV5