Mimi Blais
Mimi Blais
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Mimi Blais

Mimi Blais
Ragtime Pianist and Comedian

  Witty, colorful, poetic, energetic, romantic, extraordinary, unbelievable… words Mimi’s fans around the world use to describe the unique performances of the undisputed “Queen of Ragtime.” One of the most highly trained and gifted pianists in ragtime, Montreal’s Mimi Blais is also the comedy star of the genre… a pianist to be seen!  
     —Nan Bostick (niece and biographer of Charles N. Daniels)

Pianist Mimi Blais from Montreal, Québec, Canada received several nicknames during her career: The female Victor Borge, The Céline Dion of the keyboard, The French Canadian Liberacette… but the one she’s proud to wear since 1990 is: The New Queen Of Ragtime.

After completing her classical training at the Quebec Conservatory of Music and McGill University in Montreal, Mimi left the beaten path to discover Music with a capital “M”. Her career has been guided by passion and whim where classical, folk, jazz, modern, blues, tango, and ragtime all blend together. Mimi’s passion for ragtime music has led her to travel across the United States and Canada, and it has even taken her to Belgium and Hungary where she received one standing ovation after another.

Because of ragtime music, Mimi was invited to perform for the Olympic Celebration Arts Ashore ’96 in Savannah, Georgia and was acting and playing the piano in Heliotrope at “Le Théâtre du Rideau Vert” and in Le Diner Farfelu part I and II at the Cabaret of the Casino of Montreal.

Mimi wrote two one-woman shows where she demonstrates her many-faceted talents: Once upon a time, ragtime, which shows the importance of ragtime music in the evolution of the American culture, and An afternoon with Jean-Baptiste Lafrenière.

As a musical performer, composer, arranger, writer, comedian and singer whose imagination knows no bounds, Mimi Blais is in high demand because of her tremendous talent and joyful personality.

Watch Videos of Mimi!
Short Video Montage—1.8 MB download
(requires QuickTime Player)

Mimi at the Blind Boone Ragtime & Jazz Festival, June 2007
La Chevauchée

Mimi at the Blind Boone Ragtime & Jazz Festival, June 2007
Pickles and Peppers, Jannot Waltz

Mimi at the Blind Boone Ragtime & Jazz Festival, June 2007
On My Way Back to Montreal, I Got the Blues for Memphis Blues (partial)

Mimi at the Rotary Club in San Jose, California, November 2006
Black and White Rag

Mimi at the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival, June 2007
Lili, with Virginia Tichenor on drums

Mimi at the Blind Boone Ragtime & Jazz Festival, June 2007
L'envolée, Back to Grass Valley
More Mimi Videos!