About La Villa and it's hosts

Gary Lauzon

Gary Lauzon has been a fan and connoisseur of all forms of progressive music for over 10 years. He has explored all styles of the genre and increased his knowledge as well has his prog CD collection, which currently stands at well over 1000 titles. In June of 2001, Gary took over broadcasting of the weekly 90-minute progressive radio show La Villa Strangiato heard on CHUO 89.1 FM every Tuesday at 6:00 pm. The show has had a very successful run for many years, and Gary took it to an even wider audience. His listener's contribution s to the latest pledge drive were greater than any past total for the radio show.

Gary has numerous contacts in the international progressive music community, and has even personally interviewed such great musicians as James Labrie and Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater , California-based Under the Sun as well as Guy Leblanc of Camel and Nathan Mahl.

As well, Gary has been instrumental in promoting local progressive acts by using his knowledge and his contacts to promote bands like Fate, Rush tribute Permanent Waves, Shadow of Doubt and Nathan Mahl to name a few.

Now Gary has moved into the world of concert promotion. He has recently brought in Montreal-based prog-fusion band Spaced Out for a blistering show at Café DeKcuf on April 10 th, 2003. His numerous contacts in the music scene have helped promoting all styles of progressive rock in Ottawa and beyond. Now , Gary is looking to bring even greater acts to Ottawa, such as Heaven's Cry and Liva, among others.

Gary's efforts have truly helped establish a diverse and lively progressive rock music scene here in the Nation's Capital.

written by Paul Joannis

Gilles Potvin

For about 35 years Gilles has been listening to all kinds of music, especially PROG. The first live band that he saw was URIAH HEEP at the Ottawa Civic Centre in Dec. 1972, and after that he was hooked. He had the opportunity to see in those days top acts like Genesis, Gentle Giant, Yes, Pink Floyd, ELP, Jethro Tull, PFM, Focus, Strawbs, etc.

But in the 80's there was a bit of a slowdown (not very much happening in Prog music) Gilles took a few years off from the music world,(if you can say that) to build a house and raise a family.

In the 90's the music scène was booming with new Prog bands and that set the pace for The Musical Box (a Genesis-Peter Gabriel era) cover band who Gilles helped promote in the région. He personally knows Serge Morissette, the artistic director of the band and the #1 Genesis collecter in Canada. He even went to school with their manager Normand D’Aoust. While Gilles was at the Cegep de Hull, he had his own rock radio show at the student radio station.

In 1997, he discovered La Villa Strangiato, while it was aired on sunday nights. Since then he has been a faithful listener. So it’s not surprising that he found his nest on La Villa Strangiato.

Written by Louis Mailhiot