ATEN-PIECE Quebecois band with a name that means “the smiling boot” is coming to kick away the cobwebs.

La Bottine Souriante are revered as huge stars in their native Quebec (that’s the one in Canada and not to be confused with the village between Esh and Cornsay in County Durham) and have made a significant contribution to the preservation and continuation of Quebecois musical heritage, a unique melange and evolution of music originating from France, England, Ireland and Scotland and imbued with a distinctive Quebec flavour.

They are known for rip-roaring, live performances that blend cajun, salsa, jazz, and Celtic folk to create exuberant rhythms and a massive brass-led sound. The group’s name of “the smiling boot” refers to the appearance of a work boot with worn-out soles. Stamping and foot-tapping are an essential part of the band’s act, which recalls the home-made simplicity of traditional Quebecois music.

Formed in 1976, La Bottine Souriante have toured extensively throughout North America and Europe. As well as the traditional accordion, fiddle, guitar, piano and double bass, the band added a four-piece horn section in 1990, which gives an element of jazz to the music. In1998, they contributed a song to the Canadian Celtic music compilation by The Chieftains, Fire in the Kitchen.

They have received three Juno awards for best roots and traditional album, and several Felix awards from the Quebec recording industry. They are known for their high-energy live performances and in 2000 were voted Best Live Act at the BBC2 Folk Awards. BBC Radio 3 has also played their music in mainstream programmes.

Band founder Yves Lambert left in 2002 after 26 years, but his vision for the band remains. He said: “Popular music is a hundred ways of saying ‘Oh, baby, I miss you’.

Things are uniform today. The imagery of modern writers lacks magic for me. I need the old mystery to keep going.”

■ La Bottine Souriante, Friday, July 17, 7.30pm, Gala Theatre, Millennium Place, Durham.

Price: £18. Box Office: 0191-332-4041.