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Sugar Sammy, a man of style
Since his debut as a comedian, Sugar Sammy has yet to leave anyone feeling indif-ferent. His allure is as striking as his caustic humour. His indian origins, childhoodin a multiethnic montreal neighbourhood, and his education in francophone schools have contributed to his unique appreciation for canadian culture. He does not hesitate to draw from this position to paint an irreverent, albeit always fair, portrait of our behaviour and our many contradictions. On the eve of his departure for Paris, he let us in on his passion for style and elegance. There is no doubt that his ironic humour will win over the hearts of the french, as well.
Sugar Sammy made his mark in Canada and in the in-ternational scene before gaining any success in Quebec.Sammy became known on European, Asian, African, andeven Middle Eastern stages for his traditional Americanstand-up style. It was only a matter of time until he cap-tured the hearts of the people of Quebec. In 2013, he be-came the first Anglophone artist to bring home that year'sBest Show and Comedian of the Year awards at Que-bec's prestigious Olivier comedy awards. “I'm touched toknow that Montrealers and Quebecers identify with myhumour. I didn't think that I'd be in this position, because,only four years ago, I was doing my shows in Englishabroad; I wasn't sure that my humour would be pertinentin Quebec. It's proof that they appreciate my point of viewand my vision of Quebec society. The producers didn'tbelieve in creating a bilingual show, but I felt that peoplewould understand and appreciate this type of show.”
Sugar Sammy is also a man who cares about his im-age. He belongs to a generation of men concernedwith their appearance and the image they project. Veryactive on social media, he is always aware of the com-ments he posts and the clothes he wears. Red carpetevents don't scare him. The fact that he wore a differ-ent suit to each Canadian award ceremony is proof ofhis elegance. He wore a low-key business suit to theafternoon ceremony and a more refined Zegna suit tothe evening one. “I adapt to each gala. For example,for the Gala Artis, which is a major event, I was in anold Hollywood spirit. I wore a Zegna tuxedo that wasfitted, with a bow tie, and an Eton shirt with buttonsthat were hidden by the lapel of the shirt; I thought itwas very chic. For the Olivier, I wore a three-piece suit,because not many people wear them anymore, andI find it funny to make it less formal by putting a silkhandkerchief in the pocket instead of wearing a tie. It'simportant that I pay attention to detail, because the people who organize these events, with the red carpetand the superb decor, put in a lot of effort, too. Wedon't have the opportunity to dress like this everyday,so we should take advantage of it.”
Over the years, Sugar Sammy's fashion sense hasdeveloped, as has his understanding of clothing. Al-though he tries to be classic, he continues to be moreand more daring. “It's something I learned little by little.When I was at McGill University, I was subscribed toseveral fashion magazines: GQ, Esquire, Details; therewere great rebates for students at the time. Little bylittle, I absorbed the information, and it became sec-ond nature to me. I know enough of the basics to beable to play around with it and to push the boundariesa little further by trying different things. It's important tohave fun with it and take risks.”
In addition to his imposing six foot two stature, SugarSammy captures his audiences' attention with hischarisma and fashion choices, which are always el-egant but never conservative. Even though men arerarely asked about their clothes in interviews, fashionis a still a mode of seduction for them. Sugar Sammyelaborates, “In fact, in my every day life I am reservedand timid. It's only on stage or in front of a camera thatit explodes. I find that the most interesting artists arethose that give it their all on stage, while retaining acertain anonymity in their daily lives. I am more of anobserver, and I am a loyal man. I have a woman in mylife. I am happy to no longer have to search for my soulmate, because bar life can be crazy.”
What's certain is that even if Sugar Sammy's heart be-longs to a beautiful young woman, he will continuebreaking the hearts of many more women—or at leastkeep making them laugh.
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