The New Corneille

Don’t be fooled by the name: Corneille is not a distant heir of the classic French playwright. It is just a short version of his real name, Cornelius Nyungura. But the acclaimed singer’s ties with the country of Racine and Molière are still strong. Born in Germany in 1977, raised in Rwanda, Corneille has lived for the last dozen years in Montreal. But he sings in French, and it’s on French music charts that he first shot to the top with the hit Parce qu’on vient de loin, a poignant requiem recalling the slaughter of his family during the Rwandan genocide. Praised ever since for both his tender poetry and his bluesy tunes, has released two other albums in France, one of them the brand new Sans Titre (Untitled, Wagram Music). Now the fast-rising singer, long an admirer of Marvin Gaye and Steve Wonder, has released his first English-language album, on the Motown label no less — The Birth of Cornelius is a sure-fire sign that an international star is born.

Check out his official website for more on Corneille