Corneille has always had a special relationship with Haiti. Accompanied by his musicians and surrounded by artists of Haitian origin, including Yama Laurent, he will ensure, on Sunday, July 31, the closing of the 16th edition of the Festival Haïti en Folie.
“My first encounter with Haiti took place the year following the 2010 earthquake,” recalls Corneille. Even today, I talk about it as one of my most emotional experiences, one of the most touching. It was a truly magical encounter. »
“When I returned in 2013, I was accompanied by my musicians, most of whom were of Haitian origin. At the time, many were going there for the first time. It was really something, ”says the singer of Rwandan origin.
Beyond his musicians, the artist is also regularly surrounded with the arrangements and the realization of his longtime collaborator born of Haitian parents Marco Volcy. “My first artistic collaborations, the first artists with whom I sang, they were almost all Haitians,” he recalls fondly.
This dear and singular relationship also undoubtedly extends beyond, believes the singer.
“The Haitian people occupy a very, very significant place among the black people. It is the first black people to have obtained independence in 1804. Whether you are African, or whether you simply have the feeling of sharing this history, the starting point of the independence of the African people, it is in Haiti. Every black person has a very strong historical link with that country. »
Esteemed artists
“The production and the organizers made me proposals for artists with whom to perform (Yama Laurent, rapper Raccoon, Leïla Lanova and singer Kelly Krow) and these are suggestions that I would certainly have made to them myself. It’s just that they got ahead of me,” he says.
In fact, certain links had already been forged with these artists. He had already received the rapper Raccoon on his musical show Corneille remixes and had the opportunity to meet Yama Laurent a few times through The voice. He and Leïla Lanova have also already signed with the same record company in France.
In order to underline his affection for this country, he will therefore offer a service in a spirit of inclusion. Closing six days of festivities, the show will feature pieces from the album Because we loveand his latest album launched this year, pink ink, ninth album in career. The singer will perform some of his classics and festival-goers can expect a little tour of his discography with a focus on songs with Afro-Caribbean accents. He will also invite his Haitian colleagues to come and share moments with him on his songs, while also leaving them alone with the public so that they can deliver pieces from their own repertoires.
►The show Corneille meets Haiti will be presented at Parc La Fontaine this Sunday, July 31, starting at 7 p.m. FREE ENTRANCE.