Corneille

Meghan Says:

There’s not any specific musical genre that I stick to.  My ITunes purchases range from country, to rap, to R&B, to Classical, to…well, The Cars Soundtrack.

So I was excited when Team Mom announced they were doing a Music Moms program.  It seemed like a great opportunity to hear more artists and expand my musical collection a bit more.  Because honestly, it’s a little pathetic. I mean, unlike SOME people, I’ve never worked in the music industry.  (I worked in the wine industry, though, and I’m patiently waiting for the day when Team Mom offers Wine up for a review).

Anyway, the first artist up for us to listen to is Corneille, with his new CD The Birth of Cornelius.  I have to say, my standards were set pretty high when they told us he was being compared to John Legend, Tracy Chapman and Marvin Gaye.  Those are some pretty high standards to live up to.

And I was pleasantly surprised when I finally popped the CD in and listened to it.  There’s definitely a jazzy kind of vibe going on, and I was bopping around my house like a mad woman while it was playing.  My favorite song from the CD is the first track, Back to Life.  It gets you grooving, and the lyrics are really sweet.  His song, I’ll Never Call You Home Again, about his native Rwanda is eye opening and heart wrenching.

It’s clear that Corneille writes from the heart, and there is a lot of emotion in what he sings.  He really has a soothing voice, so even if you’re not paying attention to the words, you’ll be sure to enjoy the sound.

He has an amazing life story (he was the only member of his family to escape Rwandan genocide in 1994) and, he’s pretty darn easy on the eyes, ladies.  You will soon be able to learn more about him, and gaze at photos, on his website.   For now, though, just check him out on ITunes.  You won’t be disappointed.

Heather Says:

As Meghan so subtly hinted, yes, I used to work in the music industry. I was in Artists and Repertoire, which is a fancy schmancy way to say that I was in the new artist department. So I have A LOT of experience listening to music. It was my job and all that.

I was interested to hear his music after reading a bit about him. Like Meghan mentioned, his entire family (parents & siblings) was wiped out Rwandan genocide. He was the only one that escaped – he was 17. He was born in Germany and spent seven years there before his family returned to Rwanda, after the Genocide he moved back there for three years. Then he went to Montreal for college. I was intrigued to hear how all these influences would effect his music.

His sound is very smooth, well-produced, easy to listen to. It’s the kind of album I would imagine being put on if one was cooking or having a dinner party. It’s got a distinct “chill-out” vibe to it. His song lyrics vary from the sublime (”last time I saw you/you were stripping me of/anyone and anything that was mine/that’s how I remember you” from I’ll Never Call You Home Again) to the silly (”Now I’m drinking my days and crying my nights away/I got about a million contacts in my iPhone and no unread messages today” from Liberation), but the melodies are well-crafted and full of hooks.

It’s not my kind of music, but I still appreciated his talent. However, considering how popular Cornielle is all over the world, I’d say a lot other people enjoy listening to his silky voice again and again. Be sure to check him out on iTunes so you can decide for yourself!

Giveaway!

We are lucky enough to have a CD to give away to one lucky winner!  Simply leave a comment here letting us know what your favorite “after hours” music is.  In other words, when the house is quiet, and you’ve got an after dinner cocktail or glass of wine, what music are you sure to pop into the CD player first?

Contest runs until 12 Noon on Tuesday, March 31st.  Open only to US Residents.  We will choose a winner randomly from all eligible entries.  To earn an extra entry, subscribe to our feed.  You can also earn one extra entry per day by Tweeting about this contest.  Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!

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