Musician Pierre Kwenders talks concerning the launch of the brand new deluxe model of his Polaris-winning album José Louis and the Paradox of Love.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Pierre Kwenders is a Congolese Canadian singer, songwriter and DJ. His album, “Jose Louis And The Paradox Of Love,” made a splash final 12 months and received Canada’s prestigious Polaris prize. Now he’s out with a deluxe model with three new tracks. NPR’s Kira Wakeam has extra.
KIRA WAKEAM, BYLINE: Pierre Kwenders love for music was born within the Democratic Republic of Congo, the place he spent the primary 12 years of his life surrounded by track and celebration.
PIERRE KWENDERS: There’s at all times a guitar round, and there is at all times folks singing and my mother and auntie dancing round. My strikes are – all of the dance that I love to do comes from my mother’s facet positively.
WAKEAM: In 2001, Kwenders and his mother left Congo for Montreal, Quebec, the place he would ultimately be part of the Afrika Intshiyetu Choir, a neighborhood African church choir that linked him to the group he had left behind…
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
AFRIKA INTSHIYETU CHOIR: (Singing in non-English language).
WAKEAM: …And the place he would discover his voice.
KWENDERS: That second after I joined the choir, that was form of the start of me realizing that that was the trail for me, you already know?
WAKEAM: Nearly 20 years later, that very same choir helps Kwenders shut out his intensely private album, “Jose Louis And The Paradox Of Love,” on a observe titled “Church.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “CHURCH (LIKAMBO)”)
PIERRE KWENDERS AND AFRIKA INTSHIYETU CHOIR: (Singing in non-English language).
WAKEAM: That is Kwender’s fourth studio album. Final 12 months, it earned him the Polaris Music Prize for finest Canadian album. That is a title beforehand bestowed on artists like Buffy Sainte-Marie, the Arcade Hearth and Kaytranada. However who precisely is Jose Louis?
KWENDERS: Nicely, Jose Louis, it is me. It is truly my delivery identify. I used to be born Jose Louis Modabi Nogaya Cambila Lubango Lubango (ph), which is a really lengthy identify (laughter).
WAKEAM: Kwenders, whose stage identify is an homage to his maternal grandfather, says this album is an exploration of affection in all its types – romantic, familial and platonic. However it’s additionally a journey in the direction of self-love and acceptance.
KWENDERS: The story that I am telling right here on this album is principally the story of that younger child who left Congo at a really younger age. I used to be 15, 16 years outdated, after which I arrived right here. I nonetheless have this concept of what life is meant to be and the whole lot else that everyone is telling me round me, and particularly all that was linked with love, you already know? That is why the album known as “Jose Louis And The Paradox Of Love” since you ask your self so many questions on who you’re, about who you’re keen on. And hopefully, folks may discover some reply. I consider I am discovering some reply after that and the remedy that I did with this album. However, you already know, I am getting there slowly.
WAKEAM: One of many issues Kwenders has been capable of finding solutions about – his personal sexuality.
KWENDERS: I grew up a straight man. You realize, I’ve to say, I’ve solely got here out to my mother. I feel it was in the course of the pandemic, and that was by means of the method of this album as a result of I wished to inform the story. And there’s a track on this album known as “Your Dream.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “YOUR DREAM”)
KWENDERS: (Singing) That is your dream, your individual dream. That is your dream, your individual.
It is principally a letter to my mother reassuring her that the whole lot will likely be OK but additionally thanking her as a result of she made certain that the whole lot is OK.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “YOUR DREAM”)
KWENDERS: (Singing) She thinks I am going loopy and stated, how may you do that to me?
(Singing in non-English language).
(Singing) Lastly discovered myself, yeah. Oh, yeah.
(Singing in non-English language).
(Singing) That is the best way I’m. Love is all we obtained. Love is all I obtained. I am a Scorpio, perfecto.
(Singing in non-English language).
That is one of many confusions that I had as a result of there was a facet of me that was hidden, and I could not actually discuss it. And I’ve talked about it somewhat bit in my earlier tasks however probably not deeply like that. And I actually wished to go deep into my soul and share my deepest ideas, my deepest fears and in addition my most stunning pleasure.
WAKEAM: And he expresses these feelings in a mixture of languages – French and English, Ciluba and Lingala.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “NIATA”)
KWENDERS: (Singing in non-English language).
(Singing) You too near me. You too shut. You too shut. You too shut.
(Singing in non-English language).
(Singing) Do not get shut. Do not get shut. Do not get shut.
WAKEAM: The seamless circulation from one language to a different and again once more has turn out to be one thing of a musical signature for him.
KWENDERS: Once I began singing, it simply felt proper for me to form of transfer in between these languages. And it is also one thing quite common within the Congolese choir as a result of there are, like, over 250 tribes in Congo. So think about what number of language there may be. So everytime you go to church, we may begin the mass in French with one track in French, after which the second track may very well be Lingala. After which the opposite track may very well be in Ciluba, after which we go in Swahili or Kikongo after which the track that blend all of these.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “NIATA”)
KWENDERS: (Singing in non-English language).
WAKEAM: Kwenders says he appreciates the best way African music and African diasporic sound have been embraced in Canada and past. However for him, there’s much more room for progress.
KWENDERS: I simply went to the JUNO this 12 months, and I noticed for the primary time an artist of Indian origin singing and performing for the primary time on the JUNO. That is stunning. I need extra of that. I need additionally African diasporic youngsters additionally to have the ability to stand on that stage and sing, you already know, and be like, we did this. You realize, that is additionally a part of Canadian historical past.
WAKEAM: Kira Wakeam, NPR Information.
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