Have you heard of Stromae?

This half Belgian half Rwandan singer has become a real star in the last few years, both in France and in Belgium. His stage name, Stromae, is the verlan (a familiar way to speak in which you switch syllables, coming from the French à l’envers) for maestro.

The themes of his songs can be very personal, such as in the single Papaoutai, about his father’s loss:

In other songs he criticises the overuse of Twitter, using a melody line from the very well known French Opera Carmen, as well as some of the lyrics. Compare, below:

The video for this song was made by Sylvain Chomet, who also animated Les triplettes de Belleville.

To finish the introduction to this new kind of Jacques Brel, here is a song that will have you dance around your kitchen!

To discover all aspect of French culture, join our French lessons in Bath and Bristol. Bon weekend!