Sabine Francoeur is hard at work on a solo debut album that will no doubt earn her a throng of fans. But, just who is Sabine Francoeur? What is her style like, and what should one expect from this artist? Judging from her eclectic musical tastes, her style blends many musical genres.
While in college, Francoeur says she took guitar lessons, though she never mastered the instrument. She’s looking forward to taking up the instrument again. In the meantime, she’s concentrating on her singing, and perfecting her songs. The artist says she loves to sing from life and bases her songs on her life experiences.
Check out this exclusive interview with the singer-songwriter.
In your bio, it says that your dad is actually a famed singer. Can you tell us about him?
My dad is Assade Francoeur. He was one of the lead singers of the famed group Ensemble Select de Coupé Cloué. He is well-known for writing songs like “Myan Myan”, “Marie-Jocelyne”, “Fanm Kolokent“, “Madan Marcel”, “Lovanna” and so on.
What are your memories of growing up with a musician dad?
Going to “Kemès” [get-togethers] on Sundays [Laughter]. Besides that, it wasn’t always fun—because he was often away for birthdays, holidays and other important family moments.
Musician parent doesn’t always mean musically-gifted child. But in your case, it did. At which point, did you discover that you had it in you?
I was thirteen years old when my dad first asked me to do background on a Coupé Cloué Valentine’s day song. However, it was when he asked me to sing the part of Maggie Jean-Louis in “Lovanna” for a show that he was performing in, that I realized that I could really sing. I was fifteen then.
How did your dad, and your family overall, feel about you pursuing music?
My dad introduced me to music. Music is who we are as a family. My sisters Yves and Martine can also sing, and in the past, we all three formed Saima. As a group, Saima released two albums in the 90’s Pou Sa Ka Sa and Chale. My parents were all for it.
Do you seek out your dad’s advice on business and creative matters related to music?
Yes! He’s the first one that I would call for confirmation on a song’s lyrics or a melody. His advice matters a lot to me.
Tell us about your creative process?
I’m now more involved in songwriting and producing then I was before. It starts with a melody coming into my head at any moment during the day. Always having a recorder with me becomes essential [Laughter]. I never know what I am going to come up with, and sometimes the ideas come and go but the good melodies always stick to my head.
A singer’s voice is a prized possession. How do you care for your voice?
First of all, I don’t smoke and I’m an occasional drinker. I practice my voice by singing difficult and challenging songs that helps me to practice my vocal range and that’s about it.
When was the last time you went to Haiti?
I’m a bit ashamed to say it, but it was back in 2003. In the past ten years, motherhood became my priority. I’m planning of going down real soon to start promoting my new album.
Do you think that there are different standards for men and women recording artists?
Wow! Where do I start? I think the Haitian music industry producers have not given the women a chance to evolve in the business. You hardly hear about events such as bal, or even concerts with a female act in the Haitian community and if you are not a man’s band, forget about getting a record deal. I can only think of two producers who believe in working with women. We have to work twice as hard—if not three times harder to prove ourselves.
What are you working on right now and what should we expect to hear from you in the future?
I am actually finishing the work on my first solo album that will come out at the beginning of 2014. It will contain twelve titles and represents a different side of me. In this new album, I have worked with artists such as Nickenson Prud’homme, Ralph Conde, JBeatz, Dener Ceide, Richard Cave and singer Armstrong Jeune with whom I sing the duet “M’pa Ka Tann” [I Can’t Wait]. My dad and I have also just finished working on a song “Madiba Mandela” to pay tribute to the great Nelson Mandela. It will come out in the upcoming weeks and will also be part of the new album. Back in October, we filmed “Assez De Toi” [Enough of You], a music video that will be released together with the album. My daughter and my niece are featured in the video, which will be a first for women artists in the Haitian music industry. They are both talented and they can also sing and rap. I have been working very hard with a great team—including my sisters—on this new production and I want it to make a great impact when it comes out. I want to please my fans as well as the new fans-to-be! I want to thank you so much for the support and keep up the great work. Live, love and music.
Connect with Sabine Francoeur on Twitter by CLICKING HERE, and be sure to connect with her on FACEBOOK HERE.
