Corneille: The Birth of Cornelius (Review)

Thanks to Music Moms, I had the opportunity to review Corneille: The Birth of Cornelius.

I put the kids to bed, popped the cd in the player, lit some candles, and settled in for a nice long bubble bath and some much-needed "me" time.

The CD was fantastic. I didn't want my time - or the CD - to end! With elements of acoustic-driven R&B, Corneille sings about love, the heart, and his own personal life experiences. If you are a fan of John Legend, Tracy Chapman, or Marvin Gaye, you will quickly fall in love with Corneille.

I don't often get the chance to enjoy grown-up music. Every time we get in the car, we listen to the kids' CDs. This was a much-welcomed change of pace for me, and I savored every moment.

Originally from Rwanda, this singer/writer/producer scored a number of hits in Canada, France and even Japan. The Birth of Cornelius is Corneille's English-language debut. His parents and other family members were killed in Rwanda during the genocide in 1994. He alone managed to escape - first to Kinshasa, and then to Germany, where he was taken in by some family friends. He is a Red Cross Canada spokesperson, and has been made a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. His story is truly amazing. To learn more about him, please visit his website at www.corneillemusic.com.

Corneille says, "Music has been the place where I could go to hide and forget about the world. I couldn't make sense of a majority of the things that happened to me, so I used music as a shield. But over time, music has become a vehicle to channel out evertyhing that I've been keeping from myself for all these years. And the new album is definitely the most honest, real assessment of everything that's happened in my life, because I'm not trying to hide as much."

The Birth of Cornelius from Universal Motown Records is now available in stores and online. I highly recommend it if you like the sound of the original Motown music and if you just want some good music to relax to.