The Belgian phenomenon Stromae – anagram of maestro – was born Paul Van Haver in Brussels on March 12, 1985. The one who is sometimes compared to Jacques Brel for his interpretation quality grew up with his Flemish mother, his sister and his three brothers. His father, a Rwandan architect, left shortly after his birth and he would only see him a few times before his death during the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.
Around the age of 10, young Paul developed a passion for drums and percussion. In 2000, he started rapping and chose Stromae as his pseudonym. Three years later he created the group Suspicion with the rapper J.E.D.I. Their song Faut k’t’arrête le Rap made them noticed, but the duo split up and Stromae continued his solo career.
The Belgian rapper then participates in many projects and compilations. In 2008 he collaborated with the French rapper Kerry James and also composed a song for Anggun. At the same time, he broadcasts on the Internet Les leçons de Stromae, filmed sequences in which he explains how to build a song. While his videos are making the buzz, he released in September 2009 the single Alors on danse. The mix of serious lyrics and catchy electro music is a hit. The track topped the charts in France, Germany and Belgium and sold nearly 3 million copies worldwide.
He then performed in many clubs in Europe. His album, Cheese, was released in June 2010 and won, in 2011, a Victoire de la musique in the category of electronic music or dance album of the year.
The hit Alors on danse is also noticed by the American rapper Kanye West who makes a remix. This allows Stromae to put a foot on the American continent.
In 2013, for his second opus, Racine Carrée, Stromae will again use the Internet to create buzz. He leaked on the Web images of him apparently drunk in the streets of Brussels. These are actually excerpts from his upcoming video, Formidable, the first single from the album. Even more than the previous album, Racine Carrée mixes genres and influences. Brel’s, very present in Formidable, gives way to African and electro rhythms on the single Papaoutai, another huge hit.
Released on August 16, 2013, the record quickly topped the charts in France and Belgium. By December 2013, more than 700,000 copies had already been sold. Proof that the Belgian singer is increasingly interested across the Atlantic, he was entitled to his portrait in the very prestigious New York Times.
On the private side, Stromae married on December 12, 2015 his partner of three years, the stylist Coralie Barbier. In March 2018, Julian Perretta reveals on social networks that Coralie Barbier is pregnant.
If Stromae is very rare in the media and on social networks since he chose to end his career, his wife Coralie Barbier is for
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