Soul music is universal, it's created in different countries, in different languages and with different influences, but the outcome is always the same. It always touches you. Not just your ears or eyes, it reaches in and touches your very soul. Hence the name. Universal Motown artist Corneille is a perfect example of this universalness. The German born, Canadian singer recently released his very first English album entitled The Birth of Cornelius. He has enjoyed tremendous success globally with his previous albums, and all of them prior to this one were recorded in French.

We sat down with him and discussed the motivation behind recording an English album, the challenges that breaking into a different market present, his influences, the surge in the popularity of African artists and more.