On October 1st, after the opening acts of Jidenna and Janelle Monae, Stromae entered on stage dressed as a cartoon figure. Already on the first notes of Ta Fête', 18,000 people started dancing and singing. The crowd went crazy as he continued with 'Te Quiero' and 'Rendez-vous'.
Although all songs are in French, the crowd joined Stromae at the top of their voice. But the top of the bill was his hit 'Formidable', after which the Belgian artist was carried off the stage.After the break, he returned in a Michael Jackson costume and performed an amazing dance on 'Alors on dance'.
A perfect endingwas the acapella version of 'Tous les memes'.
Some questioned if a European, French-singing pop star would be able to ignite Madison Square Garden. Well, the answer turned out to be a definite yes. Can Stromae become an American idol? New York absolutely agrees!
Being the son of a Flemish mother and Rwandan father, Stromae (now 30 years old) was raised by his mother in Brussels, Belgium after his father was killed in the Rwanda Genocide in 1994. At school he formed a rap group and already at a very young age, he started writing his own songs. A lot of inspiration was found in Cuban Son and Rwandan Rumba, and he was especially influenced by the Belgian singer/songwriter Jacques Brel (1929-1978).
Stromae’s debut album was released in 2007 but his breakthrough came in 2009 when the song 'Alors on dance' became a hit all over Europe. His music style can’t be described in one word: it’s a mixture of rap, hip hop, electronic with African influences. His songs are mostly about social themes and some of them are even about personal experiences.
Since the release of his North American debut album 'Racine Carrée' in 2013, more than 3.5 million of his albums were sold. His appearance and clothes are at the least remarkable and he will never go by unnoticed.
'Stromae' is an anagram of the word Maestro. And another anagram 'Mosaert' is used for his clothing line that he launched in 2014, based on his own remarkable style.
2015 was his live debut in the United States with concerts in Chicago and Texas and based on the success of his last concert in New York, more concert dates will probably be announced.
America is ready for Europe’s musical miracle boy.
