Entertainment
Europe's "Millenial Maestro" Stromae Performs to Sold Out Crowd at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago
By SeeBrown · 9/23/2015
Stromae Chicago.
September 21, 2015
Riviera Theatre, Chicago, 60640
If you don’t know who Stromae is, you are most likely not tuned in to youth culture. Stromae is among the most popular hip hop and electronic dance music artist out of Europe. He has number one songs in 19 countries and this year introduced Kanye West to the stage at the 2015 Coachella Music Festival.
On September 21, he brought his French-fused hip-hop to a sold out crowd at an all ages concert at the Riviera Theatre in Uptown. It was the appropriate venue for bringing out a throngs of his young fans in Chicago who danced on the open floor below the stage.
The thirty-year old, legal name is Paul Van Haver, is known as the "Millennial Maestro." Stromae is maestro spelled backwards.
He is also considered the ‘poster boy for multicultural Europe’ because he was born in Belgium to a Belgian mother and Rwandan father. During his performance he displayed his multilingual roots by singing in French and Spanish and speaking to the audience in English. The audience in turn sang along with every word of his songs as if it were their native tongue.
How does a French artist find fans in Chicago? Breaking Voices spoke with a few Stromae fans after the concert. Their reaction to the show proves Stromae is not only an emerging icon among youth culture worldwide but also now in Chicago.
Listen to Candace, a Stromae fan talk about how she discovered his music.
His performance was full of theatrics, costume changes and dancing. Stromae studied film in Belgium and showcased his education and passion for theatre on stage. Throughout the show, projected images synchronized with his dance choreography and singing.
Known for his youthful fashion, his costumes were in signature style of boyish attire – knee-length shorts, knee- high socks, bow-tie, and sweater. His wardrobe changed with nearly every song and was paired with his clever dance moves to create an engaging theatre-like concert. For example, during the song "Ave Cesaria," he sat a table with mirror in hand, shoes off to reveal colorful socks as he sang about Cape Verdean singer Cesaria Evora.
Among his most popular songs is a single called "Papaoutai" (Father Where Are You) from his 2013 album "Racine Carrée" (Square Root). This song is about missing an absentee father, and some have said song is tribute to Stromae’s own father who left Belgium and was killed in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
To end the show, Stromae performed an a capella version of another popular song called "Tous les Memes" (Everyone’s the Same).
Watch more highlights from the concert in Unieros website.
For more information about Stromae visit Stromae's website.