Gaël Faye

Gaël Faye (French pronunciation: [ɡaɛl faj]; born 6 August 1982) is a Rwandan–French singer, songwriter, rapper, and writer.

Personal life

Faye was born in Bujumbura, Burundi, of a French father and Rwandan mother.^[1] He moved to France at the age of 13, escaping from the Burundian civil war.^[2] He studied commerce and later received a Master's degree in finance.^[3]

He is married and has two daughters.^[4]

Books

Faye wrote a novel inspired by his teenage-years' experience of the war in Burundi.^[5] Small Country (Petit Pays)^[4] was first published in France in August 2016 by Grasset. It won five literary prizes.^[6]^[5] It has been translated into 36 languages^[7]^[8] and made into a movie, released in 2020.^[9] In August 2024, Faye's second novel, Jacaranda, was published, also by Grasset.^[10]

Music

In 2010, Faye and Edgar Sekloka released a rap and hip-hop album entitled Milk Coffee and Sugar (also the name of their group).^[11]

Faye then released three solo albums and one EP: Pili Pili sur un Croissant au Beurre (2013), Des fleurs EP (2014) ^[12] Lundi Méchant (2020) and Mauve Jacaranda (2022). Lundi Méchant went gold in 2022.

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2022	Rwanda: Words of Silence		Wrote and directed	^[13]
2024	Savages	MC Orangutan	Voice role	^[14]

Awards

2016: Prix du roman Fnac for Petit Pays
2016: Prix du Premier Roman for Petit Pays
2016: Prix Goncourt des Lycéens for Petit Pays
2016: Prix France Culture/Télérama for Petit Pays
2023: The Grand Public Prize at Justice Documentary Festival Paris
2024: Prix Renaudot for Jacaranda

References

^ "Africiné – Gaël Faye – Quand deux fleuves se rencontrent". Africiné (in French). Retrieved 19 June 2022.
^ "Gael Faye ce qui lui plait". Liberation. 13 February 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
^ "Gaël Faye". CCCB. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
^ ^a ^b Le JDD (11 September 2016). "PORTRAIT. Gaël Faye, l'écriture pour la vie". lejdd.fr (in French). Retrieved 22 July 2024.
^ ^a ^b Cordova, Sarah Davies (15 June 2018). "Petit pays by Gaël Faye". World Literature Today. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
^ "Gaël Faye". Wikipédia (in French). 18 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
^ Cummins, Anthony (10 June 2018). "Small Country by Gaël Faye – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
^ Grey, Tobias (29 May 2018). "A French-Rwandan Rap Star Turned Novelist From Burundi". The New York Times.
^ Barbier, Eric (28 August 2020). "Petit pays" (Drama). Jerico, Super 8 Production, Pathé. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
^ "Jacaranda". Grasset (in French). Retrieved 17 October 2024.
^ "Milk Coffee & Sugar – Milk Coffee & Sugar". Discogs. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
^ "Africiné – Gaël Faye – Quand deux fleuves se rencontrent". Africiné (in French). Retrieved 19 June 2022.
^ "Rwanda: Words of SIlence". Java Films. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
^ "Sauvages". Annecy International Animated Film Festival. Retrieved 12 June 2024.

[1] "Africiné – Gaël Faye – Quand deux fleuves se rencontrent". Africiné (in French). Retrieved 19 June 2022.

[2] "Gael Faye ce qui lui plait". Liberation. 13 February 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2020.

[3] "Gaël Faye". CCCB. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2024.

[Portrait_lejdd-4] Le JDD (11 September 2016). "PORTRAIT. Gaël Faye, l'écriture pour la vie". lejdd.fr (in French). Retrieved 22 July 2024.

[World_Literature_Today-5] Cordova, Sarah Davies (15 June 2018). "Petit pays by Gaël Faye". World Literature Today. Retrieved 19 June 2022.

[6] "Gaël Faye". Wikipédia (in French). 18 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.

[7] Cummins, Anthony (10 June 2018). "Small Country by Gaël Faye – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 April 2020.

[8] Grey, Tobias (29 May 2018). "A French-Rwandan Rap Star Turned Novelist From Burundi". The New York Times.

[9] Barbier, Eric (28 August 2020). "Petit pays" (Drama). Jerico, Super 8 Production, Pathé. Retrieved 19 June 2022.

[10] "Jacaranda". Grasset (in French). Retrieved 17 October 2024.

[11] "Milk Coffee & Sugar – Milk Coffee & Sugar". Discogs. Retrieved 19 June 2022.

[12] "Africiné – Gaël Faye – Quand deux fleuves se rencontrent". Africiné (in French). Retrieved 19 June 2022.

[13] "Rwanda: Words of SIlence". Java Films. Retrieved 12 June 2024.

[14] "Sauvages". Annecy International Animated Film Festival. Retrieved 12 June 2024.

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