Congolese-born, Montreal-based musician, songwriter, and DJ Pierre Kwenders has won the 2022 Polaris Music Prize for his third album, 'José Louis and the Paradox of Love.'
. An 11-member jury selected the record as the Canadian album of the year, based on artistic merit, without regard to genre, sales, or record label. The announcement was made at the Carlu in Toronto on Sept. 19 — Polaris’ first in-person celebration since 2019.In his acceptance speech, Kwenders thanked family, friends, and collaborators who contributed to the telling of his journey: “This is for all the kids from the diaspora… This is my story.
The album features a wide range of global sounds and influences including Congolese rumba, electronic music, pop, R&B and jazz. The album was written and recorded in various cities across borders including Montreal, Lisbon, Seattle, New York City, Philadelphia, and New Orleans. The Polaris Music Prize, which was modeled after the United Kingdom/Ireland’s Mercury Prize, was first presented in 2006. Previous recipients include