Gaël Faye

Gaël Faye (Milk Coffee and Sugar) in September 2014

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. He moved to France at the age of 13, escaping from the Burundian civil war. He studied commerce and later received a master's degree in finance.

He is married and has two daughters. His mother in law is Rwandan Dafroza Gauthier.

Books

Faye wrote a novel inspired by his teenage-years' experience of the war in Burundi. Small Country (Petit Pays) was first published in France in August 2016 by Grasset. It won five literary prizes, including the Prix Goncourt des Lycéens. It has been translated into 36 languages and made into a movie, released in 2020. In August 2024, Faye's second novel, Jacaranda, published, also by Grasset, won the Prix Renaudot.

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).

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

Bibliography

Film

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

Awards

References

  1. 1 2 "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.
  4. 1 2 Le JDD (11 September 2016). "PORTRAIT. Gaël Faye, l'écriture pour la vie". lejdd.fr (in French). Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  5. ↑ Bangkok Post Public Company Limited (27 January 2021). "From France to Rwanda's hills, the husband-and-wife genocide hunters". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  6. 1 2 Cordova, Sarah Davies (15 June 2018). "Petit pays by Gaël Faye". World Literature Today. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  7. ↑ "Conversation with Gaël Faye". CCCB. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  8. ↑ Cummins, Anthony (10 June 2018). "Small Country by Gaël Faye – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  9. ↑ Grey, Tobias (29 May 2018). "A French-Rwandan Rap Star Turned Novelist From Burundi". The New York Times.
  10. ↑ Barbier, Eric (28 August 2020). "Petit pays" (Drama). Jerico, Super 8 Production, Pathé. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  11. ↑ "Jacaranda". Grasset (in French). Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  12. ↑ "Jacaranda, by Gaël Faye, translated into 28 languages and winner of 30 international Choix Goncourt awards". Institut français. 2 December 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  13. ↑ "Milk Coffee & Sugar – Milk Coffee & Sugar". Discogs. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  14. ↑ "PORTRAIT. Gaël Faye, l'écriture pour la vie". lejdd.fr (in French). 11 September 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  15. ↑ Seiffert, Rachel (31 July 2026). "Jacaranda by Gaël Faye review – the limits of forgiveness after Rwanda". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  16. ↑ "A prizewinning novel explores the legacy of the Rwandan genocide". The Economist. 13 August 2026. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  17. ↑ "Jacaranda by Gaël Faye — after the genocide". www.ft.com. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  18. ↑ "Jacaranda by Gaël Faye". www.publishersweekly.com. Invalid date. Retrieved 2026-10-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ↑ "Rwanda: Words of SIlence". Java Films. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  20. ↑ "Sauvages". Annecy International Animated Film Festival. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.