Acadian singer-songwriter Josiane Eurovision Canada bilingual representation, Digi Mart USA News (Canada): Eurovision finalist Josiane hopes to put her Acadian heritage and French-English bilingualism front and center on stage if chosen to represent the country in its first participation in the seven-decade-old music competition.
Acadian singer-songwriter Josiane is one of five finalists hoping to represent Canada at Eurovision in Bulgaria. She is competing against Montreal-born, Toronto-based artist Rêve, Ottawa artist Talk, Vancouver-born artist Tyler Shaw and Drummondville, Quebec artist William Cloutier.
Josiane brings her emotions to every performance. She describes her music as an emotional pop mix that combines an upbeat tempo and powerful messages, ranging from ballads to upbeat hits.
The Eurovision finalist grew up in Dieppe, New Brunswick, where French and English mix, and this bilingual upbringing has influenced her music. “I’m Acadian, so I speak Chiac, and my songs are kind of a reflection of that.
I switch between French and English in a lot of my songs, and for me, it’s so important to do that, and it’s a part of who I am,” she told Now Toronto.
If chosen to represent Canada at Eurovision, the artist said she would hope to bring her bilingualism to the stage. “I’m so proud to be able to be bilingual and to fight for that,” she said.
Josiane is known for her signature hit “Lose It All,” released in 2023, and has continued her songwriting journey with several other successful releases. In 2020 she won the French version of The Voice, La Voix.
Josiane hopes to bring cultures together through Eurovision. As someone who speaks both French and English, she has experienced criticism from French speakers for English lyrics, and vice versa.
She aims to find a balance and silence the critics by promoting and embracing bilingualism in her performance, if chosen. “Why can’t we just bring it all together?
I think that would be such a good thing for me that I keep fighting for, and I just wish that it [was] more out there,” she said.
With her nomination as a Eurovision finalist, Josiane is excited to potentially showcase her Acadian roots and bilingualism on the international stage. “I’m so proud to be Canadian, and we have so much talent in Canada that’s yet to be discovered for me.
This is an amazing opportunity, and just having that sense of everybody coming together for music and representing my Acadian roots, it’s such a privilege and an honour,” she shared.
The artist admitted she has felt imposter syndrome, saying she is still growing and developing in the industry, so becoming a finalist feels surreal, but she is honoured to have been picked. “So many people coming together for music and to support a local artist, for me that’s just amazing.
And I just can’t believe I have this opportunity,” she said.
Josiane has been a long-time Eurovision fan and still rewatches clips from Celine Dion’s performance representing Switzerland. “I was watching her on YouTube, and that’s where the dream started.
Lately, I’ve been getting to know all the songs and performances. And the song I love the most is ‘Tattoo’ by Loreen.
She is amazing, and I think that’s a big source of inspiration for me if I get chosen,” she said.
Being chosen as one of the five Eurovision finalists feels like a full-circle moment, Josiane explained. “When they finally revealed who the five finalists were, for me, it was kind of an ‘I made it’ moment.
Like, pinch me, all of this work I’ve done so far is paying off,” she said.
Josiane hopes to connect with Toronto audiences and everyone in Canada, and said she is getting outside her comfort zone by exploring English while still embracing her native tongue. After the Canadian representative for Eurovision is announced, she hopes to perform more shows around Canada and Europe and continue building a connection with the public.
