Love stories generally end badly ... but can also lead to an awakening and a fresh start! Canadian singer/songwriter Christien Paul presents his first French pop album entitled Welcome to Lyon. Consisting of eight ukulele songs that describe the eight stages of a romantic relationship: eight songs that pay tribute to an "ex" but also to the language of Molière and the art of living “à la française”; eight songs carried by an unconditional love of poetry and music!

« I present a poem, a nostalgic bouquet / A trip to the moon with this very pen.
I have eyes for only you, I’ll never find better / But if it’s your wish. I bid you farewell… »

One after the other, the songs from Welcome to Lyon chronologically recount each stage of the romantic relationship that the songwriter (ukulele with a little bit of piano and guitar) had forged and experienced over a period of two years between Canada and France :

Step by step; the romance begins ("Welcome to Lyon"), melancholy ensues ("Minou"), followed by an official breakup ("Au revoir chaton", 1st radio single launched in April), introspection ("Des Faux Pas"), nostalgia ("Je n’oublierai jamais"), hope ("Je t’attends"), wisdom ("Tourne la page"), and ultimately detachment ("Comme un pirate"). These stories retrace a passionate affair with a woman as much as with a country, a culture, a language, and poetry - that of Baudelaire and iconic singers from France such as Serge Gainsbourg and Charles Aznavour.

Having always composed and expressed himself in English, Christien Paul has, for the love of a woman and her culture, developed a tender passion for writing french poetry. Produced and recorded in the studios of the Lyon indie label C'est Pas des Manières, Welcome to Lyon is a beautiful soundscape of memories after a two year journey abroad in a foreign country. A period during which the artist toured across France, Spain and the Netherlands performing at cafe-theatres, pubs and clubs, convention centres and music festivals alike.

Christien Paul : a helpless romantic and a warlord of the ukulele!
According to parental legend, his grandfather (a pure wool Quebecer) was the first Canadian soldier of the Second World War to marry a French woman. In addition, Christien Paul was conceived in the city of Caen (Normandie France) ! This peculiarity undoubtedly contributed to the creation of an album in French ... Originally from Toronto, he began a musical career in English as a teenager. After playing in several bands and hundreds of concerts across Canada, he decided to "step back" and became a multimedia developer. That is, until a Buddhist spiritual retreat brought him back in touch with his dreams and first love: music.