Who Is Joé Dwèt Filé
STORY BY: WIKIMIZIK • APR 12TH, 2019
Joé Dwèt Filé dropped his debut À Deux last week and sold out his first-ever concert at La Cigale.
Is it all hype? Short answer: no.
Long answer? Here's how @JoeDwetFile became one of the hottest acts in France. Thread.
First, some quick facts.
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
Yes, he's Haitian.
Birth name: Joé Gilles
Birthplace: Montreuil, France
Why Dwèt File? He’s a beast on keys. pic.twitter.com/9Mrv3zHBWJ
Like so many musicians, @JoeDwetFile started in the church. When he was 8, his parents got him a keyboard and he’d rush home after church to play everything he just heard. pic.twitter.com/JdEO1y5SF8
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
By the time he was a teen, Joé was singing, writing and producing. Here’s a holiday song he dropped in 2012. pic.twitter.com/aGVJLtFBld
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
His gift for catchy melodies and sweet solos was already undeniable.
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
? on. pic.twitter.com/eUK8u0Rgog
And @JoeDwetFile was getting used to being a frontman. He and fellow teen phenom Makenzy Jean-Louis (Makenzybeatz) teamed up in Only God, a Christian konpa group with HEAVY grooves. pic.twitter.com/wXNqnABb11
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
H-E-A-V-Y ? pic.twitter.com/moOFyQS5R6
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
In June 2013, @JoeDwetFile released his first EP, “Bayo Nouvèl La.” pic.twitter.com/3wyFuNqdhj
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
The project wasn’t overly polished, but you could feel the musical maturity.
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
You can also tell he's inspired by @NICKYHARMONIK.
Especially when @joedwetfile and Makenzy trade keyboard grooves on Move Chwa. pic.twitter.com/RIFVgvs3Mc
Fast forward to 2015. Joé shifts to secular music.
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
His sound is now polished and he’s dropping some of the hottest gouyad instrumentals on Soundcloud and producing hits for established artists like Yoan and Milca. https://t.co/GDHT6tck73
Meanwhile he was plotting the DF Empire, his label and platform.
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
He dropped DF Story #1 and linked up with singer/producer @CurtisKaneMusic on Di M Sa w Vle. https://t.co/uDY9wSuob3
In summer 2016, @JoeDwetFile, @CurtisKaneMusic & Larry Evans formed Lespada to capitalize on the afro/dancehall wave.
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
Go ahead and add Wine to your next party playlist. https://t.co/Pf8JPz69hk
La Pomme was the standout on the project.
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
? Hého, hého t'es dans mes pensées https://t.co/ZPHpRscZna
La Rose’s acoustic guitar loop and stripped-down beat would soon become the foundation of Joé’s sound. More on that soon. pic.twitter.com/UsqV4fKhFk
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
La Pomme was the standout on the project.
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
? Hého, hého t'es dans mes pensées https://t.co/ZPHpRscZna
It's still a hit on the live circuit for Melodeek. @JoeDwetFile played a simple keyboard groove under the guitar groove that's just ?https://t.co/WJgdAXdWJM
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
(Sidenote: They actually turned the live grooves into a song. Another one for the party playlist.)https://t.co/GKPk7l5jAk
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
OK, back to Joé. In 2017, his konpa remake of Dadju’s Reine made waves on Soundcloud and dancefloors. Easy to see why. https://t.co/muZuGfAuCT
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
2018 would be @JoeDwetFile's true breakout year.
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
That’s when he started crossing over with his new sound: a blend of konpa, afro and r&b.
Looped acoustic guitar (often played on keys), slick synth bass, and konpa-tinged percussion (minus the conga and gong.)
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
Instead of kale senbal, a hi-hat and snare kata propel the beat.
His beats on the Vegedream’s debut – “Mama Hey,” and “Reviens dans ma vie” – climbed the charts and introduced him to a wider audience.
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
So he dropped a mixtape ESOLF (Et si on le faisait?) on June 22, 2018.
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
Half konpa/zouk. Half afro trap/r&b.
"Absence" became a konpa hit, and songs like "T’as Joué Avec Moi" & "Mon Flow" became afro/r&b hits.
"Mon Flow" is a whole mood. pic.twitter.com/K7PCWHA7RQ
A steady stream of videos kept the momentum going, and by October, Joé was headlining a sold-out show at le Casino de Montréal ??
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
He finished the year strong.
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
Lespada released their debut.
Joé did a pop collab with Lyna Mahyem and produced this banger for Stony. https://t.co/roO8wnqbeK
In poetic fashion, Joé ended ESOLF’s promo run with the video for its opener and konpa HIT "Absence." https://t.co/PHEaRRthnO
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
When Joé dropped Impossible, his first single for À Deux, his konpa fans were worried. All r&b. No kata. No solos. https://t.co/5wnaBXI2hT
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
The next one, Confiance, was just him and a guitar. Was @JoeDwetFile done with konpa?https://t.co/nzINkasj97
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
Not quite. This feature dropped a week before his album release with a sick konpa outro. https://t.co/ddUB8fAFcZ
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
And when À Deux finally dropped on March 29, tracks like “Comme Avant,” “Trompé” and “T’as Changé” made konpa fans happy. pic.twitter.com/B6WzAfaKwr
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
Tracks like “Comment Ça,” “Perdre du Temps” & “Que des Mots” have the tight production and storytelling everyone expects from Joé.
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
Right now, it's #15 on the French charts. pic.twitter.com/3LFOvQOMQR
So no, @JoeDwetFile isn’t all hype. Or an overnight success. Or a one-hit wonder.
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
He's a versatile wunderkind with a fresh sound that might make konpa even more popular.
And you should go see him if he makes a stop near you on his North American tour. pic.twitter.com/Xfr1KINtxr
And it's a wrap. Hope you enjoyed it.@JoeDwetFile, play us out please. pic.twitter.com/EiAHbv3ytg
— WikiMizik (@WikiMizik) April 9, 2019
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