Pierre Kwenders

Photo by Saffron Da’van

The dancefloor is a sacred place, and no one knows this better than Pierre Kwenders. The Congolese-Canadian artist has made a name for himself by being a daring creative who isn’t afraid to dig deep to make you move. A few years back, he was awarded the prestigious Polaris Music Prize for his project, José Louis and the Paradox of Love, a wildly ambitious album where Pierre sings in multiple languages (Lingala, Tshiluba, and Kikongo to name a few) and fuses various genres to create something completely new. His latest offering is still ambitious but in a much more intimate context; it’s an EP titled Tears on the Dancefloor.

This new body of work explores how unique dance music is and the spaces in which it’s celebrated. How to dance amongst strangers is innately an intimate and vulnerable thing to do, and in essence, is you seeking connection amongst others. It’s a strikingly emotional collection of bangers, and together Pierre and I chat about the qualities that makes dance music uniquely special.

After you hear the episode, be sure to check out Pierre’s track We Like featuring Poté on the official New Exchange Playlist. Also, be sure to follow Pierre Kwedners on Spotify and Instagram.