Born in Cameroon, Clerel moved to North America with his family after high school and, at the time, thought that he was probably going to be a doctor.
Spoiler alert right here off the top: he is not a doctor.
He was, however, a chemist for short spell before deciding to give songwriting a go. And as much as I know a good doctor is not to be overlooked, having Clerel operating in this world as a songwriter is sweet, sweet medicine for us all.
In our chat we talk about Clerel’s childhood in Cameroon, where every high schooler’s final exam results are read out over national radio; about his love of physical chemistry, particularly, the notion that two things can exist in the same space at the same time because on a microscopic level, we’re dealing purely in probability; about a seminal trip to Memphis, specifically to the Stax Museum, that solidified his love of soul music; and so much more.
I recently stood on stage in Toronto singing next to Clerel - this was after I recorded our interview - and, lemme tell you, the man exudes music.
It’s my pleasure to bring you this chat with Clerel.
jeanclerel.com
@clerel
When We Wake broadcasts live every Saturday morning, 9:30-11:00 (GMT -3) on 88.7 CoveFM and CoveFM.com.
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