Étienne (Canadian musician) facts for kids

Étienne is the stage name of Canadian musician Steven Douglas Langlois. He was born on February 28, 1971. Étienne is famous for his fun and educational songs, especially in French. He has performed in many sold-out concerts. These shows have taken place in theaters and arenas across Canada, the United States, China, New Zealand, and Australia.

About Étienne

Étienne grew up in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. He started performing when he was just nine years old. He went to the University of Windsor. There, he studied French language and literature. He also trained to become a teacher.

In 1993, while still in college, he began writing educational songs. His career as a performing artist started by chance in 1994. He shared some of his songs with other teachers. At this meeting, they jokingly gave him the stage name "Étienne." This is the French version of his birth name, Steven.

That same summer, Étienne recorded his first album. It was simply called "Étienne." Since then, he has released many albums. He has nine French albums, two English albums, and two Spanish albums.

In 1999, he released his first Spanish album. He toured the United States to share his Spanish music. Later, in 2003 and 2004, he released two English albums. These were distributed by Warner Music Canada. Some teachers even called him the "Eminem of educational French music." This was because his music was so popular and catchy.

Étienne has released 13 albums and toured a lot. He has built a huge fan base around the world. Both teachers and students love his music. One very famous fan is pop star Justin Bieber. In 2012, Justin Bieber sang Étienne's song "Avoir II" live on French TV. This happened on the show La boîte à questions on Canal+.

Besides making albums and videos, Étienne has also written and helped create school programs. He has worked with big educational companies. These include Thomson Nelson, Oxford University Press, Pearson Education, and Prentice Hall. He has also worked with companies in Denmark.

In 2014, Étienne surprised his fans. He released an album under a different name: DJ DELF. In 2018, another Canadian musician took over the role of DJ DELF. Étienne still performs concerts under his original stage name.

Étienne is always working on new music. He released a special 25th-anniversary album. It has remixes of fan-favorite songs. He worked with other educational artists like Nate Vedette, Guy Tariste, Mike Musique, and DJ DELF. He often tours with these artists.

In 2019, a YouTuber and heavy metal drummer named Joey Muha made a video. He played drums along to Étienne's song "Avoir II." Also in 2019, Étienne was featured in a documentary. It was called Pourquoi Take French?: 25 Years of Étienne. This film looked at his career and how he has influenced teachers, students, and other musicians. Along with the documentary, he released "Étienne XXV." This was a greatest hits album with songs chosen by his fans.

Étienne now lives in LaSalle, Ontario. He teaches at Sandwich Secondary School. He has taught English, French, and History to students from first grade to twelfth grade.

Awards and Honours

Étienne has received several important awards for his work:

• In 2004, he won "Canada's Favourite Children's Artist of the Year Award." This was at the CMW "Indies" Awards. Music industry experts chose the nominees. Fans across Canada voted for the winners.
• His CD "C'est le temps" won "2003 Children's Album of Year." This award was also at the Canadian Music Week "Indies" Awards. His album was chosen over those by many well-known children's artists.
• He received the 2003 Helen B. St. John Award. This award is for great professional work and leadership in modern languages. Étienne was the youngest person ever to get this honor.
• In 2002, his video "Rockumentaire" won a Parents' Choice Award. This educational music video was on the same respected list as the Harry Potter film released that year. His CD, "C'est le temps," also won a "2002 Parents' Choice Award."

Discography

• "Étienne s/t" CD - 1994
• "Chez Moi" CD - 1996
• "La danse des araignees" CD - 1998
• "Educorock Espanol" CD - 1999
• "C'est le temps" CD - 2002
• "Grammar Jams" CD - 2003
• "Grammar Jams 2" CD - 2004
• "Me gusta" CD - 2005
• "Beauty of Discovery" (single) - 2006
• "Le retour" CD - 2008
• "Français! Francais!" CD w/ Roland Bibeau - 2010
• "Chantons les classiques !" CD - 2013
• "DJ DELF" CD/DVD - 2014
• "Étienne XXV" CD - 2019

Filmography

• "Rockumentaire" (Videos Collection) - 1999
• "Étienne: Los videos espanoles" - 2011
• "Étienne: Les vidéos françaises" - 2011
• "DJ DELF" – Animated Videos Package – 2016
• "TikTok: @rockyourclassroom" - 2019