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‘I just can’t believe I have this opportunity’: Acadian singer-songwriter Josiane hopes to bring bilingual representation to Eurovision

Acadian singer-songwriter Josiane is one of five finalists hoping to represent Canada at its Eurovision debut in Bulgaria, aiming to showcase her bilingual roots and unite audiences through music.

NOW Toronto backstage interview with a smiling woman in a black dress seated in a bright office space, NOW logo visible in the background.
Josiane is one of five artists vying to represent Canada at its Eurovision debut in Bulgaria.

What to know

  • Josiane is one of five finalists for Canada’s Eurovision debut, alongside artists from across the country.
  • She is proud of her Acadian heritage and often blends French and English (chiac) in her music, reflecting her upbringing in Dieppe, N.B.
  • Josiane’s musical style ranges from emotional ballads to upbeat pop, with a focus on authentic storytelling and strong messages.
  • She hopes to use the Eurovision stage to promote bilingualism and bring Canadian and Acadian culture to a global audience.

Eurovision finalist Josiane hopes to put her Acadian heritage and French-English bilingualism front and center on stage if chosen to represent the country for its first participation in this seven-decade-old music competition.

Acadian singer-songwriter Josiane is one of five finalists hoping to represent Canada at Eurovision in Bulgaria.

The New Brunswicker artist is competing against Montreal-born, Toronto-based artist Rêve, Ottawa artist Talk, Vancouver-born artist Tyler Shaw and Drummondville, Q.C. artist William Cloutier.

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​About Josiane

Josiane brings her emotions to every performance. The Eurovision finalist describes her music as an emotional pop mix that combines an upbeat tempo and powerful messages. From ballads to upbeat hits, she does it all.

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The Eurovision finalist grew up in Dieppe, N.B., where French and English mix. This bilingual upbringing has influenced Josiane’s music.

“I’m Acadian, so I speak Chiac, and my songs are kind of a reflection of that. I switch between French and English in a lot of my songs, and for me, it’s so important to do that, and it’s a part of who I am,” she told Now Toronto.

If chosen to represent Canada at Eurovision, the artist said she would hope to bring her bilingualism to the stage.

“I’m so proud to be able to be bilingual and to fight for that,” she said.

Josiane is known for her signature hit “Lose It All” released in 2023, and has continued her singing-songwriting journey since with a few other successful releases.

She rocked the stage in 2020 on the French version of The Voice, La Voix, taking the season’s win home.

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Josiane hopes to bring cultures together through Eurovision. As someone who speaks both French and English, she’s experienced criticism from French people for English lyrics, and vice versa. Now, she aims to find a balance and silence the critics by promoting and embracing bilingualism in her performance, if chosen.

“Why can’t we just bring it all together? I think that would be such a good thing for me that I keep fighting for, and I just wish that it [was] more out there,” she said.

‘Everybody coming together for music and representing my Acadian roots’: The meaning of being an Eurovision finalist

With the nomination to be one of Eurovision’s finalists, Josiane is excited to potentially showcase her Acadian roots and bilingualism on the international stage.

“I’m so proud to be Canadian, and we have so much talent in Canada that’s yet to be discovered for me. This is an amazing opportunity, and just having that sense of everybody coming together for music and representing my Acadian roots, it’s such a privilege and an honour,” she shared.

The artist admitted she felt imposter syndrome, saying she’s still growing and developing in the industry, so becoming a finalist feels surreal, but she’s honoured to have been picked.

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“So many people coming together for music and to support a local artist, for me that’s just amazing. And I just can’t believe I have this opportunity,” she said.

Josiane has been a long-time Eurovision fan and is still rewatching clips from Celine Dion’s performance representing Switzerland.

“I was watching her on YouTube, and that’s where the dream started. Lately, I’ve been getting to know all the songs and performances. And the song I love the most is “Tattoo” by Loreen. She is amazing, and I think that’s a big source of inspiration for me if I get chosen,” she said.

Being chosen as one of the five Eurovision finalists feels like such a full-circle moment, Josiane explained.

“I feel like when I got up on the stage when they finally revealed who the five finalists were, for me, it was kind of an ‘I made it’ moment. Like, pinch me, all of this work I’ve done so far is paying off,” she said.

Josiane hopes to connect with Toronto audiences and everyone in Canada, and said she’s getting outside her comfort zone by exploring English while still embracing her native tongue.

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After the Canadian representative for Eurovision is announced, the artist hopes to perform more shows around Canada and Europe, and continue to build a connection with the public.

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