VI.BE

Antoine Innocent was born in Paris to a French mother and an American father of Haitian origin.

His childhood spanned France, Canada and Belgium. This multiplicity expresses itself through his music.

His youth was spent mainly with his mother, whom he followed, accompanied by his older sister, on her professional journey from Paris to Brussels via Ottawa.

Through spending four months a year on the road with his father, a singer, he was quickly confronted with the « artists life ».

These trips showed Antoine Innocent the sometimes difficult daily life of a touring musician, travelling in a camper van and moving from city to city, from motel to motel. Antoine accompanied his father, assisting him in the logistics of the stage. This life on the road, while tough at times, proved to be formative, cultivating Antoine’s love for music and fanned the flames of his creativity.

His curiosity quickly led him to discover the piano, then the guitar and, much later, his vocal abilities. He was 16 years old when a friend, convinced of his singing talent, signed him up for auditions to The Voice Belgium. Despite being eliminated during the live shows, this experience allowed him to learn from industry professionals.

With a strong desire to constantly grow his repertoire, he now devotes himself to writing songs, by the hundred. This is an outlet that allows him to put into words his feelings and experiences. At the same time, a family friend who manages a label, became his mentor, sharing his own experiences with Antoine. He took the young Antoine to concerts, listened to his demos and instilled in him the professionalism and the value of work that are essential to the artist's profession.

His inspirations range from Stevie Wonder to Prince, Elton John and Nat King Cole; all artists who were not afraid to integrate in their music the values which they defend. We find these influences in the colour of Antoine Innocent’s music, which owes a lot to the flavour of the music coming out of the late seventies.

He brings this style to life by orchestrating a team of musicians for live tape recording of his songs as it was done in the golden age of the musical style that he cherishes.

Love, fear of abandonment and mental health issues are recurring themes in his lyrics, as much as they are recurring experiences in his personal life.

Today, Antoine Innocent has only one desire: to share his story through his music, and in particular through live performance.