Since his Polaris Music Prize win in 2022 for the album José Louis and the Paradox of Love, Pierre Kwenders has traveled the world, with tours across Canada, holidays in Africa and Europe. Today he returns with the new single “I Wanna Know”, and a new chapter begins. Alongside Poté, featured artist and co-producer, the track captures a summery nostalgia, fueled by desire, heated and dance energy. As the first snippet into his new era, “I Wanna Know” marks Pierre Kwender’s return with new Canadian dates, his first since his Polaris consecration.

“I Wanna Know” celebrates “the spark of life that you feel when love is born,” explains Kwenders. “That unbearable urge to know everything about the person you love. There’s only one mystery to discover… and it’s you!”

Born José Louis Modabi in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kwenders borrows his stage name from his late grandfather, a widely respected businessman and community figure. Following his mother’s footsteps, Kwenders immigrated from Congo to Montreal in 2001. His debut album, Le Dernier Empereur Bantou, was released in 2014, followed by MAKANDA at the End of Space, the Beginning of Time in 2017. Both albums garnered acclaim and earned Kwenders nominations for the coveted Polaris Music Prize. In 2022, Kwenders returned with José Louis and the Paradox of Love, a culmination of the personal growth and musical dexterity he’d honed over the years, converging his strong songwriting capabilities with the bravado he possesses as a DJ. The album was met with widespread praise from the likes of The New York Times, New Yorker, NPR’s All Things Considered, Rolling Stone, The FADER, MOJO, The Guardian, Bandcamp, and beyond.