Brilio.net/en - Samuel, a 17-year-old boy from the West African country of Gabon, has become celebrity around the world after the Canadian singing superstar Celine Dion shared a video of him singing.
It started when a friend of his sister posted a video of him on Facebook singing The Power of Love in a staircase in the Gabon capital of Libreville. The song, written by Jennifer Rush, was a hit for Dion in the 1990s.
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As the video racked up thousands of views, the video was picked up and reposted by Barack Nyare Mba, a famous Gabonese blogger.
This latter created a support fan page Together for Samuel (Tous ensemble pour Samuel) to help him reach a better visibility on the Internet.
That brought its first million views and then after a few days came the share from Dion, who wrote an encouraging and touching message to Samuel:
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Samuel, your talent is as big as your voice. I'm touched my songs have travelled all the way to you and hope we have the chance to meet one day. May all your dreams come true. Keep singing like you do. When music comes from the heart, it knows no borders!"
According to members of his family, Samuel is an introvert and a shy boy, for whom singing has always been a passion.
Samuel told the wire agency Agence-France Press that he was "overwhelmed and very surprised" by the message from the superstar, via the BBC.
"I wasn't expecting that," he told AFP. "I haven't got a phone or a Facebook account.
"I just hope that one day I can meet her for real."
Gabon is currently facing an economic and political crisis, many people see Samuels story as a sign of hope. He will soon take part in a national TV show on TV that will hopefully put him on track for a great musical career.