This singer from Gaspésie launched a song inspired by the story of domestic violence experienced by her great friend

Singer-songwriter and pianist Noémie Sheila Rioux, an artist originally from the Matapedia valley, recently released a song inspired by the story of her great friend, a survivor of domestic violence.

The story that struck Noémie Sheila Rioux in the heart was that of her friend and manager, Mélissa, who was married for 12 years to a violent man with whom she lived in France.

The latter told him that she had developed an escape plan that spanned several years, until in December 2021, she put most of her life in a bag and left her house pretending to go out. the trash cans. She actually ran to the end of her street, where an acquaintance took her to the airport to return to Quebec.

“She fled for her life,” breathes the 38-year-old singer, who immediately felt the need to write this story.

“It was such a clear inspiration that I had to stop on the side of the road to write down all these sentences that appeared. When I got home, I wrote I run away to my happiness with complete simplicity and precision,” she recalls.

The song was released on November 17, Mélissa’s birthday.

“There’s a part of me that knew how to write this song, because my family was a foster family, and I saw traumatized children come to my house on Christmas Eve. This background allowed me to write this song,” adds the lyricist, who followed a workshop with the author of Joe Dassin’s songs, Claude Lemesle.

The singer was also able to count on the help and collaboration of another well-known Gaspé artist, Kevin Parent, throughout her journey. “For me, he was nothing but kindness,” she explains.

Holiday Season and Domestic Violence

“The release of I run away to my happiness echoes the story of several people, women and also children who have seen or experienced domestic violence. She is also part of Mélissa’s healing process,” explains the singer, who was quickly contacted to collaborate with the Femina Foundation, an organization that supports shelters for women victims of domestic violence.

This reminder is particularly important during this holiday season, when cases of domestic violence have been shown to be increasing.

“This song talks about the courage we have to escape a toxic environment. It is relevant during the holiday season, but also all the time,” breathes the artist, who will launch a new musical extract in March 2025.

His inspiration behind this upcoming title? “The desire to experience everything deeply” from a woman she met who is currently battling bone cancer.