Draft:Souliko Nithaël

Born on February 13, 1958, in Port-Gentil, Gabon, Souliko Nithaël is a French writer, poet, and singer-songwriter of Georgian origin. ,.

Biography
Souliko lived in Africa until the age of 3, then followed her mother who settled in France. From adolescence, through her art, she actively campaigned for the protection of nature and the recognition of animal rights, while performing in the cabarets and café-theaters of Paris. In a biography about Souliko, Nathalie Viel recounts a challenging childhood and youth punctuated by violent events, as confirmed by the priest Guy Gilbert in his preface. Over time, she felt the need to reconnect with her roots and embarked on a journey to find her grandmother. Her grandmother baptized her with the name "Souliko", in reference to a traditional Georgian song.

In 1990, a major turning point occurred in her life when she discovered the book "Histoire d’une âme" by Sainte-Thérèse de Lisieux. This spiritual encounter led her to go on a pilgrimage to Lisieux in June 1991, which determined her conversion to Catholicism. That same year, Souliko Nithaël set to music the poetry of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux in her album titled "L'amour est tout... à Sainte-Thérèse de Lisieux." She performed her work in France, Quebec, as well as around the world, appearing in iconic venues such as churches, cathedrals, basilicas, and theaters, ,. On March 16, 1993, she met Pope Jean-Paul II in a private audience at the Vatican, and he blessed her art. She was also interviewed by Laurence Dario in June 1995 for the Radio Notre-Dame journal, revealing the journey of a abused child who was able to overcome life through faith. Her work would later be regularly broadcasted by Chantal Bally on Radio Notre-Dame.

In 1996, Souliko Nithaël embraced activism for child protection. She released the socially conscious album "Protégeons l'Enfance" and performed in non-governmental organizations abroad to raise awareness for this cause. Her efforts were recognized with encouragement from Queen Fabiola of Belgium in 2001, and later in 2001 by the Minister of Culture of Georgia, Cecille Goguiberidze. Additionally, in 2002, she received praise from the Minister of Culture of Paris, Jean-Jacques Aillagon.

In 2007, she expanded her activism by advocating for the recognition of homosexuality within the Catholic Church through her CD "Poésie de France". Drawing inspiration from figures such as Charles Baudelaire, Sappho, Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud and Gribouille, she explores this theme through her songs. She furthered this commitment with the publication of two of her poems, "Extase" and "La Seine," which were featured on the cover by the editor-in-chief Jacqueline Pasquier of Lesbia Magazine

Discography

 * 1992 : L’Amour est tout… à Sainte-Thérèse de Lisieux, Studio SM production
 * 2023 : Gospels pour la Nature, CD bilingual french-english, Améthyste production

Published works

 * Souliko, L’Amour est tout, recueil de chants sacrés, Studio SM édition, 1992
 * Nathalie Viel Souliko, une voix, un cri, éditions du Cerf, 1994
 * Souliko Dans la Nacre des Anges, Librairie-Galerie-Racine édition, 2001
 * Souliko Chansons, Librairie-Galerie-Racine édition, 2006
 * Souliko Les Partitions, Librairie-Galerie-Racine édition, 2012
 * Souliko Nouvelles du Revenir, Librairie-Galerie-Racine édition, 2017
 * Souliko Elévation, Librairie-Galerie-Racine édition, 2020

Filmography
1994 : Souliko, une voix, un cri, VHS, les films de la Montgolfière production