Celine Understood
By CBC
Céline Dion is having a moment. It’s not her first, and millions of fans are hoping it won’t be her last. While Céline’s international stardom seems obvious now, it was all so unlikely.
Now, as a rare illness threatens to retire Celine’s more-than-four-decade long career, culture writer Thomas Leblanc reveals the surprising cultural, political and business alchemy that created one of the most enduring superstars the planet has ever seen.
Four episodes. Weekly, starting October 15, 2024.
About Understood: Know more, now. Understood is an anthology podcast that takes you out of the daily news cycle and inside the events, people, and cultural moments you want to know more about. Over a handful of episodes, each season unfolds as a story, hosted by a well-connected reporter, and rooted in journalism you can trust. Driven by insight and fueled by curiosity…The stories of our time: Understood.
Season 1 - The Naked Emperor: the rise and fall of bitcoin king Sam Bankman-Fried.
Season 2 - The Pornhub Empire: the story of how a Montreal-founded company came to dominate the adult industry.
Season 3 - Modi’s India: how one man rose from poverty to the peak of political power.
Season 4 - Céline: the surprising cultural, political and business alchemy that created a superstar.
Latest episode
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The Céline-aissance
In the aftermath of René Angélil’s death, a Céline-aissance. But then, illness strikes. In the final episode of Céline: Understood, a look at her recent years, and why her fame endures. -
The Globalization of Céline
Céline Dion becomes inescapable in the mid-nineties with her hit song from the Titanic soundtrack, My Heart Will Go On. She achieves a unique level of global fame, earning fans from Jamaica to Iraq. But her ubiquity will also inspire a backlash in… -
The U.S. Gamble
With her manager René Angélil by her side, Céline Dion is starting to crossover into the US. But there’s a secret René and Céline have been keeping: one René feared could stop Céline’s blooming career in its tracks. -
Conquering Québec
Céline Dion slept in a drawer as a baby born into a poor francophone Catholic family in Québec. At 12, she gets discovered in an office in Montreal, and she becomes a rising star in the insular constellation of Québec celebrity. But just as Céline… -
Introducing Céline: Understood
Céline Dion is having a moment. It’s not her first. And millions of fans are hoping it won’t be her last. While Céline’s international stardom seems obvious now, it was all so unlikely. This four-part series hosted by Céline expert Thomas Leblanc … -
BONUS: Modi’s weak win
Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have narrowly won a third term, but without a majority government, his grip on power appears weaker than ever. On this bonus episode of Modi’s India: Understood, host Salimah Shivji and producer Joyita Sengupta tal… -
Modi's India Episode 4: The Storyteller
India’s democracy has been called a miracle. Now, some fear it’s at risk.From Gandhi’s legacy to Bollywood films, how is Modi rewriting the story of India?Access the transcript for this episode -
Modi's India Episode 3: The Strongman
Entering his second term stronger than ever, Modi can wield his power in ways that shock many inside India and out. There are crackdowns on dissent at home and accusations his government is tied to assassination plots abroad. His government denies… -
Modi's India Episode 2: Development Man
Narendra Modi is the most popular political leader on the planet. His supporters boast that he’s transformed India’s economy – it’s now the world’s fifth largest, surpassing its former colonial ruler, Great Britain. How did Modi shake off the memo… -
Modi's India Episode 1: Emperor of Hindu Hearts
How did Narendra Modi, the son of a humble tea seller rise up the political ranks to become one of the most powerful leaders India has ever seen? And did bloody religious riots damage his political future, or turbocharge it?Acces…
