In 2014 when Mabou Loiseau grabbed headlines, she was speaking eight languages — English, Kreyol, Spanish, French, Russian, Arabic, Mandarin and American Sign Language. The child prodigy from Queens, NYC, was also learning Japanese while taking college level Algebra. What’s more, Mabou, who was just eight years old, could play the piano, harp, violin, guitar, clarinet, drums, conga and the flute.
“I was born smart, duh!”, the polyglot said when she appeared on the Katie Couric show in 2014. She could not be wrong though. The child genius grew up among a family that spoke about three languages, her mother, Esther Loiseau, said. Esther was a piano teacher who taught French at an American school before leaving Haiti for Queens decades ago.
“My husband spoke Haitian Creole fluently so he only spoke to Mabou in Haitian Creole,” Esther said in an interview. “My sister, who lived with us for some time, spoke Spanish fluently, so she only spoke to Mabou in Spanish.
“I spoke French fluently, so I spoke to her only in French,” Esther said.
However, when Mabou was only one year and a half, she started repeating some words in French that she was not yet taught. Interestingly, she knew the meaning of those words, and this was when Esther realized that her daughter had a gift. By age five, Mabou’s parents were spending $1,500 a week on tutors and lessons, including hiring nannies who spoke different languages. She could sing her ABCs in Spanish, read fairytales in Russian and count in Mandarin, Daily News reported.
At the age of eight, her typical weekday was like this:
8 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.: Russian speaking Nanny
11.00 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Lunch break / other activity
1 p.m. -5 p.m.: Arabic speaking Nanny
5 p.m. -6 p.m.: Activity of choice
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.: Music lesson (harp, guitar, violin and/ or piano)
8 p.m. – 9 p.m.: Swimming lessons
Mabou’s days naturally came with so many activities and lessons, but her mom made sure she had enough time to play as a kid. “Many people make that mistake, thinking I am pushing her. She is pushing me. Believe me,” Esther said of her daughter.
Now 15 years old, Mabou recently added more to her list of talents — singing, painting and dancing. Her YouTube channel has more than 9,000 subscribers. She is, however, still working towards her goal of becoming a brain surgeon, singer and lawyer. “I defend myself pretty well, so many I can defend other people. I want to understand the brain. It’s very fascinating. I want to be a singer ….” Mabou said when she was eight.
Angela Tabiri, a young mathematician from Ghana, has been named the World’s Most Interesting Mathematician…
This year’s Paris Olympics will see the participation of over 10,000 athletes, and over a billion…
Despite being the highest-paid receiver in NFL history, Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson avoids unnecessary…
Simone Biles is one of the most iconic and dominant athletes in the world of…
Paul Clark Jr. was found guilty of first-degree murder in 1987 following the death of…
Carl Alan Nickolas Jr. aka C.J. Nickolas is determined not just to compete but to…
Chris Brown is already facing a $50 million lawsuit that was filed by four men…
Best friends Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King are inseparable. The pair first met about 50…
In her first interview, Elon Musk’s transgender daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson accused the South African-born…
On Friday, July 26, 2024, over 10,000 athletes will converge in Paris for the opening…
A Louisiana nurse was thrown out of a high-end steakhouse in Baton Rouge for allegedly…
Myeshia Mizuno is the first Black woman to run a network game show, having taken…
Dr. Vonnya Pettigrew is the CEO of Root Branch Media Group (RBMG). She recently achieved…
Herron Abney III, affectionately known as Tripp, is defying all odds despite being told he…
Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign recently revealed that it raised a record $81 million in…