My heart will Gabon: Celine Dion helps African singer, 17, go viral after she shares his incredible rendition of hit song The Power of Love

  • Gabonese singer Samuel was filmed singing while sat on a staircase
  • Video was picked up by Celine Dion who reposted it on her Facebook page
  • 'Samuel, your talent is as big as your voice,' the superstar wrote  
  • The teen is 'overwhelmed' his singing has been viewed 2.7 million times  

By Sarah Dean For Mailonline and Afp

Published: 18:23 EST, 27 July 2016 | Updated: 14:51 EST, 28 July 2016

An aspiring young Gabonese singer is 'overwhelmed' after Canadian superstar Celine Dion shared a homemade video of him performing one of his hits with her millions of social media followers.

Samuel, aged just 17, was filmed performing a haunting rendition of Dion's 'The Power of Love' while sitting barefoot on a staircase of his building in the central African country's capital Libreville.

The video was picked up by a prominent Gabonese blogger and viewed more than a million times in a week before Dion reposted it on her Facebook page on Tuesday evening.  

Star: Celine Dion shared a homemade video of a 17-year-old Gabonese singer on Facebook, which has now been viewed more than 2.7million times

Star: Celine Dion shared a homemade video of a 17-year-old Gabonese singer on Facebook, which has now been viewed more than 2.7million times

On Thursday the video had been viewed more than 2.7 million times. 

'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,' Dion wrote on Facebook.

'May all your dreams come true. Keep singing like you do. When music comes from the heart, it knows no borders!'

Samuel, from a poor family in Libreville, has never taken singing lessons and said he has had to leave school because of a lack of money.

He told AFP he was 'overwhelmed and very surprised' by the message from his idol.

'I wasn't expecting that. I haven't got a phone or a Facebook account -- it was my brother who told me Celine had shared my video,' he said. 'I just hope that one day I can meet her for real.' 

Talent: Samuel, from a poor family in Libreville, has never taken singing lessons and said he has had to leave school because of a lack of money

Talent: Samuel, from a poor family in Libreville, has never taken singing lessons and said he has had to leave school because of a lack of money

Delight: The young singer said he was 'overwhelmed and very surprised' by the message of support from Dion

Delight: The young singer said he was 'overwhelmed and very surprised' by the message of support from Dion

 Dreams: Celine Dion told the talented singer 'Keep singing like you do. When music comes from the heart, it knows no borders!'

 Dreams: Celine Dion told the talented singer 'Keep singing like you do. When music comes from the heart, it knows no borders!'

Celine Dion said she hopes one day she has the chance to meet Samuel after hearing his incredible voice

Celine Dion said she hopes one day she has the chance to meet Samuel after hearing his incredible voice

While Samuel has a way to go to match Dion, whose emotional ballads in French and English have made her one of the biggest-selling singers of all time, his new-found internet fame looks to be opening doors already.

He said he has been approached by producers from TV singing contests in France and Ivory Coast. But the youngster is finding stardom an unfamiliar experience.

'I'm not used to this (success). I feel good when I sing in the staircase, and now people recognise me in the street,' he said.

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