In her words: NEeMA, the woman many called Leonard Cohen's protege

An exhibit for Leonard Cohen The Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art's John Zeppetelli on a new exhibit dedicated to Leonard Cohen that opens next year.

Montreal singer-songwriter NEeMA has been described as Leonard Cohen’s protege, but it’s a label that’s never sat well with her.

“I always felt uncomfortable with the term protege because it feels like it’s not anybody’s place to say, other than his,” NEeMA told CTV News Channel on Friday.

NEeMA credits Cohen’s guidance for setting the tone of her second album, and for changing her life.

“I think of his generosity, I think of his kindness on a personal level and his incredible sense of humour,” said NEeMA. “His influence on my life has been huge in terms of my career, my work, my writing.

Deeply saddened the singer-songwriter reflects on what it was like to bask in his shadow and be inspired by his words. She describes Cohen as “somebody who really knew how to find what was inside each of us and say it with such poetry.”