Tony Chasseur is Kréyol djaz
Meet this Martiniquan singer and Ambassador of Créole jazz
T
ony Chasseur is a musician, singer, songwriter, and producer from the Caribbean island of Martinique. He was born on July 26, 1961, in Fort-de-France, Martinique. Chasseur began his music career in the 1980s as a member of the band Malavoi, one of the most popular groups in the French Caribbean. He worked as the lead singer and co-writer for the band for over a decade and became known for his smooth and soulful vocals. In 1995, Chasseur left Malavoi to pursue a solo career. He released his first album, Inifini in 1996, which featured a mix of Caribbean rhythms, jazz, and soul. He has since released several more albums, including Mizik Sé Lanmou (1998), Eritaj (2004), and Konviksyon (2014). Chasseur’s music is known for its fusion of traditional Caribbean styles with modern influences. He often sings in Kwéyòl, the French-based language spoken in the French Caribbean, and his lyrics address social and political issues affecting the region. Aside from his music career, Chasseur is also involved in cultural and political activism. He is a member of the cultural organization Groupe d’Action Martiniquais (GAM) and has been an advocate for Martinique’s independence from France. In the sprit of that activism in music, he produced the radio programme Kréyol Djaz to play the music of his Antillean peers who were not getting the exposure on French mainstream radio. In 2018, Guadeloupean trumpeter Franck Nicholas began a hunger strike on April 24 so that jazz from Guadeloupe and Martinique is accepted in festivals in France. In solidarity, Chasseur penned an open letter that expands on his advocacy for Créole jazz:
Read more online at https://magazine.jazz.tt Jazz in the Islands. March 2023 25