Singer José Sébéloué died at the age of 94, his entourage announced on Sunday. The singer had made himself known thanks to his group, La Compagnie créole. With his band of four musicians, they had become famous in the 80s thanks to a few hits including The customs officer Rousseau, The masked ball or It’s good for morale.
Born in 1948 in Ouanary in Guyana, the singer started playing in the Pop-Corn group. He moved to mainland France and began playing in a new band, La Compagnie Créole, in 1975. The group, whose members came from Martinique, Guadeloupe and Guyana, became known from the 1980s. is not immediate. Public recognition came with the release of the song C’est bon pour le morale in 1983.
The singer spends a large part of his life in France, but keeps “extraordinary memories” of Guyana and the “full bush” where he was born. According to FranceTVInfo, José Sébéloué, was nostalgic for “this village life”. The singer spent his time unearthing musical instruments that reminded him of Guyana and “the echo of its forest or the sound of the river”.
The group, whose success has never run out of steam, has traveled the world on long tours. The last one took place this year, in Quebec.