biographie

Born in 1975 in the North of Ivory Coast, I had grown up in a wild countryside with almost no music - but many natural sounds. Back in France at the age of 10, I was seized by a compulsive desire of music, listening to many sorts of music, and especially free jazz, to the great displeasure of my brothers who never appreciated Cecil Taylor for breakfast. I was dreaming about bass playing but started studying philosophy.

By the whims of fate, I saw a double bass at a friend’s flat. A few weeks after, I was studying at the Paris Conservatoire and having private jazz lessons. It was ages ago.

I gave my first improvised bass solo in 2003 (not without apprehension !) I have played with many artists of the French improv’ scene, including Heddy Boubaker, Nusch Werchowska, Isabelle Duthoit, Alexandre Kittel, Catherine Jauniaux, Jean Pallandre, Mathias Pontévia, Etienne Brunet, Soizic Lebrat, Sébastien Coste, etc. I have also organised many concerts in Lyon where I lived from 2000 to 2007.

Je suis né dans la tête d’un enfant têtu, sujet aux crises de paludisme et vite contaminé par le virus de l’improvisation. J’ai grandi bien avant tout cela, quelque part dans la brousse ivoirienne. Mes frères n’ont jamais su apprécier Cecil Taylor au petit déjeuner.

J’ai beaucoup travaillé et beaucoup oublié, et le plus simple, s’il faut parler de moi, c’est encore d’écouter quelqu’un d’autre : Ne pas vouloir dire, ne pas savoir ce qu’ont veut dire, ne pas vouloir ce qu’on croit qu’on veut dire, et toujours dire ou presque, voilà ce qu’il importe de ne pas perdre de vue (S. Beckett Molloy éd. de Minuit).

Je crois aussi que l’on oublie trop souvent de remercier son luthier.