ROBIN was born in Reunion, in the Indian Ocean. He grew up in the Chaudron district of Saint-Denis, and it was chance that brought him to metropolitan France during his adolescence. At age 21, he buys his first drum kit, even though he doesn’t know how to play it. It was through his willingness and countless hours of work that he was able to start a career as a professional drummer a few years later. For a long time, he was a musician in the studio, as well as on stage, joining various groups mainly oriented towards rock. Later he played with bands of = reggae, funk and world music.
In 1997, after 15 years spent in Brittany, which he keeps a very good memory thanks to the warm welcome he received there, Robin moved to Paris, decided to dedicate himself 100% to music. This is now his full-time job, and he also runs percussion and drums workshops. In parallel to his work as a musician, Robin began writing his first songs, nurturing an irresistible desire to make his own music one day.
In 2003, encouraged by professionals who had listened to his compositions, he decided to “jump into the water” and embark on a solo career. He recorded his first album “Tradition” in 2003, a self-produced album that successfully combined Maloya and Afro Rock in Creole, and lovingly describes the wealth of Reunion.
Four years later, “Living'ici” (Living here), a second self-produced album available in all the good record stores on the island and supported by the Regional Council. A rich and complex al
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ROBIN was born in Reunion, in the Indian Ocean. He grew up in the Chaudron district of Saint-Denis, and it was chance that brought him to metropolitan France during his adolescence. At age 21, he buys his first drum kit, even though he doesn’t know how to play it. It was through his willingness and countless hours of work that he was able to start a career as a professional drummer a few years later. For a long time, he was a musician in the studio, as well as on stage, joining various groups mainly oriented towards rock. Later he played with bands of = reggae, funk and world music.
In 1997, after 15 years spent in Brittany, which he keeps a very good memory thanks to the warm welcome he received there, Robin moved to Paris, decided to dedicate himself 100% to music. This is now his full-time job, and he also runs percussion and drums workshops. In parallel to his work as a musician, Robin began writing his first songs, nurturing an irresistible desire to make his own music one day.
In 2003, encouraged by professionals who had listened to his compositions, he decided to “jump into the water” and embark on a solo career. He recorded his first album “Tradition” in 2003, a self-produced album that successfully combined Maloya and Afro Rock in Creole, and lovingly describes the wealth of Reunion.
Four years later, “Living'ici” (Living here), a second self-produced album available in all the good record stores on the island and supported by the Regional Council. A rich and complex album, where elements of folk and maloya mix with sounds borrowed from Africa. The album is much more acoustic than the first, and offers a greater unity between the different instruments: bass, accordion, acoustic guitar and vocals, with a touch of folk harmonica. Together, they discuss poetically love, the origins and traditions of Reunion, happiness and respect for others.
The Burkinabé lyrics sung by Ousmenez on the song “Iyéké”, as well as the beautiful parts of Solo Cissokho’s kora on the song “Africa”, reassociate the maloya with its African roots. It is a kind of mixed maloya to which Robin pays a permanent tribute, starting with the titles of his songs “Le Maloya”, “Gramoun Lele”, “Ecoute le Maloya” or “Maloya mon frère”. Robin does not hesitate to express the unconscious part of her creativity by including dreams in the lyrics. “Iyéké” is a piece written in an invented language. The particular place given to fantasy in the process of creation and writing, seems to guarantee Robin an inexhaustible material for dozens of songs to come.
