Julian Babou & Sonny Troupé
Musicians
February - March 2024
- Music
- Miami
“In the collective imaginary of the European musician, the United States is a beacon of all possibilities, from experimentation to encounters; from convergence to complete artistic explosion!”
We are two Creole artists dedicated to upholding and developing the music of our native lands. Coming respectively from Guadeloupe and Réunion, the essence of our musical history is rooted in colonization and slavery.
However, we have developed an artistic vision that goes far beyond one locally specific style, using funk, hip hop, jazz, and freestyle, and infusing music with our sensibilities, vocabularies, and unique characteristics.
In the past few decades, we have shared the stage with many artists, performing both on the road and in studios. Most of the time when we are asked to play, it is out of a desire to bring our own distinctive voice into the creation.
We are also actively involved in education and cultural outreach, areas that see us working in a variety of settings among diverse publics (from children to incarcerated individuals, people with disabilities, and more).
Early on in our journey, we became aware of the importance of spotlighting the various musical genres of our regions. Steeped in European dancing music and African drumming, the colors and rhythms of our styles have distinctive features both in content and in form, which we feel are essential to bring to light.
Indeed, modern urban and electronic music has its origins in traditional and freestyle music. We are passionate about all these different genres, which we incorporate into our creations when creating both hybrid musical repertoires and other works. Our hope is to get across the idea that our music styles are fueled by encounters and travel right from the moment of writing.
A graduate of the Dante Agostini Drum School, Sonny Troupé has released four albums, and toured and recorded music extensively throughout his career. Some of his collaborations include projects with Christian Laviso, Jacques Schwartz-Bart, Lisa Simone, Kenny Garrett, and Yosuke Onuma. He teaches and hosts a variety of masterclasses.
Julian Babou teaches at the Ecole Music-Halle in Toulouse. He is the founder of Tournefeuille, a Réunionese orchestra of young people with disabilities, and he has taken part in a Creole opera. He also works as a musician for RFO-TV and has recorded with Françoise Guimbert, Magyd Cherfi, and Francis Lassus, among others.
In partnership with
Convivencia
Convivencia is a non-profit organization that defends a local cultural project whose tempo is set by world music and river currents. Its leitmotiv is to encourage exchange and combat prejudice through music and celebration. Rooted in often popular traditions and nourished by current rhythms, styles and repertoires, it fosters intercultural and intergenerational social ties. Convivencia goes against the grain of mainstream events, which often give priority to mainstream artists, and is committed to defending projects with little media coverage that resist the standardization of the music industry.