..............27..............
of titles by the record company to launch this album was not good (probably) but We had set our hearts as usual despite certain frictions. Obviously, we were disappointed, but we hoped to get better by making the next album better.
In 1995 Jane Fostin leaves Zouk machine how badly that departure harmed the group?
More than a prejudice, it was the blow of Club for Dominique and me much more, than for Guy and Yves. We did not understand Dominique and I, the reasons why she wanted to leave the group? But we found out Jane was ahead of us because she knew we would not be signed again at BMG, then helped by a friend who was also working in a record company, she was offered a solo album, which worked. .
Zouk Machine becomes a Duo as after the departure of Joëlle in 1987 and this, until 2006 when Dominique Zorobabel decides to leave, she reconverts to Christianity and engages in the gospel music at that moment, what did you say to yourself? That, this was the end of an era?
Absolutely! "The end of the beans" to use this French expression! The sky fell on my head. I had already felt for some time the beginnings of her disengagement as the shows went on, she used to be so focused, but I was far from thinking that she wanted to stop everything like that, overnight and yet ... To resume one of These phrases " only the stupid does not change! "...
Since you have revived the flame recomposing the group with new singers, last year you celebrated the 30 years of zouk machine. In 30 years of stage if you had to do the same thing what would you change?
I could not have changed anything, because we would have had to change all our meetings, all those that took us there? It would have been necessary to change certain ways of thinking of certain people, certain behaviors, certain visions, certain objectives, etc.
For a group to hold it is necessary to continue to live the same passion with the same enthusiasm, to have the same objectives, know your role and stick to it. With time sometimes, everything goes away .... And the groups are distorted or broken. I nevertheless tried to start again with singers but it was too complicated to share 20 to 25 years with singers who were not part of this past; and which would inevitably never had have the same enthusiasm as myself. So, I decided to surround myself with chorus singers since 2008, to be able to lead my boat alone, because the name belongs to me today. So, I'm the "lead singer" or the muse of this group to resume your term, accompanied by 2 singers or a whole band live. I became Zouk Machine.
If you had to talk about the happiest moment of your career which one will you choose?
The first time we played out of the Caribbean (Martinique / Guadeloupe): Africa and more precisely as I mentioned earlier, Burkina Faso. Where we had been greeted by the late President Thomas Sankara who was an impressive man of charm and class. Without forgetting that on the way out of the plane, a breath of warm air invaded us and reminded us where we came from, and then the red dirt that recolored the houses and the children's clothes. Kindness of people, and unfortunately the misery hidden by their magnificent smiles, of which I retain humility, and hospitality.
Flashmag september 2017 www.flashmag.net