Alexandre Herer keyboards
Pierre Mangeard drums
Nicolas Bauer bass
Sami Pageaux Waro percussion, kora
BC Manjunath mridangam
Fanny Menegoz flute
Nicolas Beaulieu guitar
Alexandre Herer has traveled to Reunion Island many times and has become familiar with the local traditional music, Maloya, its traditional instruments (Roulèr, Kayamb, Sati, Pikèr), as well as the various blends, derivatives, and influences between this Indian Ocean music, Western music, jazz, and Indian music. In particular, the music of South India—which, due to the island’s history and various waves of migration from South India, is present on Réunion Island. This trip to Réunion made it possible for BC Manjunath, a percussionist from Bangalore (South India) originally from the Tamil region (Tamil Nadu), to visit the island and establish a connection between the two cultures—particularly in relation to the Tamil religion, which has a strong presence in Réunion island and features a highly distinctive musical approach.
The idea behind this repertoire is to forge musical connections between the two cultures—those of South India and the Indian Ocean—and creative jazz inspired by the rhythmic explorations of musicians such as Steve Coleman and Magic Malik. For many years, Alexandre Herer’s compositions have been inspired by this creative jazz and its fusion with traditional music, as well as by sonic experiments centered on the Fender Rhodes.
The first installment of the repertoire was premiered in May 2025 at Léspas culturel Leconte de Lisle (Saint Paul, Réunion Island) during a residency focused on repertoire development, followed by a concert on May 25, 2025, at the same venue, which co-produced the show.
