Tony Chasseur

A voice from the Martinique scene, Tony Chasseur has spent more than thirty years building a career linked to the Creole musics of the Antilles—between song, traditional rhythms and forms more open to jazz. He first made his mark on the Martinican and Antillean musical landscape through collaborations and stints with ensembles such as La Perfecta, JM Harmony, Sakiyo, Malavoi, the GMZ, Zic Band and Fal Frett, while taking part in major tours alongside Kassav’, MizikOpéyi and RAISE. This collective trajectory has nourished a stage practice rooted in Caribbean repertoires and their contemporary evolution. Since the 2010s, Tony Chasseur has increasingly steered his work toward an aesthetic in which jazz engages in dialogue with the Creole rhythms of his origins—an approach he presents as “créole jazz.” This direction is particularly evident in the Big Band MizikOpéyi, which he founded with Thierry Vaton. Alongside his work as a performer, Tony Chasseur also serves as artistic and musical director for various events dedicated to Creole music, both in mainland France and in the Antilles.