Al Lirvat

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Albert "Al" Lirvat (born February 12, 1916 in Pointe-à-Pitre , Guadeloupe , † June 30, 2007 in Paris ) was a French musician ( trombone , guitar ), band leader and composer of jazz and Caribbean dance music.

Live and act

Lirvat first learned the mandolin and banjo as a child ; Even during his school days he had his first own formation. At the age of sixteen Albert composed the biguine song “Touloulou”, which would become his most famous piece. As an engineering student he came to Paris at the end of 1935, where he played as a guitarist with musicians of traditional music from the Antilles .

When the Second World War broke out, he joined the French army and was stationed in Martinique , where he played with musicians such as the drummer Ti Jo Balustre and the trumpeter Maurice Longrais and wrote the piece "A Dans Paille La". After moving to Rochefort (Charente-Maritime) , where he attended an officer course, he made contact with musician friends.

In 1941 Albert Lirvat played in Félix Válvert's orchestra and switched to the trombone as the main instrument. As a trombonist, he also took part in concerts by the Hot Club de France . Finally, he left occupied France with the musicians of the Valvert Orchestra and settled in the Zone Libre of the Vichy regime . In addition to Valvert, the saxophonists Robert Mavounzy , Eugène Delouche , Emilio Clothilde, the Cuban bassist Albert Borgiano, the drummer Fred Alexis and the pianist Claude Martial played in his now founded group . At the end of 1942 Lirvat got an engagement at L'Odéon in Marseille , where he also accompanied Edith Piaf .

After his return to Paris in 1944, Mavounzy brought him into his band, which performed in the Brasserie La Cigale , one of the most important venues for jazz after the liberation of the city, also visited by many American musicians. In 1945 Lirvat played in Cabaret Villa d'Este mainly with musicians from the Antilles, such as Moune de Rivel, Roland Paterne and Denis Ancedy, in 1946 together with Sam Castendet.

In 1950, Al Lirvat recorded his biguine composition “Wabap” under his own name; In 1954 he led the house band at La Cigale ; recordings were made for Pathé . In the early 1960s he accompanied Josephine Baker to the Olympia with his orchestra , went on a tour of Africa and took part in the film Paris Blues . Guitarist André Condouant was one of his band members . In 1965 he formed the Trio of Islands with Barel Coppet and Pierre Chonchon ; In 1968 the album Biguine tout bonnement was created .

After another engagement at Cigale during the 1970s, he contributed to the development of the Zouk musical style and composed "Soso Cadence Lypso". In 1985 the Wabap trio was revived with José Benjamin and Marcel Dorina, who performed mainly in hotels and restaurants. His Zouk album Dance with Antillais was released in 1987 and Paris Black in 1990 . In 1990 he performed at the first Pointe-a-Pitre Jazz Festival with saxophonist Ti Marcel Louis-Joseph.

In his later years he drew attention mainly with his compositions, which are borrowed from the traditional music of the Antilles and Guyanas . His other well-known compositions include "Doudou Pas Pleuré", "Ce Ou Même Qui l'Anmou", "Mi-Belle Journée" and "Moune A Ou Cè Moune A Ou". In 1955 he recorded an album with Benny Waters with his cigale band .

Lirvat, who is known in France as a composer and doyen of music from the Antilles, died in 2007 at the age of 91.

Discographic notes

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personal data
SURNAME Lirvat, Al
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Lirvat, Albert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French jazz trombonist, guitarist and composer
DATE OF BIRTH February 12, 1916
PLACE OF BIRTH Pointe-à-Pitre , Guadeloupe
DATE OF DEATH June 30, 2007
Place of death Paris