Philippe Durand de La Villejégu du Fresnay, alias Philippe Lavil, was born on
September 26, 1947 in Fort de France, the son of a wealthy béké (white West
Indian) family. After a short-lived hit in 1969 with "Avec les filles je ne sais
pas", he made a more lasting mark on the variety scene in 1982 with "Il tape sur
des bambous". The duet "Kolé séré " with Jocelyne Béroard (Kassav') became his
biggest hit. His 2000s productions confirmed his attachment to Caribbean
rhythms, most notably Calypso in 2007. Produced with Camille Bazbaz and Jérôme
Perez, La Part des Anges in 2011 has a ...