Inspired by the traditional maloya music of his homeland, Tiloun first became a
star in his hometown of Saint-Denis, Réunion, then reached a larger audience
with albums like his 2008 debut, Dé Pat Ater. He was born as "Jean-Michel
Ramoune" on December 23, 1967, and raised in Réunion, a French-controlled island
in the Indian Ocean. Mentored by local musicians like Frimin Viry, Alain Peters,
and Danyel Waro, he developed a multicultural brand of world music that was
influenced by the native sounds of Madagascar, Africa, and South America.
Although he performed local shows, Tiloun l...