Mario Canonge - Chawa (1997/2021)

Mario Canonge is a Martinican pianist. He began playing as a teenager and accompanied the choir of the Church of François in Martinique. From 1979, he studied music in Paris and played a lot of Latin music in the early 1980s, notably in the group La Manigua before being, with Nguyen Lê, the co-founder of the jazz-rock-fusion group Ultramarine. Very inspired by the two great Caribbean names of the piano, Marius Cultier and Alain Jean-Marie, he is a recognized pianist and virtuoso, and he quickly becomes in great demand (Lavelle, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Nicole Croisille, Ralph Thamar, but also Carter Jefferson, Chico Freeman, Turk Mauro, Simon Spang-Hanssen…).

He created Sakiyo with Michel Alibo, then began a solo career with “Retour aux sources” in 1991. It was a turning point that saw him reconnect with the music of his roots, mazurka, biguine mixed with jazz and zouk. With his group Kann ’, Mario plays a lot and reaches a large audience in the West Indies and in France. For several years, the quartet even toured beyond borders, and Mario's collaborations continued (Kassav, Malavoi ...) as well as countless studio sessions for Caribbean music and in all styles (Beethova Obas, Michel Jonasz , Laurent Voulzy…).

In 2002, Mario started Sakésho, with Andy Narell, Michel Alibo and Jean-Philippe Fanfant. Two discs were produced plus a DVD which led the quartet to numerous festivals. On the African side, Mario plays a lot with his old accomplice Etienne Mbappé but also with Manu Dibango, Richard Bona, Gino Sitson, etc.

In 2004, a new turn, this time very jazz - while remaining Caribbean - with Rhizome. Jacques Schwarz-Bart, Antonio Sanchez and Roy Hargrove are in the game. A pan-American tour begins, which will last all year, with the participation of Horacio ‘el negro’ Hernandez. In 2008, Mario toured Rhizome's repertoire in a trio with Linley Marthe and Chander Sardjoe and released the band's live album. The trio goes on tours on five continents. Other collaborations are born with, for example, this very important piano-double bass duo for Mario Canonge formed with Michel Zénino, or this other piano duo with Alain Jean-Marie. Mario also happily accompanies several female voices such as singer Tangora or Viviane Ginapé.

In 2011, Mario Canonge released Mitan, a critically acclaimed jazz album, which he describes as: “Midnight is also the midnight of my life. In reality, it is for me the beginning of a richer to come, of a desire to move forward, to progress, to rise again and again, trying to touch, to touch, to take hold of my ten fingers an essential vital ”. During the summer, Mario and Michel Zenino perform as part of the Jazz à Porquerolles festival. The concert was filmed and resulted in a DVD which was released in early 2013. Towards the end of the year, Mario played on Dominican guitarist Cameron Pierre's album "Radio Jumbo". This is the opportunity to meet Courtney Pine who produces the album. The latter then called him to play on his album "House of legends" which was released at the end of 2012. It was also during this period that a promising trio was born called CAB, and formed with the Cameroonian singer Blick Bassy. and Brazilian percussionist Adriano Tenorio DD. The group tours regularly and prepares an album which appears in 2014.

For several years now, Mario has been in almost permanent residence at the Baiser Salé, with double bass player Michel Zenino. Every Wednesday, they revisit the repertoire standards as a duo. Sometimes the formula is augmented with brass during concerts. Finally, in 2018, the two friends produced the Quint'Up album, which pays homage to this concept, with the help of Arnaud Dolmen (batt), Josiah Woodson (tp, fl) and Ricardo Izquierdo (sax). In this prolific year, Mario returns in the fall with Zouk Out, a new concept album which, as its name suggests, merges jazz and zouk in a delightful opus in which we also find Ralph Thamar, Annick Tangorra, Ralph Lavital. etc. Zouk Out also contains a title sung by Erik Pédurand. It was on this occasion that the two men got to know each other. The meeting works and materializes during a residency that gives birth to a brand new duet album, Kapital, which will be released in October 2020.