Jean-Claude Naimro

The story so far.

Written and edited by Smokiller

Jean-Claude Naimro is a pianist, composer, arranger and performer from Martinique, described by Outremers 360 as one of the pillars of Kassav'. The French Ministry of Culture lists him among the musicians who joined the band after its 1979 founding, alongside Jean-Philippe Marthély, Jocelyne Béroard, Patrick Saint-Éloi and Claude Vamur. Before stepping out front he spent years backing other groups and artists, and he has toured the world for around four decades. In a 2023 interview he said the band was proud to have imposed a musical style for 40 years, and he noted that other trends were overtaking zouk in the islands. His solo catalogue on Deezer includes En Balaté, Délikatès', Best of Mazurkas and Digital Dread, plus the 2024 live set Digital Tour. That tour carried the Digital Dread idea to the stage, opening with two concerts in Martinique before a Paris date at the Trianon on 18 March 2023. Kassav's official channel carries his song "Bel pawol pou en fanm" with Gilles Floro featuring Riddla.