MySpace a place for friends

Go direct to www.wallybadarou.com : you will find everything you need over there, from fractal-detailed bio and discography to audio & visual hints, links, news, povs, faqs, where to find what, et all. I am using myspace as a headline news, forum and feedback front-end only. But for those of you looking for quick bio, there it is:

_ Born in 1955, Paris, France, originating from Benin; spent most of the 60s in Africa, educated in ecclectism, from ‘ethnic’ music to french singers, from Otis Redding, James Brown, Johnny Pacheco, Jimi Hendrix, Joao Gilberto, Dr Rochereau, Jimmy Cliff to Beethoven, Tchaïkovsky, Haendel, Smetana, Ravel. No real musical vocation as yet, but rather interested in aeronautics and technology.

_ The 70s: back to France. Birth of a musical spell via amateur bands. Influences range from afro-beat (Osibisa, Santana) to fusion-jazz (Herbie Hanckok, Weather Report), with Stevie Wonder as mentor in song writing, singing, and above all self-producing.

_ Late 70s, after two years studying in law, and one year drafted in the army, first record deal with Barclay; discovery of the recording studio. Forging of a solid reputation as keyboard session player. Release of first song album: “Back to scales tonight” (Barclay). Recording for Myriam Makeba, Manu Dibango, Daniel Vangarde (Gibson Brothers’ “Cuba” ) and Robin Scott (M’s "Pop Musik").

_ The 80s: between Nassau, Bahamas, and the UK. With Sly & Robbie, the "Compass Point All Stars" era (named after Chris Blackwell's Compass Point Studios in Nassau) starting with Grace Jones "Warm Leatherette" and "Nightclubbing" albums, and landing of a long line of prestigious ventures with the likes of Joe Cocker, Talking Heads, Tom-Tom Club, Junior Tucker, Jimmy Cliff, Gwen Guthrie, James Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Black Uhuru, Mick Jagger, Robert Palmer; even reaching out to the US (Foreigner, Power Station), Alain Chamfort, CharlElie Couture and Lizzy Mercier Descloux remaining the only few french artists in the decade's list.

_ Parallel to this, living a truer-than-life 'second life' with brit funk band Level 42; from the start writing, recording and co-producing with them, to the point of being nicknamed 5th member of the band.

_ All the while forging a name in solo ("Echoes" in 83 and "Words Of A Mountain" in 87), writing for films ("Countryman, "Kiss of the Spider Woman", "The Lunatic"), and producing african heroes (Fela, Manu Dibango).

_ 1989: musical direction and composing for Jean-Paul Goude's Bastille Day bicentennial parade on the Champs-Elysées.

_ Back in France from the early 90s, organizing rules for the Kora All African Music Awards jury, writing for films ("Dancehall Queen", "Kini and Adams", "Third world cop", "Boesman and Lena") and adding Salif Keita, Carlinhos Brown, Youssou N’Dour, Lucky Dube, Papa Wemba, Lourdes van-Dunem, Jabulani, Lagbaja, Wasis Diop, Yannick Noah, Trilok Gurtu, I Muvrini, Nojazz, etc, to the long list of brothers in arms.

_ Time is now shared between multi-directional musical activities, (with "Colors Of Silence" as teaser of the forthcomming solo projects), and an ever-growing interest in film making and stage acting.