Valérie Chane Tef
Nout'Souk
In 2026, the project enters a new chapter with a high‑calibre revamped line‑up built around Valérie Chane Tef. Cuban percussionist Inor Sotolongo, “the international backbone”, brings experience forged alongside major jazz and world‑music figures such as Herbie Hancock, Omar Sosa, Roberto Fonseca, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Mario Canonge.
Depending on the configuration, the band welcomes a “prestige guest”: either alto saxophonist Géraldine Laurent, double Victoires du Jazz winner (2008, 2020), Django Reinhardt Prize 2008, saxophonist with Rhoda Scott and award‑winner of the Académie Charles Cros; or harmonica player Laurent Maur, world harmonica champion and internationally renowned artist.
Alongside them, Thomas Boudé, “the groove”, a young multi‑instrumentalist bassist from the Compagnie Lubat and already heard with Sylvain Luc, Archie Shepp, and Michel Portal, anchors the project in a rhythm section that is both powerful and supple.
At the centre, Valérie Chane Tef, “the creator”, signs the compositions and arrangements, asserting her place among the key figures on today’s jazz scene. A graduate of the Bordeaux Conservatory and in musicology, she has collaborated with Mino Cinélu, Thierry Fanfant, Omar Lye‑Fook, Joby Valente, Dédé Saint‑Prix, Awa Ly, Sura Susso, and Lass, encounters that now all feed into Akoda’s aesthetic.
Akoda’s music has quickly resonated with national and international media. The project has been described as “a signature sound blending jazz and Creole ballads, powerful, visceral, immediate” (Action Jazz, 2025) and as a “kréol jazz that sticks to the skin” (Radio France, 2022). FIP speaks of “music for the heart, driven by the punch of an intense, passionate performance”, while foreign press highlights “music that is both intimate and universal” (Le Nouvelliste, Haiti, 2026) and “a living bridge between Réunion, Africa, India and contemporary jazz” (The Guide, Mumbai, 2024).
The Sunday Statesman (Kolkata, 2024) emphasises the immersive dimension of the project, describing “an emotional experience” crafted by the band. This second album and the wider project around it have been widely acclaimed by critics, confirming AKODA’s unique place in the worlds of jazz and Creole music.
With Nout’Souk, Akoda continues to extend its international reach through music that transcends cultural boundaries. The band has performed in Haiti, Réunion, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Marie‑Galante, Madagascar, Benin, mainland France, Saint‑Barthélemy, the Comoros, and in India (Mumbai, Jaipur, Bangalore, New Delhi) as well as Kolkata.
This presence on many stages illustrates the project’s ability to connect with diverse audiences, whether they are familiar with maloya and Creole cultures or more rooted in jazz and improvised‑music traditions.
Nout’Souk is part of an already rich recording history:
- Akoda (EP, 2013); ;
- Mano a mano (EP, 2014); ;
- Mariposa (EP, 2015); ;
- Resonances (EP, 2017).
Muzik pou lo kèr (album, 2019), widely praised in the media, selected by RFI in March–April 2022, “Album of the Week” on FIP, with strong support from France Musique and France Inter.
The CD/vinyl release of the project in 2022 marked an important milestone, consolidating AKODA’s sonic signature and positioning Nout’Souk as a natural extension of this journey: increasingly assured writing, a strong Creole foundation, and a constant openness to contemporary jazz.