Biography
In 1985 the Martiniquan performer rooted in traditional forms turned to zouk, aligning himself with an elite ensemble of Paris-based players who went by the name Gazoline. Creative tensions between Rosier and the group prompted a split by the close of 1987, after which Rosier assembled his own carefully chosen crew of supporting musicians and dubbed the new outfit Gazolinn'. Across both lineups his complete recorded output merits attention for its robust chouval-bwa-derived grooves and for delivering some of the most rigorous, hard-edged "zouk chire" available outside Kassav', particularly when judged by standards of instrumental craft and compositional strength. The Shanachie Records anthology offers an excellent entry point, gathering many of Rosier's strongest collaborations with the original Gazoline.
Singles