Guy Bévert, a founding member and drummer of the iconic French West Indian group La Compagnie créole, has died, the French Ministry of Culture announced Saturday.He was 74. BévertS passing marks the second loss for the group in less than a year, following the death of guitarist and singer José Sébéloué in September 2023.
La Compagnie créole rose to prominence in the 1980s with a string of hits that blended Caribbean rhythms with French songwriting, including ”It’s good for morale,” “At the masked ball,” and “It makes the birds laugh.” Bévert’s “legendary sense of rhythm” was instrumental to the group’s signature sound, according to Minister of Culture Rachida Dati, who hailed him as a champion of West Indian music and Creole culture. His death leaves a critically important void as the group prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their first album in 2026.
Dati stated, “Guy Bévert had, throughout his career, raised the colors of West Indian music and Creole culture.” She added, “With its disappearance, La compagnie créole loses a pillar of this immense musical adventure that guy Bévert had marked by his legendary sense of rhythm.”
