New or Used : Reissue new Format : LP Grading Cover / Record : S / S Label : kréol art / babani records Year : 2025 Catalog No / Pressing country : TAP39.BBNR019 - Reunion
Originally released in 1995, Soléyé is a foundational document of ritual maloya, recorded by Granmoun Lélé — one of the deepest voices of Réunion Island's cultural memory. Born Julien Philéas, Granmoun LÉLÉ was a griot in the true sense: a drummer, singer, storyteller, and healer. His songs were not performances — they were offerings. For the people of Réunion, he remains a figure of immense ancestral power, capable of invoking the spirits through rhythm, trance, and voice. Like Menwar in Mauritius, he stood as a cultural guide — channeling the invisible through the body, and turning lived experience into ceremony. Soléyé was recorded with his children and relatives — the Phileas troupe — and captures the essence of the servis kabaré, a sacred all-night ritual where music opens a path between the living and the ancestors. The album's name, “soléyé” (“bathed in sun”), refers to the final moment at dawn, when the spirits return to rest and the ritual is complete.
This edition includes restored audio, updated visuals and full lyric and liner notes. A cornerstone of Creole sonic heritage — now available again on vinyl and digital for the first time in decades.
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Originally released in 1995, Soléyé is a foundational document of ritual maloya, recorded by Granmoun Lélé — one of the deepest voices of Réunion Island's cultural memory.
Born Julien Philéas, Granmoun LÉLÉ was a griot in the true sense: a drummer, singer, storyteller, and healer. His songs were not performances — they were offerings. For the people of Réunion, he remains a figure of immense ancestral power, capable of invoking the spirits through rhythm, trance, and voice. Like Menwar in Mauritius, he stood as a cultural guide — channeling the invisible through the body, and turning lived experience into ceremony.
Soléyé was recorded with his children and relatives — the Phileas troupe — and captures the essence of the servis kabaré, a sacred all-night ritual where music opens a path between the living and the ancestors. The album's name, “soléyé” (“bathed in sun”), refers to the final moment at dawn, when the spirits return to rest and the ritual is complete.
This edition includes restored audio, updated visuals and full lyric and liner notes.
A cornerstone of Creole sonic heritage — now available again on vinyl and digital for the first time in decades.
Tracklist
A1 Soléyé
A2 Bangoueni
A3 Missié Koloni
A4 Almal
A5 Goulou
B1 La Réziné
B2 Bélanzé
B3 Kilouloukinaz
B4 Inawangué
B5 Apunga