“I could never live without music”

Being online since October 2007, the website "Akout.com" is the first musical portal dedicated solely to Réunionese artists featuring a web radio of 100% local music 24hours a day.  An interview conducted with Guillaume Peroux, director of the association Akout.         

Runweb : Guillaume, do you come from Réunion Island ?

Guillaume PEROUX: not at all.  I was born in a small town called Sens, a hundred kilometers away from the south of Paris.  It can be viewed as a great Parisian suburb. 

Can you describe us your career path in a few words as well as your relationship with the cultural milieu?

G.P.: I went to Paris to finish my business studies.  At the same time, I was evolving in the musical milieu along with some freelance artists. 

With a few friends, we established an association in the beginning of the 90s: the first one of presenting the freelance artists on the internet.  We preside over groups and organise events.  We have also broadcasted on the French website (politics, sport and trade fairs.. ).  It can be said that we have really been pioneers in this field.  I have also worked two years in a row for the Cannes festival, I worked on the videos of their official website on behalf of the WorldMediaLive company.          
Followed by six years at RealNetworks, inventor of the streaming technology where I work at different positions.  I joined the Arc-en-Ciel radio in Réunion Island as a volunteer DJ.  Around the 60-70s, I was the pioneer of a Soul and Funk programme called "La face B de la lune."  As I became the head of communication for this radio, I had the pleasure to participate in the creation of the website "7afm."  We had among many other things, produced over twenty or so shootings of the local groups, entitled "Showkaz sou pié mangue"which was a great adventure.  The last shooting which has marked the end of my contribution to this project had been on Danyel Waro.  With the contribution of a few friends, we enthusiastically created Akout association along with its website http://www.akout.com/ in October 2007.

What were your motivations?

G.P.: Since we rub shoulders with the artists, interact with them and follow their career path, we end up being aware of their needs.  We first noticed that their expectations are common and particularly, concerning their media coverage and their means of intra and extra departmental broadcasting.  It was not necessary to boost some more ideas over this goal: highlight the music and the local artists.  Akout was born! 

You seem to feel strongly about the local music, are you a musician? 

G.P.: I don't play any music, I listen, enjoy and understand it.  I am first and foremost in love, that's for sure.  I could never live without it and I have always been close to those who do it; because I view it as a whole.  In order to understand the music, it is important to understand the artists who devise it.  It is through a friend exiled in France that I discovered my first maloya, Danyèl Waro, Ousanousava, Firmin, Viry, Lo Rwa Kaf and Françoise Guimbert...  This rhythmical music, bearing messages, carrier of popular lyrics and an account of the past fraught with strong emotions, moved and urged me to meet them.  

You use the concept "Reunionese cultural activist" and who are the co-authors who work with you on the musical portal?  

G.P. : The leading one is our president, Arno Bazin.  He is well-known for his records collection in the Indian Ocean and as a leader of the band, Tapok, a freelance group in Réunion Island.  He is one of those artists whom we like to bring in the limelight on the website and in our promotion activities.  And then, the association is composed of volunteers from the musical, cultural, communication, audiovisual, net and radio professional milieu.    

You refer to a collection of Reunionese music which boasts a very rich vinyl, can we expect to find them one day on the website?    

G.P.: This collection is magic for us.  It is the reflection of a fifty-year history of Réunion Island.  It is the "Pole Regional des Musiques Actuelles (PRMA) featuring Alain Courbis, the director and Fanie Préccourt, the project heritage leader, who through their label Takamba make the audience rediscover them.  We have the same goal for the PRMA: help to promote the Reunionese music whether it belongs to the cultural heritage or at present times.  One cannot simply being an activist if one forgets the history.  The traditional maloya still resonates in the cabaret and today many groups that are on a rock or electro basics use the "rouler" and "kayamb."  We try to be an efficient broadcasting relay station to bring out the musical and cultural heritage of the island.  We regularly rejuvenate some of the records to highlight them on the live web radio.  We have already registered a great number of artists that truly represent the musical past of the island on the website.  I'm thinking of Alain Peters, Jules Arlanda, Henri Madoré, Benoite Boulard, Lo Rwa Kaf and Granmoun Lélé...others will join them over time.