Biography

Simon Jurad: the guitar that shaped Antillean zouk

In 2006, Carlos Santana took up the title “Roulé” by Simon Jurad under the name “Hermès”. The record sold more than 12 million copies, launching an Martinican composition onto international airwaves overnight. Behind this planetary success hides a self-taught guitarist born in the popular neighborhood of Bô Kannal, in Fort-de-France.

In brief


Name	Simon Jurad
Birth	November 10, 1953, Fort-de-France, Martinique
Field	Zouk, cadence, compas, Caribbean music
Role	Guitarist, author, composer, arranger, interpreter
Founding group	Opération 78 (1978)
Awards	SACEM Gold Medal (1986), Maracas d’Or (1986)

Key dates

Year	Event
1953	Birth in Fort-de-France, Bô Kannal neighborhood (Rive-droite)
1968	Stage debut with Les Compagnons du Rythme and the New-Plays
1971	Integration into La Perfecta; first compositions
1978	Founding of Opération 78
1986	Olympia in Paris; SACEM Gold Medal; Maracas d’Or
2006	“Roulé” taken up by Carlos Santana under the title “Hermès”
2021	SACEM ceremony for his 50 years of career

From Bô Kannal to the Olympia: journey and consecration

Simon Jurad grew up in Bô Kannal, a popular neighborhood of Fort-de-France where music flows through the streets as much as in the houses. Fascinated by sound from his earliest age, he built himself a guitar by recovering wood from a cabinetmaker in the neighborhood, then his mother bought him a real instrument. He learned as a self-taught student and left school in the fourth year. In 1968, he began on stage with Les Compagnons du Rythme, then the New-Plays, experiences that forged his fluid and precise playing.

In 1971, Jojo Tayalay asked him to join La Perfecta, a flagship formation of cadence and compas. The adventure lasted eight years: Jurad signed his first compositions and rubbed shoulders with the most seasoned musicians of the island. In 1978, he created his own formation, Opération 78, with Roland Pierre Charles, Jacques Michelin, Alex Théodose, Jean-Luc Alger, Raymond André, René Deval, Jean-Paul Pognon, Charles Gassette, Jacques Charmant and Gervais Nerva. The orchestra, strengthened by a brass line, mixed cadence, compas and zouk in a powerful and dancing sound.

Every release was an innovation. New Look (1982) laid the foundations for a modernized sound. The album Simon Jurad (1983) welcomed Ronald Rubinel at the piano, Paulo Rosine on arrangements, and the cream of Haitian music — brothers Déjean, Eddy Brisseaux, Joel and Mushy Widmaier — for a dialogue between compas and Latin jazz. The group exported this sound to Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guinea and metropolitan France. In 1985, they performed in Paris with Serge Ponsard. The following year, it was a sold-out Olympia, in the presence of culture minister Jack Lang — a rare consecration for a Caribbean group. SACEM awarded Jurad its Gold Medal.

Opération 78 also became a nursery for voices. Jean-Philippe Marthély, future star singer of Kassav, made his first steps within the group, while Edith Lefel sang her first hit there, “Lanmou”, written by Jurad. Serge Ponsard found his hits “Marie-Soleil”, “Bambalélé” and “Marina” there.

Major works

Work	Year	Why it is essential
New Look	1982	Founding album, shift towards a modernized zouk
Simon Jurad	1983	Compas-zouk-Latin jazz synthesis; Ronald Rubinel, Paulo Rosine, Déjean Brothers
“Roulé”	1983	Taken up by Carlos Santana under the title “Hermès” (12 million copies)
“Faut Pas Faire”	1986	Martinican hit, hymn of dancing zouk
Bel Commèce	1987	Cult album, witness of a mature writing

Legacy

Simon Jurad remains today one of the few Martinican musicians to perform on stage almost every night. His legacy goes beyond Caribbean borders: Carlos Santana, the Fania All Stars, and Frank Sinatra’s violinists all crossed his path in studio or on stage. “Roulé” becoming “Hermès” travels around the world, proof that a self-taught guitarist from Bô Kannal can feed a planetary success. Opération 78 continues to tour, and every concert remains an appointment with the living history of Antillean zouk.