Eric Virgal

Éric Virgal was born in Fort-de-France, Martinique, on June 28, 1953. He quickly set his sights on a career in music, and at the age of 18 joined Henri Debs' label for his first single, Stanislas (1971). His career really took off in the 1980s, however, with the albums Erick Virgal (1987) and Allé simp' (1988). Noted for his duets with female singers Danielle René-Corail (on "Plézi lanmou") and Orlane (on "Viv' épiw" and "An jou béni"), he succeeded in seducing audiences with his sentimental style. His style, part of a prolific West Indian zouk scene marked by the productions of Edith Lefel, Jean-Michel Rotin, Gilles Floro and Expérience 7, won over listeners, who joined in the karaoke and dubbed him the "crooner from Martinique". With internationally acclaimed hits such as "Pa fe mwen la penn" (1988), "Coupable" (1990) and "Ne m'oublie pas " (1995), Virgal made his mark and contributed to the expansion of zouk. His return in 2002 with the album ZikZag enabled him to pay homage to West Indian heritage, with a song dedicated to the poet Aimé Césaire, before becoming more discreet in the 2010s.