Cross Cultural Fusion : My Creative Journey in France.

Collaboration with UK percussionist Simon Webster and Moroccan Sufi Singer Mouna Eddrou

My collaboration with Simon, a master percussionist schooled in Arabic , Moroccan and Afro-Cuban styles and Mouna Eddrou , a Moroccan Sufi singer and percussionist, brought a unique cultural depth to this music. Our partnership began recording in 2022 in Perigueux, France, at Sans Reserve Studios, where we reimagined traditional North African percussion layered on top contemporary fusion arrangements, creating the ultimate cross cultural “east meets west” project with the help of engineer and producer Arthur DeCossette.

In 2025 , after recording and filming in the UK with Simon and other UK musicians for the “Live At The Fortress Sessions” (see my 2025 blog The Making of “Sol Caravan“), I re-visited Sans Reserve and we recorded an arrangement around some traditional Gnawa (Moroccan) text entitled “Hamouda,” plus some percussion and vocals for another collaboration called “Le Caravanserais.”

Mouna’s background in Sufi musical traditions and Simon’s decades-long immersion in Moroccan/Maghreb rhythms created a unique foundation for my composing style and bass and guitar contributions.

Mouna’s vocals and Simon’s percussion provided the foundation, while I navigated the challenge of harmonizing Western instruments with North African rhythms. This collaboration not only expanded my own musical repertoire but also highlighted the beauty of cross-cultural artistic exchanges.

Cross Cultural Fusion: My Creative Journey in France (vlog).

Rhythms

One of the challenges I faced was adapting to the rhythms of this particular Gnawa song. Described as a “six feel” but distinct from Western “time feel” the rhythm required some practice and openness to a slightly different musical language. It took me considerable time to internalize the groove.

While Simon’s expertise bridged the gap between styles, my willingness to step outside of my comfort zone led to a innovative fusion—blending an Afrobeat section with traditional Gnawa elements and my jazz/rock guitar chords and textures.

Historic Hotel La Louisiane: A Jazz Musician’s Haven

During my Paris stay for 2 days before heading home to Montréal, I stayed at the iconic Hotel La Louisiane, a landmark steeped in artistic history. From Miles Davis’s love affair with Juliette Gréco to Ernest Hemingway’s writings, the hotel has hosted legends across music, literature, and film. I captured the hotel’s timeless charm, including a chance encounter with a film crew on the staircase.

For me, staying at Hotel La Louisiane was kind of a mini pilgrimage and a great way to spend the last 2 days of my trip. The no-frills ambience and creative energy mirrored my own journey as well as the hotel’s legacy as a refuge for jazz greats like Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson, as well as many other well known artists in the music, art and literature world over the last century before or during the peak of their careers.