René Lacaille
Carried Réunion's séga and maloya traditions through accordion performance into collaborations abroad.
- Years
- 1946–
- Country
- Réunion (France)
- Instrument
- Accordion, voice
René Lacaille is an accordionist and singer from Réunion. He performed at dances with his musical family from childhood. In the 1970s he worked with Alain Péters and others in Caméléon, experimenting with electric maloya. He returned to the accordion in the late 1980s and continued to play music rooted in the island's séga and maloya traditions.
Mapou (2004) mixes Réunionese styles with sounds from other places. Collaborations with Bob Brozman helped take Lacaille's music overseas, and he has also performed with Régis Gizavo. His first solo accordion album, Ti galé, was issued in 2025 and revisits the séga he played with his father. His long career connects the island's dance music with new musical partnerships.
Selected works, recordings and publications
- Mapou2004
An album drawing on Réunionese séga and maloya and other musical influences.
Release / publisherRiverboat Records album · 2004
Publication source - Ti galé2025
His first solo accordion album, dedicated to the séga of his childhood.
Release / publisherSolo album · 2025
Publication source
Biography source Riverboat Records: Mapou Artist release: Ti galé