New York
CBGB'S 1994 pic by © Maria Zastrow
I've been in New York several times, the first time was in August 1988 when I first walked the American soil on my way with the Lolitas to Memphis,TN to cut an album under the direction of Alex Chilton at "Ardent" studios. I was of course very impressed by the skyscrapers of Manhattanand it was only after the recordings in Memphis, TN that we spent about ten days in the East Village. We even had a live show at the legendary Wah Wah Hut Café on Avenue A & 7th Street.We came another time for a month in 1990, the Lolitas records our 4th album this time under the direction of Chris Spedding.
Coco Nut- Chris Spedding New York, NY 1990
New Orleans
I stranded in New Orleans,La in January 1993. Just like when I first got to Berlin, I hardly didn'nt know anybody in town and I had to make friends.
Thank to Alex Chilton I found a cottage to rent located
on 2425 Barracks Street in "Treme".
Coco Nut 2425 Barracks New Orleans,La Pic by © Nelja Stump
I spent most of my timein the hottest Clubs in New Orleans. "Joe's Cozy Corner", "Treme Music Hall", "Trombone Shorty's", "Little People's Place","Maple Leaf", "Kemp's", "Rock'n'Bowl", "First Stop Lounge", "Mother in Law Lounge" or "Tipipitinas" where I saw a bunch of outstanding musicians as Kermit Ruffins, "Clarence Gatemouth" Brown , Eddy Bo, Ernie K-Doe, Jesse Hill, Rosie Ledet, Rockin' Dopsie Jr, many Brass Bands as "Rebirth", "New Birth", "Little Rascals", "Soul Rebels", "Dirty Dozen"...
Coco Nut Ernie K-Doe - Roberto Pezzot
Obviously there was no way I could compete with all this great musicians but I thought that their was no real Rock'n'Roll underground scene like in Berlin, New York or Paris. That's how came the Idea to create events with all kinds of musicians from different backrounds. That's when I met Josephine, a lady from Venezuela who ran a bar on Melpomene street, in the Lower Garden District.
I talked her to let me me organize and host weekly shows at Pepina's Bar & Restaurant.
Coco Nut @ Pepinas on Melpomene Street, New Orleans,La
Coco Nut - Pepina
I started organizing a weekly show: The Lendary Coco $how @ Pepinas. The idea was to have a group with a Bass and Drums, me on the guitar and invite various musicians to back me.
One of him was a New Yorker bassist, Joe Drake (a former member of the New York group "Band of Outsiders"), whom I had met in New York in 1988. While he stayed later a little while in Berlin, I convinced him to join me in New Orleans. Joe was a very pessimistic fellow, always talking about his failures, bad luck or disillusionment, It's me who named him "Lucky Joe", name he is still baring.
New Orleans has allways a lot of visitors which give me the opportunity to ask a lot of artists who came by to be part of the "Coco $how" @ Pepina's. Among them beside of Lucky Joe I had for instance Jacques Palminger (now a famous entertainer living in Hamburg, Germany), Yvonne Ducksksworth , Melinda Pendleton (who was hosting the Kitchen Sink show on WWOZ ) Kate Samworth (former Bass player from Waschington D.C Band "Fire Party"., Brezel Goering & Françoise Cactus (Stereo Total), Peggy O 'Neil(The Gories), Jerry Anderson (Kermit Ruffins drummer), Scary Mary ....
Jacques Palminger - Melinda Pendleton - Coco Nut - Joe Drake
Coco Nut - Brezel Göring
Françoise cactus - Brezel Göring - Melinda Pendleton
New Orleans is very caribean and many times when I watched the boats on the Mississippi river,I began scheming plans to travel further south. As far as I did not have a resident visa for the USA, I managed to take a Flight to Pointe à Pitre, in Guadeloupe(French West Indies) allthough I didn't know nobody there.
Guadeloupe (French West Indies)
Coco Nut Pointe a Pitre 1994
I arrived from the USA via Puerto Rico to Pointe à Pitre. I had never set foot there and knew no one there. I had found in books a city that seemed interesting, not too touristy and located on the Atlantic coast: Le Moule!
I lived there for 8 years and I must say that It was a very happy time. I had settled in an old Cabin that cost me almost nothing. For living I took care of houses owned by locals who worked in metropolitan France. I maintained them and took care of renting them during the absence of the owners. It brought me a little money that was enough for me to live. The rest of the time I was doing music. I started to join a Reggae / Dancehall band that did not last long but that allowed me to continue on Trio with Laurent Arçon on the Drums and Guy Pierre on the Bass the Caribbean Combo.
Caraïb Combo
Guy Pierre Chapel - Laurent Arçon - Coco Nut 1998
This group allowed me to play in bars at parties, weddings or other. One moment we were hired by the Director of the Media Library of the Moule, Marie Claude Pernelle, to accompany young rappers some of whom continued on this path, such as:
Mak Paro, Osteel MC or Maalkhema.
Le Moule 1998 at The slavery emancipation day
Subsequently, I joined a Jazz variety formation: Hop Ti'mal with the singer Geneviève Lilong with whom I had a friendship that lasts until today.
Genevieve Lilong (Kilijah) - Coco Nut 2001
I also spent a lot of time with a former Quadrille musician: Fabien Cologer, with whom I had a good time chatting, playing with my Creole.
Coco Nut - Elie Cologer 1998
At Le Moule there was a restaurant bar: La Bananeraie where every Saturday evening a band called Tony & Co.Their leader was Tony Faisans, a renowned guitarist who recorded with "Les Rapaces" or Clarinetist / Saxophonist Eddy Gustave.
Tony Faisans with his Band "Les Rapaces" in the 1960's in Guadeloupe
Tony & Co ended their shows with a Jam Session. and one night whenI grabbed the Mic and sang a Rocker, I remember it was "Whole lotta shakin' going on". Tony really enjoyed it and offered me to join the band. The Band played mostly Jazz tunes and Caribean standards but Tony just loved Rock'N'Roll and decided to include a couple of Rockers that I would sing !
Patrick Faisans - Coco Nut - Arnaud Tuquet - Felix St Gelin - Tony Faisans
"La Bananeraie in Le Moule, Guadeloupe French West Indies 2002
Coco Nut- Chris Spedding New York, NY 1990
