So led astray by alcoholism, if he had followed the conventions of society instead of having fallen into such a self-destructive lifestyle, Alain Peters (1953-1995) would have certainly gained the same unanimous recognition during his lifetime that he has had posthumously. Perhaps he was too ahead of his time and experimental, in the 1980s, to attract as much interest as he does today, the era of World Music. This is all too likely, given the rich and original compositions of this author/composer (who was also a singer, guitarist and bassist) that are in essence the result of a daring mixture of rock, jazz and traditional Réunionese musics (séga and maloya, tinged with Indian influences). Whatever the case may be, the few recordings of Alain Peters contained in this album allow us to evaluate for ourselves the metaphoric narrations of a tormented poet who, with a great performative sincerity, humbles the listener. It becomes impossible to remain untouched by his poignant laments, the beauty of the Creole lyrics and the softness of this writer’s voice who is often deemed “exceptional” well outside the boundaries of Réunion.