Didier did not stay with his first group long, however. At the age of 18 he packed his bags and left France to explore South America, spending the next two years hiking around Uruguay, Venezuela and Brazil. It was during his stay in Brazil that Didier would learn Portuguese and perfect his guitar playing. He would also begin writing his first songs, which were greatly influenced by the rich Brazilian rhythms he heard around him all day long.

When Didier returned to France he decided it was time to leave his native Provence and discover the Paris music world. After moving to the capital in 1985, the young singer/guitarist began hanging out with a group of musicians who worked with Alain Bashung. He also started seeking a producer for his own album. But this proved to be a rather difficult task for a relative unknown such as himself. After producing a series of demo tapes and looking around for several years, Didier was almost on the point of giving up his quest and producing his debut album under his own steam. But then a chance introduction changed his luck and Didier met a man called Alain Pewzner, who offered to produce his album, and, more importantly, a woman called Varda Kakan, who would organise the financial backing for it.  

By this point Didier had written far too much material to be included on his first album. But in the end the prodigious songwriter would manage to whittle his original 35 songs down to 12 and in 1993 he would finally go into the studio to record his debut album, "Zanzibar". Infused with a variety of lilting South American rhythms and upbeat lyrics, "Zanzibar" was particularly influenced by Didier's stay in Brazil''. 

Three years later Didier was back in the studio once again, putting the finishing touches to his second album, "Blues Indigo". Released in 1996, "Blues Indigo" continued Didier's love affair with Brazil, although this time the talented songwriter and guitarist fused Brazilian rhythms with Mediterranean influences and a healthy dose of the blues. Didier was joined in the studio by a 25-strong group of musicians which included Brazilian stars Tupi Nago and Régina Célia, as well as the renowned French accordionist Daniel Mille.

After disappearing from the French music scene for several years, Sustrac made a surprise comeback in September 2000 with a third album entitled "Chanteur d'ascenseur". Music critics were none too impressed by Sustrac's new album, however. Indeed, they complained that after all these years Sustrac had advanced little in terms of style or inspiration. "Chanteur d'ascenseur" did, in fact, find Sustrac returning to his eternal source of inspiration, tropical sounds with a Brazilian flavour.

Sustrac returned to the live circuit in the summer of 2001, performing a series of concerts up and down the country and acting as a member of the jury at the "Truffe d'Or" song contest in Périgueux in August. He also gave a memorable concert at the Opus Café in Paris on 31 October.

In spite of disappointing reviews, Sustrac soon ventured out onto the live circuit again, appearing at the Opus Café in Paris on October 31st 2000.

Sustrac resurfaced on the live front at the end of January 2003, performing at the "Jeudis de la chanson française" (Thursday-night ‘chanson’ evenings) organised in Vitré, in the Ille-et-Vilaine region in Brittany. Accompanied on stage by the talented Brazilian bass-player Carlos Werneck and pianist and percussionist Lionel Gaget, Sustrac treated his audiences to a stirring set infused with lively bossa nova rhythms. The singer took advantage of these concerts to announce that he would be releasing a new album before the end of the year. Sustrac made good his promise on 8 November 2003 when his fourth album, "Matière première," arrived in record stores. This fourth album, full of heady Brazilian influences, was the first ‘mainstream/pop’ release on M10 (a label which, up until this point, had catered to purely world sounds).

Didier Sustrac has devoted most of 2004 to his live work, performing at small, low-key venues up and down the country.

August 2004