Born in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, on 25 July 1975, Tété inherited a mixed culture from his Senegalese father and Antillaise mother. His parents divorced when he was two, however, and Tété was taken to live with his mother in St Dizier (in the northeast of France).

Tété's mother was to prove an important source of musical inspiration for her son. She had an extensive record collection ranging from the Beatles and Bob Dylan to legendary jazz classics. And it was she who gave Tété his first guitar at the age of 15. While keeping an open ear to his mother's taste in music, Tété ignored his Afro-Caribbean roots altogether, drawing his musical inspiration from Anglo-Saxon pop and folk tradition instead. In his teens Tété got into 80s and 90s sounds, listening to a lot of hip hop. He would discover the work of French chanson legend Serge Gainsbourg and the songs of contemporary chanson stars such as M, Katerine and Mathieu Boogaerts much later in his career.

Tété began his musical career during his schooldays, playing with groups of friends and continued to indulge his passion for music throughout his time at university. He also devoted a lot of time and energy to songwriting, penning most of his lyrics in English. Tété decided to go professional at a relatively early age, trying to make his living purely from his concerts. The budding young singer-songwriter started off playing on the regional scene, performing on the bar and club circuit in Nancy, Strasbourg and other towns in northeast France. With no formal training behind him, Tété was determined to forge his own musical style on stage, even if he ran the risk of sounding awkward and clumsy at first.

2001: "L'Air de rien"

Tété moved to Paris in 1998 and tried his luck on the bar circuit in the east of the city at first. He also honed his guitar talent busking on café terraces and in the Paris métro. Tété formed his own group shortly after moving to Paris, teaming up with two musician friends – drummer Alberto Malo and bass-player Evy Moon. The trio's catchy sound attracted the attention of record company talent scouts in 1999 and a bidding war quickly ensued. Sony/Epic snapped the group up in 2000 and marketing directors wanted to whisk the group straight off to the recording studio. But Tété insisted he needed more time to work on his songwriting before recording a debut album. He got his way and six months went by between the signing of the group and the release of "L'Air de rien" in January 2001.

Before hitting the Song big time with his group Tété had enjoyed a thriving solo career. He brought out an experimental demo tape in September '99 which sold like hotcakes after his concerts and got his songs to the all-important ears of record industry professionals. Tété's first real commercial CD (entitled "Préambule"), a mini-album featuring four songs was released in November 2000.

Tété's songs scored a huge hit with music critics and journalists were soon raving about his original compositions, which mixed everything from pop and soul to funk and blues. Praising his impeccably-crafted and inventive songs, several critics hailed Tété as the new Keziah Jones or Ben Harper. Tété's catchy melodies and smooth arrangements bore witness to his love of the Beatles and the young singer-songwriter did actually go on to record a cover of the Beatles' classic "Eleanor Rigby". Despite attracting widespread critical acclaim Tété kept a low profile in the French media, preferring to hit the road and promote his music through his concerts rather than give interviews.

Tété attracted a huge following of fans who followed him round the country long before he signed to Epic, screaming for encores when he played his live hits "Le meilleur des mondes" and "Passage Brady". These fans dubbed themselves "Tétéphiles" and when they were not following the singer on tour they logged onto his web site www.teteonline.com. (Besides being a talented singer-songwriter and guitarist, Tété also has a gift for illustration and he drew all the animated figures on the site himself).

Tété played some 100 concerts in the course of 2000 and since the release of the new album he and his group have been almost permanently on tour. In March 2001 Tété brought the house down at Le Réservoir in Paris and he won yet more fans at Le Bataclan when he appeared in concert with the German music star Patrice (on 16th and 17th May). In April 2001 Tété also supported veteran Antillais crooner Henri Salvador at the 'Printemps de Bourges' festival. Despite the fact that few people in the audience were major Tété fans before the show, thanks to the singer's infectious music and laid-back charm, the singer managed to convert a new league of "Tétéphiles" by the time he finished his set.

2003: "Par monts et vallons"

Tété is an artist who really comes into his own live on stage and the special atmosphere he creates at his concerts was captured on his live album "Par Monts et Vallons" (released in 2003). This eight-track CD, recorded at three intimate shows the singer-songwriter performed at “Le Vertigo” in Nancy, featured Tété’s wonderfully resonant vocals accompanied by simple acoustic guitar.

Tété made his way back into the studio in 2004 to record a follow-up to "Air de rien." His new studio album, "A la faveur de l'automne," was co-produced by French duo Les Valentins. Featuring finely-crafted lyrics, impressive arrangements and a mini brass band, "A la faveur de l'automne" also impressed with its flawless production. And these ingredients helped turn the album into a major hit with the public. French radio stations also picked up on the singles, "A la faveur de l'automne" and "Emma Stanton," giving them extensive airplay.

Tété soon hit the road again to promote the songs from his new album, playing a number of gigs both at home and abroad. In July 2004, he proved to be one of the major attractions at summer music events such as the "Furia Sound Festival", the "Francofolies de La Rochelle" and the "Vieilles Charrues". At the beginning of August 2004, Tété also flew out to Canada to put in an appearance at the "Francofolies" music festival in Montreal. Tété resumed his tour in October of that year, playing a series of some thirty concerts across France.

2006: "Le sacre des Lemmings et autres contes de la lisière"

In October 2006, the singer released his third album, "Le sacre des Lemmings et autres contes de la lisière". The album, billed as a collection of musical fables for the modern world, raised a number of topical social themes. The first single release, "Fils de Cham" (Son of Ham), a biblical reference to Noah's son, Ham, took a stance on black issues. But Tété also tackled more personal subjects such as love and friendship on softer ballads such as "Caroline" and "La croisée des chemins". Following the release of this new album, the singer hit the road again for a French tour that lasted almost three months.

November 2006