Mikidache Daniel (the singer’s first name means "someone good" in his native Mahoré) was born in Mamoudzou, the capital of Mayotte, on 20 May 1969. Mikidache was the second of his parents’ five children. In 1975, he and his family moved to Moroni, the capital of  Grand Comoro. When the citizens of Mayotte organised a referendum later that year and voted to remain French, those who had campaigned for independence (known as the “serrez-les-man”) - who included Mikidache’s own father - were expelled from Mayotte by their rivals, the "sorodats", and sent off to other islands in the Comoros archipelago which had opted for independence.

At the age of 13, Mikidache started teaching himself to play guitar, although his parents were none too keen on his new hobby. Mikidache did not actually have his own instrument at that point. Instead, he used a guitar lent to him by the children of a Senegalese diplomat (acting as an advisor to the Comoran president). Mikidache went on to form the group Sy with these young musician friends a couple of years later. Sy, who later changed their name to Ylang Ylang, proved to be relatively successful on the local scene and ended up performing on the neighbouring islands of Anjouan and Moheli as well. In 1986, the budding young musicians gave up their studies and moved to mainland France to try their luck there. Mikidache and his fellow band members ended up hooking up with a number of African artists in France which led to them recording a maxi-single, entitled "Je veux", released on the Safari Ambiance label.

After spending three years on the French mainland without managing to break onto the musical mainstream, the boys’ parents begged them to return home. Mikidache respected his parents’ wishes, returned to Moroni and began studying for his ‘baccalauréat.’ After passing his exams, he headed off to Mayotte, an island he had not revisited since his birth. He did not stay there long, however, deciding to sign up for a degree course in economic science at the University of Aix-en-Provence, in the south of France. As a student, he picked up his guitar again and began devoting an increasing amount of time and energy to music, working in a fast food restaurant to make ends meet.

After a brief period in Nice, Mikidache moved to Paris where he made the acquaintance of the Cameroonian double-bass player Jules Bikoko who introduced him to a number of other musicians based in the French capital. With a helping hand from Bikoko and a handful of other musicians including accordionist Pascal Pallisco and drummer Fabrice Thompson, Mikidache set about producing his debut album himself. But the composer Armand Amar eventually took over the production controls, introducing Mikidache to Long Distance (the label he had helped set up). Mikidache’s debut album, "Kauli", released in 1997, went relatively unremarked. On his first compositions, Mikidache’s vocals and distinctive style of guitar-playing tapped into his roots, although the singer made no attempt to play up these influences. Mikidache’s vocals played a dominant role on songs such as "Usishange" and "Eba Rambe" (although much of the album was written in French).

In May 1999, Mikidache’s career stepped up another level when he won RFI’s “Découvertes” award. A jury, chaired by Manu Katché, heaped praise on his first album, “Kauli.” Winning the award opened up a whole series of new doors for Mikidache. In December of that year, he got to perform at Le Bataclan, in Paris, and a host of other concert dates followed across France. Mikidache also got to play in Germany and Switzerland, then headed out to Congo Brazzaville to appear at the Fespam festival.

When it came to working on his second album, “Hima” (actually recorded in 2002 but only released in 2004), Mikidache kept the same team of musicians he had worked with on his first album. A number of big names on the Paris music scene, including percussionist Minino Garay, drummer Brice Wassy, the Madagascan accordion virtuoso Régis Gizavo and flautist Magic Malik (who had featured on "Kauli") also came into the studio with him. This time round, Mikidache’s lyrics had a hint of the protest song about them, the singer urging his compatriots to stand up for their rights. In his songs he evoked the lifestyle of his ancestors, campaigned against polygamy and denounced the failings of the “system” in his homeland which, he claimed, openly manufactured poverty and injustice.

In May 2005, Mikidache appeared at the Donia Festival in Madagascar. Then, in July of that year, he performed as part of the Dom Tom Folies line-up at the Francofolies Festival in La Rochelle, starring alongside other winners of the "9 semaines et 1 jour" contest organised in France’s overseas territories by RFO (Réseau France Outremer). In March 2006, Mikidache took part in the final of a contest organised to find a French entry for that year’s Eurovision.

Later that same year, Mikidache released his third album, "Mgodro Gori", on which he affirmed the Madagascan roots he shares with many of his Mayotte compatriots. Indeed, his penchant for freestyle guitar chords led him to venture into territory previously explored by the Madagascan guitarist D’Gary. Mikidache invited the Madagascan accordionist Régis Gizavo and backing singer Sha Rakotofringa to join him in the studio along with Madagascan bassist Mamy Andrianjakamamy and Madagascan singer Mamisolo-Yvon Rakotonanahary (a former member of the vocal trio Senge). After promoting his new songs live on stage at some thirty dates, including appearances at major music festivals such as Solidays and Musiques Métisses, Mikidache ended 2006 with a rousing performance at the Africolor festival.

During the summer of 2007, Mikidache headed out for a series of concerts in Madagascar and Reunion, where he performed at the Sakifo festival. Then in the autumn of 2007, he teamed up in Paris with another Mayotte-born singer, Mtoro Chamou, and set about recording an album of duets. After this, he hit the road again for a series of concerts in Paris, then went on to play back home in Mayotte.

November 2007