Written on 4 September 2025 - 94 views
For more than four decades, the group Sixun has embodied the very best of French jazz fusion. With its powerful grooves, blended rhythms, and unique stage energy, this sextet has become an essential reference. From their Parisian beginnings to major international stages, their adventure is still alive and vibrant in 2025.
When talking about jazz fusion in France, one name always comes up: Sixun. Since 1984, this one-of-a-kind sextet has established its style, mixing jazz, funk, African, Caribbean, and Mediterranean rhythms. Forty years later, in 2025, the group is still here, faithful to its original spirit: six musicians, one soul.
In 1984, in a Paris buzzing with music and encounters, six young musicians met and decided to embark on an adventure together: Jean-Pierre Como (keyboards), Alain Débiossat (saxophones), Louis Winsberg (guitar), Michel Alibo (bass), Paco Séry (drums), and Abdou Mboup (percussions). Their idea? To create a living, blended music where each instrument has its place but where the whole takes precedence over the individual. Hence their name: Sixun (six + one).
From their very first concerts, it was clear that something special was being born. The groove was irresistible, the stage energy explosive. Sixun quickly became a reference in the French jazz scene.
In 1985, Nuit Blanche was released, a first record still a bit raw, but already very promising. Two years later, Pygmées confirmed the group’s potential. But it was with Explore (1988) that Sixun truly made its mark: tracks like Petit Chartier became cult favorites. This album is often considered the group’s “identity card,” with its bold mix of electric jazz, funk, and African rhythms.
In 1989, a first Live album proved what everyone was saying: Sixun is above all a live band.
The 1990s were undoubtedly Sixun’s most prolific decade.
At that time, Sixun was everywhere: festivals, tours, collaborations… People even said the group could “turn” a venue upside down in a few minutes, thanks to Paco Séry’s volcanic drumming and the complicity among the six musicians.
In 1998, Nouvelle Vague surprised with its more electronic and contemporary orientation. But after that album, the group ran out of steam and eventually went on hiatus.
One might have thought the story ended there. But for their 20th anniversary, Sixun came back in 2006 with a special concert at La Cigale. The result: Live à La Cigale, which won a Django d’Or. The fire was still burning.
Two years later, Palabre (2008) blended jazz and spoken word, notably featuring rapper Oxmo Puccino. An improbable but successful meeting. In 2009, the group released Live in Marciac, capturing their blazing performance at the famous jazz festival.
After a long discographic break, Sixun returned in 2022 with Unixsity. This highly anticipated album was welcomed as a rebirth. It contained everything that defines the group: incandescent groove, wild improvisations, harmonic richness… but also a newfound maturity.
At the same time, their entire discography was reissued digitally, allowing a new generation to dive into the sextet’s universe.
In 2023, Sixun received the Grand Prix Jazz de la SACEM, a first for a group. An official recognition of their essential place in the history of French jazz.
Today, Sixun continues to tour and set festivals on fire. More than just a band, they have become a symbol of musical freedom, a school of blending and improvisation. After 40 years of existence, they prove that one can remain true to one’s identity while reinventing oneself.
Sixun is a never-ending journey. Six voices, one breath. And in 2025, the groove is more alive than ever.
If you’ve never seen them live, don’t miss out: Sixun is not something you tell, it’s something you live.
See you soon, here or elsewhere !
Chrys
