Virtuoso guitarist, he was a master of contemporary gypsy jazz. The musician and composer Christian ESCOUDÉ passed away on May 13, at the age of 76.
Mr. Christian ESCOUDÉ was born a guitar in the hands in the gypsy environment of Angoulême. His father, himself a musician, had passed on to him his passion for jazz and his love for Django Reinhardt. It is probably no coincidence that Mr. Christian ESCOUDÉ then won the Django Reinhardt Prize from the Jazz Academy in 1976, before performing at the Django Reinhardt Festival, then organized in Samois-sur-Seine.
In the 1980s, he embarked on an international duo tour with British guitarist John McLaughlin. Since then, Mr. Christian ESCOUDÉ had multiplied musical and artistic collaborations and explored all genres of jazz, playing alongside renowned musicians such as Daniel Humair, Martial Solal, Didier Lockwood, Philip Catherine, Boulou Ferré or Babik Reinhardt, son of Django. His exceptional career earned him a Victory of Honor for jazz in 2022.
I extend my condolences to his family and loved ones.
Rachida DATI
Minister of Culture