SLN

Stéphane first met Lige Grant Curry in the 1998 when he
was on tour with the legendary band Parliament
Funkadelic. Although they shared the stage—Stéphane
as an opening act with his own band at the time—at
MIDEM, the prestigious music event in Cannes, France,
they didn’t really get to talk to each other. The talented
musicians from Parliament Funkadelic, including Lige,
generously allowed Stéphane’s band to use their music
gear, a rare act of kindness in the music scene that
speaks to their character as over-talented and generous
people.
The first true musical connection came in 2009 when
Lige played, sang, and found the name for the French
jazz/hip-hop band Horndogz, where Stéphane also
featured.
This marked the beginning of their musical collaboration.
Rico Kerridge, an amazing guitar player and producer of
the Horndogz, called Stéphane in 2018 to play with Lige
on a European tour.
Their relationship grew further in 2019 when Stéphane
performed with Lige during his Ligedelic project tour,
which included six concerts, notably at the iconic New
Morning club in Paris, France. That collaboration marked
the beginning of a strong musicianship, forming the
foundation for the creation of Currysmatic.

Decades of Evolution

Throughout their careers, Lige and Stéphane have
worked with a variety of internationally acclaimed artists,
constantly pushing the boundaries of their music.
On Lige’s side, collaborations have included iconic
figures such as George Clinton and Parliament
Funkadelic, Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Justin
Timberlake, Anderson Paak, Bernard Fowler (Rolling
Stones), Rick James, Sly Stone, Sidney Barnes (Rotary
Connection), Jessica Cleaves (Earth, Wind & Fire), Pat
Lewis (Isaac Hayes), Mudbone Cooper (Sly Fox), Fred
Wesley (James Brown), Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell,
Blackbyrd McKnight (Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock),
Michael Hampton, Starr Cullars (Prince), Belita Woods
(Brain Storm), Amp Fiddler, Clip Payne, and Danny
Bedrosian, just to name a few.

Stéphane has also worked with many renowned
international artists, including Bernard Allison, Lucky
Peterson, Alpha Blondy, Chester Thompson, Luis Conte,
Phil Collins, Mariah Carey, and
De La Soul since 2015.

These extensive experiences, individually and together,
have allowed both musicians to grow their artistry and
shape a unique sound that comes to life on Currysmatic.

The Collaboration

With Currysmatic, this long-standing partnership
reaches its pinnacle. As co-producers, Lige and
Stéphane brought together a talented ensemble, each
adding unique elements to the album.
The crew that recorded on the album includes:
Lige Grant Curry (vocals, bass, arrangements on all
tracks), Stéphane Le Navelan (keyboards, arrangements
on all tracks), Lawrence Clais (drums on all tracks except
5), Rico Kerridge (guitar on 2,6,10,11), Didier Combrouze
(guitar on 1,3,4,5,7,8), Starr Cullars (vocals on 3,4,6,7),
Michael Hampton (guitar on 9,10), Garrett Shider (vocals
on 3,6), Steve Boyd (vocals on 1), Rico Lewis (drums on
5), Julio D’ Santiago (percussion on 9), Charlotte Berry
(flute on 6).

Their collective efforts have produced a genre-blending
work that celebrates both innovation and tradition.