Les Mornes is the mountainous region of Martinique, deep country rich with the stories of runaway slaves and their lives as free men. Max Cilla, a musician and poet of rural life, is haunted by Les Mornes, for whom he is both bard and ambassador. His Les Mornes flute is made of bamboo, a version of the rustic "toutoun bamboo", which Max Cilla has transformed into a versatile instrument, a cousin of the Cuban flute.
Max Cilla's musical career began in 1967, the result of a chance encounter on the streets of Paris, when a stranger invited him to come and play. A few hours later, he found himself performing on stage with Archie Shepp, and a few months later, Max was a regular fixture at the Chat qui Pêche.
Over the years, he has developed a unique sound, rooted in the history of Les Mornes but equally influenced by jazz, Cuban music and New York guaguanco (which later became salsa). His magnificent quintet is the fruit of 50 years of history and personal research.