b. 1958, Abidjan (Ivory Coast). Sery is the youngest of 17 siblings. He was born into a large family and began drumming at age 10. He mainly used home-made instruments. He was a self-taught musician and didn’t learn how to read music. He played in local clubs throughout his youth, until 1980 when Eddy Louiss invited him to Paris for a recording session. After that, he made France his home. He was well-known in French recording and performing circles. He worked with many artists, including Nina Simone, Claude Nougaro, and Manu Dibango. He was a member of Joe Zawinul’s Syndicate, and appeared on World Tour in the 1990s. Zawinul said that Sery is a great musician and one of the best drummers he’s ever worked with. Sery left the Zawinul Syndicate in 1998 and recorded late 1990s with Louiss’ Fanfare 41-piece band, Sentimental Feeling and Flavio Boltro, an Italian trumpeter, with Road Runner, a Franco-Italian band. However, Sery soon led his own band to European engagements. The Paco Sery Group performed at several jazz festivals, including Tabarka, Paris and Brignoles, in the summer 2000. Sery recruited Dianne Reeves, Angelique Kidjo and others to help him record his debut album. Sery led his group to South Africa in 2003, where they performed at the Newtown Music Festival. Interviewed by Batteur, Sery spoke enthusiastically about the spontaneity that he encourages from his sidemen. This attitude underlines the energy of the music. Sery plays left-handed drums and the kalimba. This instrument is South African in origin and consists of a box with sound holes, metal tongues mounted on top and depressed by the thumb nail. It creates haunting effects that Sery enjoys. All music
