Cécile Aimée Henriette Jean-Louis, known professionally as Moune de Rivel, was born on January 7, 1918, in Bordeaux, France. She was a singer, pianist, guitarist, painter, and actress of Guadeloupean origin, deeply influenced by her musician mother Fernande de Virel. In December 1945, Moune de Rivel made history as the first French artist to perform in the United States post-World War II, appearing at New York's Café Society Uptown. She married pianist Ellis Larkins in July 1946 and released her first recordings with Orchestre Denis Ancédy during this period. In 1969, she released Iles et rivages, an album featuring poetic texts set to her compositions, collaborating with notable figures like Janine Rémignard and René Maran. Her discography includes the album Joie Et Nostalgie Créoles, released in 2000. Moune de Rivel passed away on March 27, 2014, in Paris.
