A French electro-pop duo formed in Angers in 2020, Rouquine consisted of Sébastien Rousselet and Nino Vella, until the latter's death. Born in Cholet on November 18, 1992, Nino Vella was a pianist with classical and jazz training, and won a first prize at the Conservatoire, when he became interested in electronic music. In 2010, he formed the group Babel, with whom he toured as far afield as China before splitting up in 2018, and went on to make a name for himself as a producer, collaborating with numerous artists including Boostee, Maes, Yseult, Yannick Noah, Olivia Ruiz, Mylène Farmer and Eddy de Pretto. After composing the soundtrack for the film Comment je suis devenu un super-héros (2020), he and Sébastien Rousselet form the group Rouquine, releasing several singles on the EP Mortel (2021). In October 2021, the duo won the competition for the short-lived TV show The Artist, then recorded their debut album Masculine, released in 2022. The tour that followed included appearances at festivals such as Printemps de Bourges and the Montreux Jazz Festival, among others. Back in the studio, the duo set to work on their second album, Mammifère (2024), featuring contributions from Gauvain Sers and Lord Esperanza and including several tracks. On July 1, 2024, Nino Vella was found dead at his Paris home, aged 31.
