?My parents have kept a picture of me with a guitar when I was seven years old.? Now, just imagine when the passion of Leslie Chaperon for music must have started. He can hardly remember when it was actually. However, it is only some 12 years ago that he started to perform as a singer thanks to his wife?s encouragements. But he insists: music is only a hobby!

As a department manager at the Sugar Industry Pension Fund (SIPF), Leslie spends most of his time at his desk in Port-Louis. And he is very happy in his job. But, since the beginning of the year, he has been performing as the singer of Nostalgia band ? with his friends Gaëtan Rivet and Anne-Lise Prosper ? at the Courtyard Restaurant for cocktails, receptions, birthdays, anniversaries or any special occasions where they are called upon. If he ?enjoys these moments very much now?, it took him some time before he overcame his shyness and faced the public?

?I am so grateful to my wife, Daniella, who has always encouraged me to go for my passion. People like to call her my impresario?, he says with a smile. ?She loves music.? Would it be the reason why she succumbed to his charm when they met? His only reply would be a big laugh and a shy ?Maybe!?

?When I got at Labourdonnais Hotel for the first time, I was so nervous. The more so, as I realised, I would sing with Georgie L?Etourdi who was a star performer for me.I was so relieved when it was over... and so astonished when the person in charge of the entertaining team told me ?See you next week then? !

He actually started to perform ?by chance?. ?We had to do some work at home and the person who came saw my clavier. So, we started to talk about music and he ended up telling me that he had a studio and would be interested in hearing my voice.? He admits he had no big hopes that this project would go ahead and would even have been more relaxed to know that it would stop there at that time. But the man called back and they recorded some of their rehearsals.

Once again, despite the fact that Leslie finds the result ?not bad?, his wife does not admit defeat and sends it to a friend at a hotel. And this is how he was asked to start singing at the Labourdonnais Hotel. ?When I got there the first time, I was so nervous. The more so, as I realised, I would sing with Georgie L?Etourdie who was a star performer for me. I was so relieved when it was over? and so astonished when the person in charge of the entertaining team told me ?See you next week then!? So, Leslie performed with this band for a few years before the group split. He continued singing and playing at home ?for friends and relatives? before starting Nostalgia.

Leslie has never learnt music. And yet, he sings in a band and can play the guitar and the clavier. ?I don?t know the notes but if you put a guitar in my hands I think I?ll be able to follow.? Music is indeed something he has had inside him since his childhood. ?It is in my blood!? He indeed comes from a family of musicians and still remembers. ?I was so impressed and marvelled when I listened to my cousins, who were in the police band, play at home.? His son, Michael, seems to be following his father?s steps?

<B>Singers of the 60s</B>

When he was an adolescent, he waited for everyone to be asleep at home to put his earphones and listen to his favourites - Elvis Presley, Michel Delpech, Pat Boone and all the singers of the 60s. ?I was dreaming that I was performing on the stage of the Plaza singing one of those songs.? How moved he was when his dream came true a few years ago as he sang for a solidarity concert at the Plaza. His other dream also realised itself almost two years ago when his album For the good times was released. It worked quite well buthe admits he did not make any profits on this CD.

But this is not important, as this was not the main objective. ?Of course, my performance in hotels or at Courtyard are a little plus at the end of the month but I would never make my fortune with music.?

First of all, hardly any Mauritian has ever managed to earn a living with music. ?There has been a lack of facilities for musicians. We appreciate the move made in the budget for the sound system but it is still very expensive to launch something here.? But the main reason why he would not make a job of music is because of his passion for it. ?Music is just a way of reducing the daily pressure of work. It is said that stress is the illness of the century? For me only music and a good laugh can help reduce anxiety!? This is just what he does!

And as many years have gone since he first got on stage, he no longer feels stage fright? So much so that he is not interested in playing when there are only a few people at the restaurant. ?I remember, when I was younger, I would prefer to play or sing in front of an empty room instead of two or three members of my family. Things have changed since then? I love when there are a lot of people and particularly enjoy when they can?t stay on their chairs and start dancing even if there is no dancing floor!?

This confidence revival might lead him to sing his own songs soon. Composer Stéphane Citta has already written some of them but the project may have to wait until next year to be launched? As part of his hobby of course!