José Thérèse was born in Roche Bois, an economically disadvantaged suburb of the Mauritian capital, Port Louis on December 12th, 1962. The second of three children, José distinguishes himself by his constant desire to create sound. His mother Arlette, then working as a worker at the local matchstick factory, recalls that José would collect tin cans and pails to use as drums, which he would play on for hours. His mother did everything so that he would go to school in a Port Louis elementary school, and not in schools in his own locality. Through this experience, José discovered a whole new world beyond Roche Bois. A few years later, in middle school, a teacher would notice his propensity and talent for music, and offered him private lessons. At age 16, after saving up and thanks to the support of his parents, he managed to purchase a flute and to enroll in private lessons with Mauritian musicians. After graduating high school, he began to work as a welder at the company Taylors Smith, which enabled him to further save and purchase saxophones. He enrolled at the conservatory in Mauritius, and after several trainings, got a scholarship to study jazz at the national conservatory of Jazz in Denmark.

Ten years in Denmark gave José an opportunity to travel throughout Europe. In 1996, he decided to come back to his native island for six months. In the mid-1990s, the international media described Mauritius as "the Tiger of the Indian Ocean," with a booming economy and low unemployment. As José returned to Roche Bois, he was shocked to find highrise buildings of the business center in Port Louis in stark contrast to Roche Bois, where people were still living in dire poverty.

A few days after his return, he met two social workers, Marcel Poinien and Lindsay Morvan, with whom he discussed the situation of youth in Roche Bois. Many young people had dropped out of school, and had trouble finding a focus to their lives. José worried that this situation made youth vulnerable to drug dealers and prostitution.

José Thérèse never returned to Europe as he had initially planned. He stayed and created Mo'Zar, all the while pursuing his own musical career, including playing saxophone in the Ten Piece Big Band of the late Ernest Wiehe.

Philippe Thomas is Mo'zar's artistic director. He was born in 1965 in Petite Rosalie, Mapou, Mauritius. He developed his nonchalance, his passion and a great humility alongside his brothers as soon as he was able to play, celebrating the family magic on guitar with his father Gaby Thomas’s group…“The Blue Valiants”. At 14, he discovered the trumpet and from there his education moved away from the conventional, when in 1982 still in Mauritius, he met his mentor Ernest Wiehe, master musician and educator specialising in jazz arrangements, that exploded the teenagers potential. Their friendship is legendary and in 2010 the “passing of the baton” was clear.

From 1983 to 1990, Philippe found himself criss-crossing through new horizons for the Club Med hotel chain in a group travelling through their global network. He lived in Japan for a time between 1985 and 1986 and stopped in Mauritius in 1987, a time where the local scene realized that a star is born; youth being on a journey it really helps!

Philippe moved to Belgium for two years where he explored the vital points of European Jazz with his brothers, Roger and Lindsey, who themselves were living overseas for music; Paris, Barcelona, Vienna and even Perugia for its famous Umbria Jazz Festival. The Mauritian benefited from the Berklee College of Music and the Umbria Jazz Festival in 1991 & 1992, culminating in a sponsored stay in Boston as a student at the prestigious institution.

In 1994, Philippe Thomas at 29 years old left Boston for New York with a Performance Diploma, Summa Cum Laude from the Berklee College of Music in his pocket. He was based there until the end of 2000 and played throughout most of the United States, alongside Seamus Blake, Betty Clark, Peter Erskine, Matthew Garrison, Wynton Marsalis, Mark Turner, Malcolm Earl “Mal” Waldron or Mark Zubek, his classmate who gave him a beautiful tribute by including one of his songs, “Petite Rosalie” on his album “Horse with a Broken Leg. (2000 – Fresh Sound Records)
He returned to his native country in 2001, considering it imperative to calm his spirit, refocus and continue to work on his music in peace. As a featured guest he appeared on the album “Didn’t Say” by “Ernest Wiehe Ten Piece Jazz Ensemble” (2002 Ernest Wiehe) and responded favourably to all artistic solicitations, contributed to Sega, Seggae or new forms of music being created and beyond studio sessions, shared the stage with the majority of Mauritian groups at events.

In 2005, with his brothers, they release “Seggaz”, a self produced album created between Mauritius and France that included the participation of Linley Marthe, Eric Triton, Mike Rajahamendra and Paco Sery among others. This work is pertinent proof of the authentic fusion possible between Sega and Jazz.

Seven years ago, the Philippe Thomas Syndicate was formed, a nod to the departed Joe Zawinul in particular and a tribute to all the great names of Jazz. A composition reflecting the hopes of Mauritian music with Christophe Bertin, Steven Bernon, Dany Louison and Samuel Laval at his side, exposing muscular sets and grooves all across the island. Over time, Philippe met some amazing people and collaborated with Francois Jeanneau, Olivier Ker Ourlo, Manuel Rocheman, Chandler Sarioe and Henri Textier through meetings organized by the Hotel Tamarin, the French Institute of Mauritius or recently the Ernest Wiehe Jazz Festival.
Among his last big concerts, Philippe participated at the Sakifo Festival in Reunion Island and the Mama Jazz Festival in Mauritius with Linley Marthe.

Since 2014, Philippe Thomas directs the l’Atelier Mo’zar (Mo’Zar Workshop) where he teaches Jazz to children and adolescents.

Under his leadership in January 2018, the Mo’Zar Jazz Band participated in the Jazz Plaza International Festival in Havana, Cuba and more recently in June 2019 at the Rio Das Ostras Jazz & Blues Festival in Brazil.

Three young musicians from Mo’Zar have each landed a scholarship to Berklee College of Music (Boston), thanks to his musical training.

The story is not over, Philippe Thomas and his music are still writing it.

Actually Philippe Thomas directs several bands such as the Philippe Thomas Syndicate and the Philippe Thomas Quintet who perform in Mauritius and overseas.

Reach him at philippebertythomas@hotmail.com