Starting in January 2025, remastered digital versions of the classic Henri Debs & Fils vinyl records will be available on all legal streaming and download platforms. Committed to preserving this legacy, Riko Debs, the son of Henri Debs, has embarked on a massive project to showcase the regional musical heritage represented by the late Henri Debs Sr.: the restoration, digitization, and remastering of the historic catalog of recordings, which dates back to the late 1950s and currently comprises nearly 6,000 tracks.
With two releases per month (one 45 and one 33) — each accompanied by a video presentation based on the vinyl cover art — the audience will discover or rediscover the gems of Caribbean music in chronological order. Debs Music Studio invites music lovers on a journey into the past.
Founded in 1984 at 27 Rue Frébault in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, by Henri Debs, the recording studio was then called «La Terreur» and enjoyed a prestigious reputation. A host of artists from across the Caribbean, representing a variety of musical styles, passed through its doors and recorded numerous hits there. Following the founder’s death in 2013, his son, Riko Debs—who had been active in the music industry for several years with his label «Riko Rekords»—decided to renovate the space, infusing it with a more modern vibe while preserving the spirit of this family legacy. In 2024, forty years later, Debs Music Studio offers its clients professional recording facilities, establishing itself as the studio of choice.
A man of many talents
Author, composer, performer, multi-instrumentalist, sound engineer, producer, distributor, publisher, and record store owner, Henri Debs was a true Swiss Army knife of the music world. Born into a very modest family, he was born on November 24, 1932, in Pointe-à-Pitre. At the age of 14, the eldest of eight siblings, Henri was forced to drop out of school to work and support his family. He was hired as a store clerk, but driven by fierce ambition and precocious boldness, Henri decided to strike out on his own and became a street vendor in the streets of Pointe-à-Pitre in 1952.
From a very young age, Henri has had a deep passion for music and its diverse sounds. A self-taught musician, he started with the saxophone and went on to learn the guitar and the double bass.
He has performed all over Guadeloupe
For several years, Henri Debs performed on the finest stages across the Guadeloupe archipelago, and his fame skyrocketed. He set up a small recording studio in the back room of his clothing store, which he had purchased in 1958. This marked the beginning of the Disques Debs label with the release of its first 45 rpm single, «Pain, boudin et limonade,» pressed under the Socodisc label.
In 1982, Disques Debs International was at the height of its success, with a flurry of national and international productions across the Caribbean, South America, Europe, and Africa, featuring artists such as Zouk Machine, Malavoi, Max Séverin, Francky Vincent, Tanya Saint-Val, Eric Brouta, Georges, Plonquitte, Luc Léandry, and others.
In 1990, Henri Debs reached the pinnacle of his career as a producer: the album *Maldon* by his band «Zouk Machine» was certified platinum for sales of over 300,000 copies.
Henri Farid Debs passed away on August 19, 2013. In addition to his loved ones and the artistic family he had built for himself, a crowd of more than 7,000 anonymous people paid him a heartfelt tribute during a vigil held outside his legendary recording studio.
Source: Debs Production
