The TWO (Mauritius / Switzerland)
Updated: Aug 28
Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, The TWO is a collaborative project led by Swiss musician Thierry Jaccard and singer and guitarist Yannick Nanette, who was born and raised in Mauritius. The duo is inspired by the rich Creole traditions of this small island country in the Indian Ocean, located over 1000 miles to the east of Madagascar, blending elements of sega and maloya rhythms with touches of jazz, reggae, folk and blues. Since their formation in 2014, the group has performed over 800 concerts, gracing the stages of prestigious festivals such as Montreux Jazz and Montreal Jazz, and opening for renowned artists including Johnny Hallyday, Ben Harper, Mavis Staples and Charlie Winston.
Featured Songs:
“Fam Couma Ou” (A Woman Like You) originally appeared on The TWO’s 2023 album Sadela. It was produced by David Donatien, a GRAMMY-winning French producer who has worked with Angelique Kidjo, Mayra Andrade, Yael Naïm and others. Backed by bluesy harmonica and swinging accordion riffs, Nanette sings “You! A woman like you / You! There aren’t two like you / You! A beauty like you / You! There aren’t two like you / The way you smile / The way you talk / When your eyes fall on me / My heart capsizes.”
“Sky” opens Sweet Dirty Blues, the duo’s debut album, and was recorded in Lausanne in 2014 but is making its digital debut on Putumayo's Global Guitars collection. At under three minutes, it is a gem of understatement, an unhurried acoustic guitar piece that evokes the warm, open spaces suggested by its title. The lilting rhythm carries a subtle hint of the sega tradition, that signature rolling feel rooted in the music of the Indian Ocean islands, filtered through an acoustic blues sensibility that keeps it soulful yet intimate.
“Breath” was composed and recorded live in an old wooden chalet high in the Swiss Alps, inspired by the sound of wind moving through an open window. Featured on Global Tranquility, the instrumental track reaches for a quiet reverence: tranquility, stillness, and respect for silence itself. The duo cite Eric Bibb, Skip James, and Brother Dege as inspirations for the track, drawing on a lineage that runs from Skip James’s spare 1930s Delta blues recordings through Bibb’s contemporary acoustic style to Brother Dege’s atmospheric, slide-driven guitar work, filtered through the duo’s own blend of blues and Indian Ocean rhythms.
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