Born in 1925 in Sainte-Marie, Emmanuel Casérus known as Ti Émile or Ti Milo, spent his childhood and youth in Bezaudin, a difficult Samaritan district, inhabited by agricultural workers. His first profession was, moreover, a farm worker. He had to do this job to help his mother and his eight siblings.
From an early age, he was interested in music and in particular in traditional music, the bèlè. His first success, Ti Émile was successful in a group on the occasion of the patronal feasts of the town of Sainte Marie. Ti Émile will then be noticed by Anca Bertrant and Aimé Césaire who will allow him to go beyond the limits of Sainte Marie.
Arrived in Fort de France, he will be the guest of the cultural festival in 1967 and it is the first time that a group of bèlè musicians has performed in the capital. Subsequently, he will introduce the bèlè to the younger generations at Pitt de Dillon, who today owe him recognition and respect.
His name is on the lips of all the elders. Jean Annette is the one who would have inspired the vocation of Féfé Marolany and many other Masters of bèlè.
There is no longer anyone to say from whom this gift came to him or how it was transmitted to him. But we know that he was a big one among the big ones and that he trains big ones, such as Appollon Vallade, 82 years old, the dean of the Martinique tambouyé.