It's strange to think that, until a few years ago, Modeste Hughes was working as an engineer.
It was only when he moved to England in 1996 that he decided to pursue his first love - the Malagasy music of his native Madagascar.
Since then, Hughes has hardly looked back. He had the crowd eating out of his hand when he played at last year's Womad festival and it was no surprise when he received a similarly warm reception at the Pavilion Theatre.
Performing on the same bill as Lionos Wengara Magaya and the Brighton-based Zimba Re Mabwe Mbira Vibes, Hughes proved he can lay down complex, multi-layered parts with relaxed confidence.
Yet he is also a hugely talented singer, his sweet, high-pitched vocals drifting over the rippling guitar-lines.
Accompanied by percussion and electric bass, Hughes conveyed a laid-back but infectious sense of joy. Clearly, engineering's loss is music's gain.
Review by Marcus O'Dair, features@theargus.co.uk
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