Born in France, Paul Defour started his trumpet studies at the Conservatoire national de région de Saint Etienne (Rhône-Alpes, France) at age 14 after studying piano and music theory for four years. Three years later, he finished his musical studies with a First Medal in trumpet. He then played many ensembles (Stage Band , Concert Bands). He arrived in Québec in 1968 and started playing with the Cercle Philharmonique de Saint-Jean, and followed other groups in Montreal and the South-Shore of Montreal to come back to the Cercle Philharmonique in 1999-2000 before joining the brass quintet for whom he suggested the name of Brass Kamarades which was adopted unanimously. Once again, many thanks Paul.

Native of St-Jean-de-Brébeuf, a now closed village since 1965 near the Baie des Chaleurs, he grew up in Marieville in the Montérégie region. Claude Jean, a self taught musician, took a few trumpet lessons. He played with the Union musicale de Marieville during numerous years before conducting the group in the 80s. He also played in a Bavarian orchestra, in a few Stage Bands, in choirs and as well in the Montreal Garrison Music. He also conducted the Cercle Philharmonique de Saint-Jean. Multi-talented, Claude Jean is a researcher in musical language structure with Michel Perrault and Jean-Claude Bélanger. Furthermore, the Institut de recherche Pantonal Inc that disappeared due to lack of funding is now split in 2 entities, one under the Éditions Consonance, a french site and the english version under musicnovatory.com, a site that can leave a lot of people behind on the matter of musical theory.

Claude Jean is also a composer and a musical arranger. He left his footprint at Brass Kamarades, signing a good dozen of quintet arrangement, mostly latin and Christmas music. He also made an arrangement for quintet and church organ of the St-Cecile Mass which was played by Opus-Lib Brass quintet in the Eastern Township.

Originaly from the Saguenay region, André started playing slide trombone in his 3rd year of high school and joined the music of the 634th Cadet under Mr. Robert Mclean in 1975 and switched for the trumpet.

He took private lessons with Robert Mclean for 3 years. He then was accepted at the Conservatoire de Musique de Chicoutimi under Mr Gilbert Blais. He became a member of the Harmonie du Saguenay in 1978, joined the Harmonie du régiment du Saguenay in 1980. In 1981, André is doing music with the group Kéno Beer Band for a good 3 years. He also played for a Stage Band named Contre Point of Alma while being a student at the Alma Cegep in music from 1981 to 1983. Employed with the Canadian Armed Forces in Esquimalt (BC) in the Music School under Marty Vanderweer. In August 1984, André was mutated to the Canadian Forces Central Music in Ottawa. In June 1990, he joined the Artillery Music in St-Hubert, in June 1992, he was promoted to conductor of the Voluntary Music at the St-Jean Garrison. In September 1998, he joined the Cercle Philharmonique de St-Jean and took the presidency of the group in 2000 to replace Denis Desnoyers who was leaving his post after 6 years. In September 2000, with Denis Bellemare, he founded Brass Kamarades. Unfortunately, in May 2001, still employed by the Armed Forces, he was transfered to the Music of the Royal 22nd Regiment. In December of the same year, he was transfered to the Artillery Music in Edmonton. André had not said his last word in music because from 2002 to 2004, he undertook private lessons with the renowned Jens Lindemann.

In June 2005, he took a well deserved retirement form the Canadian Forces and established in Delta BC, near Vancouver. In septembre 2005, he became the musical conductor of the Delta Music Makers.

He spent his 2006 summer vacation in the Saguenay and decided to come back to his roots. So, in September 2006, he took his chair back, twenty-eight years later, as a member of the Harmonie du Saguenay.