Fusing the style of classic French songwriters like Jacques Brel and Georges Brassens with the sounds of rock, reggae, and calypso, Jehro was born in Marseille and raised in a household with a diverse range of musical influences. Under his birth name, Jerome Cotta he released L'Arbre et le Fruit in 1999, and while it received strong reviews, Jehro spent the next several years collaborating with other artists. In order to make the most of his growing range of international influences, he formed a group with guitarist Jean MBa, drummer Julien Tekeyan, and vocalists Janice and Audrey; both the group and their debut album were titled Jehro, and the album proved to be a major critical and commercial success in Europe upon its release in 2006.