Guilhem Gallart used to speak with a thick, southern French accent, his voice deep and slightly nasal, topped by a faint lisp. Now, his family jokes with him that he sounds like a GPS device. His wife and two daughters, Mr. Gallart said, sometimes call his old cellphone number just to hear his voice mail greeting. Losing his distinctive voice, he said, has felt like surrendering an essential part of himself, as sound has been his life’s passion. Better known as Pone, he is a music producer and beatmaker who once belonged to one of France’s most popular old-school rap groups, the Fonky Family.

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Persons: Guilhem Gallart, Gallart, beatmaker