Bethéla is a Melanesian folk group from the Hapetra tribe on Lifou Island in New Caledonia. Active since the 1970s, they are considered one of the pioneering groups of recorded Kanak music. The group is particularly associated with the traditional guitar and vocal harmonies characteristic of the Loyalty Islands.

In the mid-1970s, Bethéla was among the first Kanak bands to enter a recording studio. The success of their early recordings helped to spread their music throughout New Caledonia, at a time when local productions circulated primarily in the form of records, cassettes, and eight-track cartridges. An initial lineup of the group was presented by Mangrove Productions under the names Rial, Lexys, and Sonolor.

Bethéla's journey is closely linked to that of Jules Canehmez, guitarist, composer, and a key figure in the group's history. After a long hiatus, the band resumed its activities within a family setting. Jules Canehmez's children encouraged him to return to the stage and accompanied him to concerts organized in the Loyalty Islands and on the mainland.

This new generation includes Didier Canehmez on guitar and vocals, Henri Canehmez on bass and vocals, Abel Canehmez on ukulele and vocals, and Paulette Canehmez on vocals. The group thus perpetuates its repertoire while uniting several generations of the same family.

In the early 2010s, Bethéla worked with Mangrove Productions for the first time on the album Vie d'innocence. Comprising ten tracks, this album includes Amour perdu, Ekölö nöje drehu, Susujë hmunë, La Mélodie, Nyiso eidr, and the title track, Vie d'innocence. The compositions were written by Jules, Didier, Henri, and Abel Canehmez.

The recording also features Alice Hace on backing vocals, Saono Hamu on drums and percussion, and Jean-Michel Waihae on ukulele. Recorded at Studio Mangrove in Nouméa, the album was then mixed and mastered by Derek Métivier at Mixtup Studio in Auckland, New Zealand.

With a discography spanning several decades and various formats, Bethéla occupies an important place in the history of Melanesian folk and Kanak music in New Caledonia. Her career also testifies to a family, musical, and cultural transmission between several generations of artists from Lifou.