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Yanick Etienne: Our True Haitian Female Diva

HMI — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:21:47 GMT

Yanick Etienne is no stranger to the music scene. The attractive vocalist started singing professionally since 1979. Her singing style combines jazz, soul and Caribbean flavors to make a completely unique sound: her own. Yanick was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and came to the U.S. with her family in 1970. Shes from a very artistic family. Two of her brothers are musicians and her younger sister is a dancer. She says that she gets her vocal abilities from her mother, who loved to sing as a young girl and was often complimented on her beautiful voice. Shes paid her dues and acquired her experience as a vocalist by doing studio sessions. Shes recorded with a wide-range of artists worldwide. Some of her earlier credits include songs such as TOI recorded with Haitian singer, Jose Tavernier, CARIBBEAN GIRLS with Austin Tuitt from Trinidad, MIRAGE with Yvon Andre (Kapi) of Tabou Combo. Shes done back-up vocals on singer Ti Mannos very last album, lead and back-up vocals on ELITE ORCHESTRA, and DIFE/ELECTRIC COMPA (albums) in addition to vocal performances on several other musical projects.

In 1990, she recorded background vocal tracks for the Italian Rock & Roll group Rocking Chairs, on their album, NO SAD GOODBYES. Her performance on (one of the UKs best known Rock group), ROXY MUSICs album put Yanicks name on the international charts with AVALON, Bryan Ferrys 1982 hit single. Since that time, shes recorded more albums with Ferry including: BOYS AND GIRLS, BETE NOIRE, MAMOUNA and 39 STEPS.

In the summer of 1988, Yanick joined Ferry on his world tour, which included concert stops in the U.S., Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and Europe. Yanicks performances were singled-out for rave reviews by the worlds most prominent newspapers and magazines such as: The New York Post, Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and Japan Times. Her various renditions of AVALON on the 1988-89 World Tour were described as spine-tingling, riveting soulful, angelic, pure poetry, gospel-like, silky, and so on.

In March 1989 after her return from the tour, she commenced preparations on her debut album. I believe that all the studio work that Ive done in the past have helped to prepare me for DERNST EMILE PRESENTS: YANICK ETIENNE. Indeed, we can hear from her performance, the maturity that she has developed as a vocalist. She wrote many of the songs on the album which features her signature hit song MISTE DAMOU, and co-wrote the others with her Husband/Producer DERNST EMILE. Dernst Emile II (Dee), who was 4 years old at the time, superbly co-produced. Yanick feels very strongly about her work being the best that it can be. I cant stand sloppiness in music, she says vehemently. In fact, some of her favorite artists are among the best in the recording industry. Sarah Vaughan, Jon Lucien, Stevie Wonder, Nancy Wilson, Stephanie Mills, Al Jarreau, Patti LaBelle, Luther Vandross are some of the people whove influenced her style of singing. Since the release of her first album, shes made various TV and Radio appearances at HTN in Miami, FL, Metro Magazine TV, Momemt Creole on WLIB radio in New York, in addition to being featured in countless newspaper and magazine articles.

In July 1992, Yanick joined the World Music radio program New York International as an on-air D.J. After an interview with the program director, Al Angeloro, he was so taken with her talent and her personality that he asked her to join the team. In March 1993 she was nominated Best New Artist at the Third Annual Carribbean Music Awards. Her category was presented by none other than Jon Lucien! In June 1993, she guest-starred in Jazz Night at Caf� Arielle-Theatre Row, along with Dernst Emile and ~~ their son, Dernst Emile II (Dee).

In August 1993, she headlined In Concert at Medgar Evers College. Yanicks first promotional concert of her first album was a tremendous success. November 23, 1994, six years after The World Tour, she took the stage with Bryan Ferry once again at The Beacon Theater in New York, as a Special Guest for a performance of AVALON. On May 26, 1995, Yanick was elated when she performed in The General Assembly Hall, at the United Nations 50th Anniversary Celebration. On July 29, 1995, she went home to Ha�ti to perform for the first time at the International Roots Festival (Bouyon Rasin).

Once more, Yanick reunited with Ferry, this time for the ROXY MUSIC REUNION TOUR in the summer of 2001. The concert stops in the U.S. included 2 nights at Madison Square Garden, in New York, performances in Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Los Angeles, also in Vancouver, British Columbia and in Europe: Manchester, Glasgow and London in the UK. Her brand new, just released cd, LOVE SONGS FOR YOU recently hit the U.S. market in September 2004 and is already receiving well-deserved acclaims and accolades from the Floridian media. Recorded, mixed, arranged and produced by her now 19 year old son (Dee), Yanick has come full circle. Her tribute to poetess extraordinaire, Maya Angelou, on MAYA and her rendition of Minnie Ripertons LOVIN YOU sung in Creole are just spectacular! You will savor a mix of songs in her native Creole and English which bring together magnificently the two cultures. Her diversity in styles include succulent Caribbean and Brazilian flavors, R&B, Christian/Gospel, a touch of Hip Hop, all of which aptly describe this body of work. Yanick is looking forward to promoting her cd worldwide.

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The Morse Code

HMI — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:18:08 GMT

By Steve Desrosiers

After coming to some terms with the human scale of the current disaster in Haiti it dawned on me that most of our artistic treasures might be forever destroyed. The Centre D�Art, the murals of Bigaud in St. Trinite, the Presidential Palace itself (a gift from the US) and many other places. And what of the famous Hotel Oloffson? The place around which Graham Greene�s famous novel on Haiti "The Comedians" took shape and which also served as the center piece for the Hollywood film by the same name. Amazingly, the sturdy wood-frame Hotel, stood its ground during the 38 seconds it took for most of Port-au-Prince�s brick structures to collapse.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, the Oloffson�s manager for these past 25 years, Richard A. Morse was among Haiti�s few links to the outside world. He moved his guests from their rooms to the hotel driveway for the night and kept busy documenting the developing situation on the popular "person to whom-ever" website "Tweeter". The world�s news organizations immediately locked into his account and pestered him for information and the permission to share his growing narrative with the world. The most famous of the tweets was among the first, "all my guests slept in the driveway last night, people came up from the streets thinking they were [dead] bodies. Neighbors helping neighbors." Once aid workers started arriving he noticed that those who survived the quake slept outdoors while new arrivals sought shelter even with ongoing tremors.

Richard powered his only link �an apparently slow and overworked PC � to the outside world using a gas propelled generator. It was interesting to follow Richard�s tweets; here was an American bred man who was managing to take life�s rotten twists with a bit of Island humor � the way Graham Greene was perhaps alluding to in his famous novel. The tweets ranged from dramatically alarming, to sarcastically humorous. In one instance he�s relating to some news agency: "I can confirm that many government buildings and homes of the poor are destroyed" and then a bit later, "I just got a cancellation for a reservation at the hotel" or "I asked a priest why so many churches had gone down and he replied, God works in mysterious ways".

I found the "Church" tweet interesting because if there was any truth to American Tele-evangelist Pat Robertson�s claim that Haitians were now suffering God�s wrath because of a pact with the devil, then the Oloffson should have gone down first! After all, since 1985, Richard and his band RAM have religiously entertained guests to the Oloffson with the Vodou rhythms of Haiti�s eccentrically Afro-centric countryside. The very heart of darkness!

Richard A. Morse is almost a character from Graham Green�s insightful novel. He was born in Puerto-Rico to a scholarly American father and the first Haitian woman to have been awarded a professional recording contract, the little known Emerante de Pradine. It is peculiar that Morse was born in 1957, the year of "Papa Doc" Duvalier�s triumph over Haiti. More peculiar that he should find himself in Haiti by 1985, one year before the total demise of the "Baby Doc" Duvalier regime. What a nice twist that he should find himself at the Oloffson at a time when it was in need of a new hero-manager.

Richard, a Princeton grad, was led to Haiti as a result of a deep seated interest in Caribbean music. Yeah! The Oloffson gig was a way to earn bread, while he acted on a hunch to check out Haitian music from some French record producer who probably felt sorry for a guy who couldn�t figure out he�d never make it in New York in a band called "The Groceries" of all things. I�m simplifying of course. But only a great author would think to eventually turn this unlikely character into one of the Island�s celebrated roots musicians. He�d even recover from a bad break up to an American socialite (whose father was ashamed she was dating a musician), by marrying a pretty Haitian girl who was as crazy about Haitian roots music as he was.

Well, it doesn�t end there. The Hollywood adaptation of Graham�s "Comedians" has it�s protagonist get roughed up a few times by local macoutes for his willingness to confront injustice. Richard too has irked Haiti�s power elite for having the same penchant for justice and faced thugs supporting Cedras on one end and eventually those supporting Aristide on the other. He�s likely to get into trouble with Clinton too for recent rants on a popular Haitian website, decrying investments that - from his perspective - stand to benefit an island elite that gets rankled at the mere mention of a fair minimum wage for the average Haitian. But that�s on hold for now with this earthquake business! His current nemesis is the UN contingency itself that has declared the area around his hotel "unsafe" - dropping off aid workers who want to stay in one of Port-au-Prince�s few habitable hotels wayyyyy down the block in an effort to isolate the Olofson from their protection.

I�m sure they�re hoping to send the right message to would be thieves and murderers about where to go if they�re serious about getting away with any looting or killing. Will our hero and his guests survive? Log in, a suivre�a suivre les enfants, a suivre!

Oh and I almost forgot, the title to this piece. Isn�t it interesting that at our darkest hour, well one of our fine collection of dark hours - is a character whose role is to link us via some piece of technology to the outside world? His last name just happens to be "Morse".

Marie Clotilde �Toto� Bissainthe (1934, Cap-Ha�tien, Haiti - June 4, 1994, Haiti)

HMI — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:10:31 GMT

Marie Clotilde �Toto� Bissainthe (1934, Cap-Ha�tien, Haiti - June 4, 1994, Haiti) was a Ha�tian actress and singer known for her innovative blend of traditional Vodou and rural themes and music with contemporary lyricism and arrangements. Born in Cap-Ha�tien in 1934, she left Ha�ti at an early age to pursue her studies abroad. Her career started in theatre with the company Griots, of which she was a founding member in 1956. Griots was at the vanguard of n�gritude-inspired cultural institutions in France, and was the first African theatre company in Paris.

With a groundbreaking performance in 1973 at La vieille grille in Paris, Toto Bissainthe established herself as singer-songwriter-composer, stunning the audience with her soul-stirring renditions of original compositions that paid homage to the lives, struggles, miseries and spirituality of working class and rural Ha�tians.

An artist in exile, Toto Bissainthe will be unable to return to the Ha�ti that so inspired her until the departure of Jean-Claude Duvalier in 1986. However, the multiple disappointments of the unending democratic transition and political infighting would forever embitter the outspoken artist, who had long dreamed of a return to help rebuild her motherland. Saddened by Ha�ti�s social and political degradation, Toto Bissainthe�s health would enter a downward spiral ending with her passing from liver damage on June 4th, 1994.

My 2010 Wishes for you

eve-lor — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:46:15 GMT

May you live in perfect alignment with your life's purpose

May uyou become fearless and stressless

May you see success even in the minor accomplishments

May you become ONE with the GOD in you

&

May you realize that YOU are the universe.

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ZENGLEN BIOGRAPHY

HMI — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:42:47 GMT

It was in the 1980's, in a quiet section of Delmas 18 in Port-au-Prince Haiti, that 2 young talented adolescents were going to make history in the Haitian music industry. They were Garry Didier Perez and Jean Brutus Derissaint.

Every afternoon, the young Brutus would sit on his front porch and play the guitar, his favorite instrument. Garry Didier Perez, who at that time was sharing his passion for singing with his friend Patrick Martineau, often noticed Brutus playing his guitar and one day invited him to come to his friend's house with him at Bourdon. Around the years 1986 � 1987, Garry Didier Perez, Patrick Martineau and Jean Brutus Derissaint would meet every afternoon after school to listen to music and to interpret the songs that they liked. They would listen to all genres of music, but the Zouk seemed to have had a greater influence on them, specially groups such as KASSAV, MALAVOI and RALPH TAMAR.

It's been 2 years now and they never thought about forming a band professionally, but they would rehearse often. It was during one of their rehearsal session, that the noise coming from the speakers caused some empty beer bottles to fall off the amp stand and to break into pieces�the guys looked at each other and started to laugh about the ZENGLEN (broken pieces of bottles) that were on the floor at Patrick's house, which he would have to clean afterward. This particular event would serve them well later on.

In early 1989, the trio decided to start recording at the FX Studio of Jo Dore and Gilbert Bailli, a song entitled "Koule Tan (color of time)". Once the song was completed, they would go to several radio stations to distribute it. When they got to Radio Metropole, they met a very popular DJ named Georgio Leon Emile who had a show called "Cadence des Iles (rhythm of the islands)", asked them for the name of the group�they instantly replied ZENGLEN. There was a journalist there, by the name of Nancy Roc, who said "Wow, here is an original name!" It was then for the first time on the airwave of Radio Metropole that Georgio pronounced these words, "Here is a new birth from the Haitian's music new generation."

That same year, the trio released a song called "Fidel" which had a great and tremendous impact in the Haitian music industry. "Fidel" remained one of the most popular songs of the new generation in the Haitian music scene. With so much success, they decided to form a real professional band and to hire a manager. They enlisted the help of Carl-Henri Desmornes who was the brother-in-law of Patrick Martineau. Carl was a great businessman and was also known as a good and serious negotiation. He has contributed greatly to the development of ZENGLEN. Later on, Fanfan was added as a bass player and Didi was also added to the group as an another keyboard player, next to Patrick Martineau.

In the early 90's, Haiti experienced the ZENGLEN fever. The group was in great demand. They were playing at "Bateau Fou" a club in Petion-Ville, at "Chez Harry's Restaurant" every Wednesday night at an event called "Mercredi � Surprise en ete (Wednesday � summer's surprise)", at "Le Magritte", and also every Sunday at "Steak Inn". During that time, ZENGLEN was the darling and the ideal group of the students at the universities. ZENGLEN would be found playing almost everywhere: Blues Festival, graduations, private parties, recreational journeys, etc. During that same period, they released a new album tiled "An Nou Alez" on the Haitian market. That album showcased the talent of the three musical friends.

At the end of 1991, Ernst Benjamin joined the group as a replacement for Fanfan and David Charles was hired as a singer to replace Garry. During the terrible moments of the international embargo imposed upon Haiti, ZENGLEN went on an international tour with all the musicians, with the exception of Patrick Martineau who was studying to become a pharmacist. ZENGLEN fever would hit Boston, New-York, Colombia, Martinique, Guadeloupe and Canada. After analyzing the socio-political difficulties that Haiti was going through, such as the closing of the Universities, embargo and all, the musicians decided to establish themselves in the United States of America.It was in this adoptive land that the group would go from an Electronic/Digital band, to a Full band.

Many musicians have had the opportunity to play with ZENGLEN, among them, the popular singer Gracia Delva who was living in New-York at that time, Gracia was a friend of Bellande Georges (ex-manager of Tabou Combo). At the request of Bellande, he joined the group at the end of 1995. ZENGLEN found in him the ideal singer. His voice, his stage presence, his spontaneity, his energy have attracted many and have also increased the band's popularity . Bellande Georges, considered by many as the father of Gracia, also contributed a lot to the progress of the group. It was in 1995 that Georgio Leon Emile presented Bellande to Brutus who was looking for a manager in the U.S. Bellande devoted his time, energy and his contacts in the music business so that ZENGLEN could expand. As a result of his contacts, ZENGLEN has had some interesting contracts to perform at some official evening soirees, private and popular in Haiti, as well as abroad.

After taking a much needed break, ZENGLEN released a new album in Miami, titled "Tempo", written by Jean-Herard Richard (Richy) who was chosen by Brutus as a co-maestro of the band. In that album, we also found "Easy Compas", another success, written by Jean Brutus Derissaint.

ZENGLEN went through a lot of experiences, but still came out stronger�Gracia Delva left to form his own group, Reginald Cange and Jean Edouard Jean-Baptiste left to pursue other venues. Now, with the new talented singer Kenny Desmangles, and the latest additional singer Darbens Chery, ZENGLEN offers to those who have been faithful and very supportive since the beginning, a musical treasure chest�5 stars that shine and which will continue to shine in the heaven for the future generations.

Papa Loko, Painter, Musician and a Houngan

HMI — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:12:43 GMT

Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jude The Genius, better known to some as Papaloko, is an artist, whose work is born through trance, the act of falling into a deep meditative state and then being possessed by a spirit whose purpose is to paint strokes of life onto canvas. At about age six, Jude moved on to study sculpture and ceramics, in addition to his dimension interest, at the Art Institute of Saint Jean Bosco and later completed his education at Lycee Antenor Firmin. The Genius has mastered all the disciplines of Haitian art, from native to modern. He has developed a unique and personal style of working with acrylics. His one-of-a-kind textural compositions create a serene excitement.

The Genius� work experiences are in the field of education, illustration, graphic design, sign making and many other disciplines of the visual arts. Solo and group exhibits have been held in his native Haiti as well as Trinidad, Canada, France, and the United States. Papaloko�s work can be found internationally in galleries, private homes, caf�s, restaurants and nightclubs. He is currently putting the final touches on a eighteen-year project at Mango�s Tropical Caf� on Ocean Drive in South Beach, where he was commissioned to design a tropical atmosphere (that covers the entire the facility) within the realms of his extreme creative talent, with paint that shines vibrantly during the day and turns 3-dimentional in the evening hours. A full mural by Papaloko is also featured in the private home of championship boxer Lenox Lewis, as well as at locations such as Tap Tap in South Beach, Club Paradise in New York, and outside the United States in Aruba, Switzerland and Panama.

Rich in natural passion, The Genius brings a vivid awareness of man�s closeness and attachment to the �Spirit World� through his art. After completing a period of study for the Roman Catholic priesthood, Jude determined that a more culturally rooted spirituality would be the road he would take and thus begun a more in depth study of the Vodoun Temple. In 1989 he turned again to music forming a group, Loray Mistik, a vodou pop band. Prior to Loray, Jude got his feet wet with the popular Rara band Koleksyon Kazak. Branching out with Loray allowed Jude to more fully exhibit his talents while teaming up with the power of Vodou ceremonies, panorama, and songs of the drum.

In 1999 Jude founded in Miami Jakmel Art Gallery, Cultural Center and Caribbean Backyard, a center for cultural diversity, awareness, positivity and creation. Jakmel Art Gallery, located at 7646 Biscayne Blvd. houses and displays original artwork by local, national and international artists and maintains a contact-based art-sharing network for artists.

Jude The Genius is a son of Haiti who also led the call for justice in times of civil right violations, such as with the case of Abner Louima�s brutal sodomizing at the hands of New York police officers. Jude�s own sense of moral outrage led him to organize fundraisers for Louima�s defense fund, like an �International Music Festival� in Miami�s Design District, along with other South Florida performing artists.

In 2005 Jude established a non-profit organization, Papaloko4Kids, with the mission of empowering the youth from all communities through the arts. Having witnessed the tragic living conditions that many children experience in Haiti, he committed himself to help the youth in need using the talent he was given, his art. Papaloko4Kids came to life with the goal of providing a space for the children to learn music, dance, arts and crafts, express their talents and be exposed to a positive environment to help their growth with a sense of community and unity.
Papaloko The Genuis

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Select Art Exhibitions (2003-present)
Vodou Doll, February14 - March 21 2003, Jakmel Art Gallery, Miami, FL.
Haitan History Month Celebration, May 1st 2003. Demian B Contemporary Art Center, Miami, FL.
Bwakaiyman 2003, August 15 - September 12 2003, Jakmel Art Gallery, Miami, FL.
Gede, November 1 - November 30 2003, Jakmel Art Gallery, Miami, FL.
Valentine�s Day, February 7-21 2004. Demian B Contemporary Art Center, Miami, FL.
ArtExpo 2004, February 27-29 2004, New York (NY). International Art Show
Art Philadelphia, May 14-17 2004, Philadelphia (PA). International Art Show
Bwakaiyman 2004, August 17-31 2004, PhilosophyBox Art Gallery, New York, NY.
International ArtExpo Atlanta, September 10-12 2004, Atlanta, GA. International Art Show
JudePapalokoThegenius, October 2-30 2004, Farfetched Art Gallery, Kingston, NY.
Art Basel 2004, December 3-31 2004, Jakmel Art Gallery, Miami, FL.
Haiti�s Nightmare, February 26�March 26 2005, Jakmel Art Gallery, Miami, FL.
GEDE 2005, November 1-5 2005, Jakmel Art Gallery, Miami, FL.
The City of Marie Laveau, December 7 2005- February 25 2006, Jakmel Art Gallery, Miami, FL.
Serving the Lwas: Vodou Gods in Haiti, January 22 - March 19 2006, Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Spirits of Haiti, December 2 - December 28 2006, Jakmel Art Gallery, Miami, FL
JudePapalokoThegenius, December 5 - December 31 2008, Jakmel Art Gallery, Miami, FL.
Haiti, Les Visages de Joie, March 14 - April 12, 2009, Miami Design District, Miami, FL
Spirits of Haiti, August 15 - August 30 2009, Gallery LOFT 138, New York, NY

Permanent Exhibitions
Magic Johnson�s Burger King, NW 54th St (Liberty City), Miami, FL
Power Studios, 3701 NE 2nd Ave (Design District), Miami, FL
Mango�s Tropical Cafe, 900 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL
Tap Tap Restaurant, 819 5th St., Miami Beach, FL
Little Haiti Cultural Center, Miami, FL

STIL - (Tet Kole, Live)

steve — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:45:16 GMT

By Steve Desrosiers
"Fanatik Malad" (Dedicated Fans) in the US have been waiting quite some time to hear the "Stil" sound in live format and, alas, what Haitian fans have been exposed to is finally available.

The album "Tet kole" is a collection of seven live performances released on the Tropikal Records label.

The slow and painful demise of the band, K-Dans, heralded the end of an era in Haitian music where it ranked and ruled alongside major players like Zin=2 0and MuzikMizik. The mid 1990's were a time when Haitian bands began to reassert themselves with a little more of the influence and finesse of popular American music. Lead singer Jude Jean at that time was the reserved but undeniably gifted crooner whose skills could match or at least second the vocal feats of American acts like Boyz to Men and perhaps even Jodeci.

Things took a turn of the worst as the millennium introduced a new set aggressive Konpa acts that caused K-Dans to second guess its musical direction. Unfortunately, as that doubt played itselft out, the band unceremoniously parted with the tame Jean to test a more riotous approach to their live performances.

Long story short, Jude Jean eventually teamed up with the founders of Mizik Mizik and released the album "Reveil", his first solo effort. The final demise of K-Dans brought Jude back to a new collaboration with some of his former band mates in a new line up named "Stil". The new band's membership included keyboardist Alfred Lataillade and guitarist Duke Fontaine aka Didi Santana among others.

Stil's Tet Kole is styled after the long running live recordings usually realeased after a successful studio release. The album features a mix of new and old compositions and never rests instrumentally. Its best moments include a live rendition of their new song "Foli", a fantastic melody accompanied by a treasure chest of grooves from both Afred and Didi, Jude Jean's solo hit "Bonita" is also featured live and matched by K-Dans classics like "Ki Lang Ou Pale" and the run away hit collaboration between Jude and Shedley Abraham for his Djaz-La series "De Tanzantan".

"Tet Kole" is a decent release for a live album. The players are talented and totally display their desire to win a place among the industry's new leaders. The songs featured are strong choices that are mostly well performed and were things not a bit overdone instrumentally at times it would be a stronger product. The issue that hinders "Tet Kole" is one of dynamics and there are simply too many guitar and synth notes battling for the spotlight that should be on Jude Jean when he's singing the verses. Jude is also a bit out of his element in the animation department and perhaps a new recruit might take on that role in future releases.

"Tet Kole", despite its flaws, is definitely something to check out if only to discover a few of the moments in groove that Afred and Didi share.

The Haitian Music Industry Today - Part 2

steve — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:40:55 GMT

By Steve Desrosiers

Last month we explored a few of the reasons why Haiti's popular music soared in the 1970s and much of the 1980s. This month we delve into murkier waters; the state of Haitian music promotion.

The current situation is one where most promoters in the industry are interested in promoting bands that have established audiences. Many are interested in predictable profits while making a modest investment of time and effort to effectively plan and market a party. Unfortunately, some choose to cut corners where a show's most important asset - its sound - is concerned. The venue situation has improved in recent years, as many promoters have realized the value of having a party at a locale that is attractive and safe for their audiences. Haitian audiences have to accept blame for the difficulties promoters formerly faced in accessing quality venues for shows, as the partygoers of years past had a penchant for turning other people's expensive dance floors into boxing rings.

The "quick-profit" based approach to hiring bands and artists negatively impacts the possibility for long term growth in revenue, audiences and diverse programming in the industry. Currently, only a handful of bands are sought out to man the many parties that occur in cities like Boston, New York, Atlanta, Miami, Canada and elsewhere. Many promoters will share that audiences are slow to consume music and slower react to a new band. I would counter that over the years, the overuse of the same roster of bands across many states has driven audiences (especially mature audiences) to seek entertainment elsewhere, to end their concert-going days or to seek out Haitian entertainment once a year. The audiences left are those who are new to the scene and exploring their native identity for the first time. For a time they will gorge on the same old acts until they get bored and discover the universe of entertainment options available to them outside of the Haitian music market.

The constant pairing of talented and promising new acts alongside established acts is a sure way to keep the excitement factor alive for old and new audiences. This practice has helped the American music industry keep its many music traditions alive and well. There is always a new band to discover in the AMI and competition among bands to preserve their hold on the number one spot is legendary. All of this activity keeps dedicated audiences interested, entices potential audiences while giving bands a reason to form, become professional and strive to improve their product. Incidentally, this practice protects the business of the promoter. How? The more good bands compete for an opportunity to play, the less the promoter is held hostage by a few bands who, realizing the value of their position, may overcharge for their services.

Marketing is expensive but it is the life blood of the business of arts and entertainment. The quality of the marketing done for most Haitian shows recently is good because many promoters are using the strength of the internet to reach audiences. Advertising on sites like Facebook and the industry's modest number of Haitian music sites is now common practice and a great investment. However, advertising through local papers, cable shows and radio stations that accessed by Haitian and non-Haitian audiences is also a good idea. Diversifying promotional outreach (American radio stations for example) may allow Haitians who live outside of the inner city to discover an event or allow a non-Haitian who may be adventurous enough to also discover the event.

Those to whom music promotion is a serious endeavor should always invest boldly in marketing. Again, American practices have led the way. The reason most of the world responds to American products today is a result of the long term marketing investments of the past. Americans boldly advertise their products wherever there are human beings. Haitian promoters would do well to consider that non-Haitian audiences may respond to an opportunity to discover a new tradition of music. Such long term investments create a path for the survival of the business well into the future. There may come a time when there are as many non-Haitian audiences attending Haitian shows as there are Haitians. Just think, Haitians in America have the opportunity to marry all sorts of non-Haitian folk!

The sound quality at most Haitian parties is notoriously questionable at best. Most promoters hire the cheapest product they can in the area of the party that is most important to consumers - the quality of the band's sound. It is often the case that the "affordable" sound companies hired to amplify Haitian bands have unreliable equipment and unknowledgeable staff setting up and manning the equipment. Too many years of this practice has led today's Haitian bands to travel with their own sound engineers to safeguard some portion of their reputation for consumers. Oh yeah, and the cost of the additional plane ticket cured that shortcut quick - no?

Would you consistently take your friends to a Haitian restaurant with long wait lines and bad food just because it was Haitian? You'd make that mistake once, maybe twice and then revert to mom's kitchen or the Cheesecake Factory because of their reputation for consistent quality. Whether promoters realize it or not, for those of us who live in America, competition for Haitian dollars on Saturday night includes established venues like the House of Blues, Hard Rock Cafe and more. Sure, this generation of Haitian-Americans may put up with a few bad nights, but at $30 a show, smart audiences will weigh their options or at least minimize their frustration by going out less or spending elsewhere!

Many promoters and artists in the industry believe that recent lackluster attendance at Haitian shows is a result of high prices or a bad economy. If that logic holds true, then Haitian bands based in America would have no reason to tour throughout Haiti - the poorest nation in the hemisphere - every single year! The truth of the matter is that bands and promoters lose audiences every time the overall quality of a show is less than what was represented on an album or less than what folks are used to at the average American concert.

You may have noticed that most of the serious musicians of the past have left the field. Promoters in past years were notorious for leaving the great musicians of the past unpaid, half paid, stranded in hotels in foreign countries, etc. In my last article we discussed the quality of today's overall musical products and the lack of ingenuity displayed on most of today's albums. Well, where serious practitioners cannot make a decent living playing music, then they must leave the field in order to support themselves and their families in some other way. Once that happens, the field is left to professional hobbyists! Pay the band!

And speaking of hobbyists, the core of the issue lies in this very word. Many Haitian promoters do not see the business as a vehicle that could make them their own bosses or the leaders of an industry. Hobbyists lack the necessary love, concern and conviction it takes to develop a sense of mission or a vision for Haitian music. The man of business, like the farmer understands that he must first sow, then wait for rain and carefully monitor and assess progress and failure to make the decisions that will guarantee the success of a crop or an investment. Again, I must harp to the American example when I consider that most American bands that "make it" usually don't die poor but live to make a lot of money and one supposes the promoters who put on their shows made just about as much. Acts like the Rolling Stones were treated like royalty by promoters some of whom still enjoy steady profits from the band's shows more than 40 years later! I'll let you do the math.

Imagine a promotion team that strives to be successful enough to offer employment not only to musicians but staff in America and Haiti. Imagine the one industry we could take global, make huge profits and control for the benefit of the people without running for political office.

Ahhh, kite'm domi pou'm reve ti-moun!

The Haitian Music Industry Today - Part 1

steve — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:31:17 GMT

By Steve Desrosiers
I've been running across good articles on the state of today's Haitian music industry lately. Most of these pieces project a justifiably dismal picture of the modern scene. In an unregulated environment, whether we speak of Wall Street or music, we are bound to find all kinds of abuses and irregularities that not only keep potential audiences away but also dedicated artists and the higher profits and international renown they could bring. The modern reality is one where the industry lacks serious recording institutions, musicians, secure venues for performances and visionary promoters and band managers.

These issues are further compounded by the low revenues executive producers can expect to gain from album sales today. The activity or inactivity of fans and concert goers who today feel they would rather buy bootleg products or deserve to get music (not thinking of the studio costs to artists or investors) free add yet another layer of complexity for artists and their investors to surmount!

But wait, look, another "Mone" (mountain)! There is additionally the issue of local radio and television support, especially where new and usually cash strapped artists are concerned. We'll take a look at each of these issues in some modest depth (I'm not an expert!) in the coming months. I would like to start with the topic the articles I read focused on first - the quality of today's music compared to years past.

Part I - The Music:

As a Haitian music critic for a local Boston paper, it is clear the quality and content of today's music is no match to the achievements of Konpa's heyday in the 1970s and 1980s. I limit myself to discussing commercial Konpa because in my opinion, Haiti's progressive musicians - though few in number - and its leading Racine musicians have made considerable progress despite facing the pressures that have severely impacted popular Konpa.

Before delving into the modern situation, it is important to take a look at the environment that allowed for the successes of 1970s and 1980s. The high achievements of Haiti's popular music throughout the 1970s, owes significant debt to the ambitions of one young Haitian man - Issa El Saieh - founder of Haiti's El Saieh Orchestra, the most popular and accomplished orchestra of the early 1950s. It was El Saieh's exposure to American Jazz while a student in Boston that led him to fashion himself after America's Benny Goodman and to determine that he would modernize Haiti's native music with recent developments in Jazz theory.

El Saieh befriended a few talented American trained Jazz musicians while a student in Boston. Upon returning to Haiti, he invited a few of these Jazz players to educate and help train the musicians who would man the El Saieh Orchestra. These American musicians also helped him modernize the traditional arrangements of Haiti's folk music.

The Orchestra was unfortunately rife with dissention and split up after a short time but the musicians who had been trained by El Saieh and his American friends would set the high standard it would take for any Haitian musician to call himself/herself an Artist. Some of El Saieh's ex-musicians - men like Raoul Guillaume - founded their own orchestras and passed on the musical education they received. Others, like Guy Durosiers, established significant international careers as solo artists and set the standard for a generation as aspiring Haitian musicians.

The Haitian public of the 1960s considered big band orchestras as the day's "real" bands. One can imagine that while these great bands trained there was no shortage of younger aspiring musicians who also wanted to learn music and eventually join these orchestras.

These young musicians developed their "chops" by jamming regularly with these established musicians. The best among them would eventually take over the place of their mentors in the day's various "Orchestres". A young Webert Sicot and Nemours Jean Baptiste, the father of Konpa Direk, were among such young men.

The tradition of great musicians being bred in extensive jam sessions led by established musicians would serve as a training ground for many of the musicians who would popularize the Konpa Direk tradition throughout the 1970s. The direct access that inexperienced musicians had to the example and professionalism of their elders helped shape a respect for Haiti's traditional music and culture while fostering a serious work ethic and a tolerance for the risk, growth and innovation that American music demands.

One of the benefits of the Duvalier regime during the 1960s was the advent of a new black working and middle class. A significant portion of this class was able to afford their children an education. At this time a good education in Haiti included basic music theory and some command of Spanish and rudimentary English. Some of these families could also afford a small piano at home and perhaps piano lessons. Others were able to indulge their talented offspring with an instrument of their choosing.

Among the additional factors that helped this generation of musicians was time. Haiti was a third world country which could afford a poor young man few distractions. This want for distraction gave many the opportunity to devote themselves to the mastery of an instrument.

A look at the past and a glimpse of the future

steve — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:23:45 GMT

By Steve Desrosiers
The relationship between musicians and record labels has always been complex. One can�t live without the other. The label must operate efficiently as a business if it is to survive and provide the money necessary to furnish artists with a professional environment to produce albums, market artists to the public, provide proper management or managerial oversight, advance money to artists for living expenses and provide legal services to protect the rights it shares with artists.

Artists on the other hand need to earn enough money from the label to maintain a good standard of living. Of course the label has very different ideas about how much money an artist is entitled to given the risks involved in selling music. No label can predict album sales or influence the thinking that makes and breaks musical trends among youth.

It has been the custom that many labels do not inform artists about the business end of recording, promoting and selling music. Many labels have used this lack of knowledge on the part of artists to their own advantage over the years. Interestingly, this custom may have been the result the nature of the early relationship between artists and the businessmen who ran music publishing companies in the late 1800s, when sheet music was the way profit was made in the music business.

American publishing companies based in Manhattan�s "Tin Pan Alley", an area based around 28th Street in New York during the late 19th century, paid artists a low flat rate for the scores and words to their songs. It was then the publishing company�s role to market songs to traveling minstrel shows. These minstrel shows went across the United States performing tunes from various music publishing companies. If a publishing company could convince the manager or star singer of a popular minstrel to incorporate songs from their catalogue in the act, there was the chance that the song would become popular nationally. Once that happened American consumers could be expected to buy the sheet music from licensed retailers across the country. It took some patience, but profits were made.

Of course, the relationship between artists and major music publishers got way complicated once technological advancements like radio, long running LPs or albums seriously enriched the major players of the industry. By the time technology made record players available to most homes globally, the major American music companies had already divided territory among themselves across the globe and established licenses with retailers all over the world to disseminate America�s music. When we speak of a "record industry" or a real "record label", we speak of the might of this sophisticated corporate network.

Once American artists realized the enormous profits their collective work brought into the major music corporations they began to unionize and organize to fight for more payment or royalties or a larger share in the publishing agreements they had with these major music corporations.

The Haitian record business was and remains a much simpler beast in comparison. Those who got involved in the business were music enthusiasts and not necessarily businessmen looking to establish major corporations to compete across a vast market of people with money to spare. When the American music industry was taking shape, Haiti was no longer the richest Island in the Antilles. It was a third world agrarian economy that was barely touched by the European industrial revolution.

Before the advent of the American occupation of 1915, most Haitians had not been exposed to advancements in the day�s music technology. Cuba established its own recording facility as early as 1902 and it was in Cuba that Haiti�s first professional Orchestra - the El Saieh Orchestra � recorded its tunes. Haiti would not have recording facilities until Ricardo Widmaer established Radio Haiti in 1937. There, Haitian luminaries like Dodof Legros, Anilus Cadet and many others finally gained access to modern recording facilities.

Unfortunately for early Haitian music entrepreneurs like the U.S. educated and Jazz savvy Issa El Saieh, there was no market for music records in Haiti. Most families did not have disposable income to buy record players, so there was no tradition of record collecting on the Island. El Saieh gave away the music he recorded for free to his audience and made his money in live performances.

Haiti�s "major" labels were established in America during the 1960s and 70s. There was Joe Anson�s Ibo label, his son Patrick�s Macaya label, Marc Duverger�s Marc Records, JD Records, Giroboam Raphael�s Geromino Records and more. Unfortunately, the market for the music remained small, uncommitted and distribution networks, where they existed at all, were very modest. There was no promise of profits to help foster anything like the growth of American labels.

The young expatriate audiences of the Mini-Djazz era bought records a bit more consistently than native Haitians. Fred Paul�s Mini Records catered to that generation of Haitian consumers who were actually living in America. Mini was perhaps among the few Haitian record labels that could boast of anything close to an American corporate model. Fred paid bands and musicians for their master recordings and registered his products and one assumes took all publishing rights.

One might also assume that Fred took his risk outright because of his passion for the music. He actually had a real faith in Haitian music�s eventual global appeal. It might look a bit self serving for the head of a label to take full publishing rights, one must remember that the gamble was taken at a time when Konpa was in its infancy, in the hands of talented and one might assume unreliable teenagers often pursuing other academic goals and moonlighting as musicians.

There was no significant market for Haitian music outside of Haiti and the French Antilles. The lack of a native infrastructure to track music sales, limited distribution networks, lack of marketing and funding to sustain an enterprise anywhere near the American model was unavailable.

Fred Paul survived with the backing of trusted family and friends by diversifying his risk and recording a wide variety of Haiti�s music. He invested heavily to guarantee that his product could compete along the lines of American releases. He spared no expense in seeking the services of talented photographers, sound engineers, composers, professional backing musicians, etc. In hindsight, Mini Record�s catalogue seems to have had a monopoly on the best Haitian music ever produced.

Many forget that at the time of these releases, these young Haitian musicians whose brilliant output graced Fred�s studios were considered vagabonds by Haitians and were often ridiculed for using their talents to produce this "simple" music instead of something more, hmmm, classical, French, European even! (smile)

The American record industry is adapting to widespread changes in technology that has affected its once fat bottom line. The advent of technology coupled with the many true and perceived abuses of major American labels have driven many of today�s American artists to establish independent entities capable of using the latest technological advancements to produce and sell their music. Unfortunately, these independent ventures are still hard pressed to produce the kind of financial results the American majors with their sophisticated production, marketing and retailing networks were able to produce.

So, what is the future of the Haitian record business? Tough question! There is a real opportunity to take advantage of the growing Haitian-American market. It is a market already outfitted with a protective and patriotic attitude towards Haitian products. It has disposable income and will have more in the future. Haitian artists definitely need the consistent business backing it takes to properly present and popularize their music on a national and global level. iTunes has revolutionized how we purchase music and how quickly it is available across the globe. These advancements take a lot of overhead expenses out of the equation for the savvy entrepreneur.

All these factors in the mind of a moneyed entrepreneur should spell a viable future for at least one good label for Haitian music. Where�s Chris Blackwell when you need him?

#40 How to Teach yourself piano online

HMI — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 20:44:40 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MogKBCR8_Gs

#39 How to Play Piano: Pedaling

HMI — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 20:43:47 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1rPYxRFQJI

#38 Rolling Chords on Piano

HMI — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 20:43:04 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUAbhUTDrms

#37 Teach your kids Piano

HMI — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 20:42:23 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzmrtC4XhGY

#35 Scales in 6th's & 3rd's; Also Formula Patterns, Learn How to Play Piano

HMI — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 20:41:37 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPVc5ExuzUg