Chronique no. 29 | Chronique Index

If you are still looking for a musical gift for a friend who may or may not be Haitian, there are still a lot of nice CDs on the market. As usual at this time of the year, Mini All Stars has a new CD out, entitled " Compas 2000 ". As the name indicates, you will find quite a number of stars on the album, such as the lead singer, Raymond Cajuste, Ralph Condé and his fluid guitar sound, Sabine Francoeur as the lead singer on tune No. 4 and many more. Tune No. 6 is a very nice interpretation of the hit, of a few years ago, by Camerounian singer Daouda: Mon coeur balance. The lead singer is none other than Boulo Valcourt and the conga player Lenor Fortuné, better known as Azor. Whether playing Konpa, jazz, or Rasin, he is at ease, proving how versatile he can be. Tune No. 4 is also a very nice interpretation of the late Selena hit: Bidi Bidi Bom Bom as adapted by T-Vice. The mixing is very good, all instruments can be heard clearly and the best surprise of all: the Kreyòl spelling is quite adequate, I would say 98% correct. If you are a fan of Mini All Stars, this should be a nice addition to your collection, for it makes nice dancing music.

Recently in New York, I got acquainted with a CD by an artist called Patchouko. His real name is Jean Dorvil. I was happily surprised. The CD is entitled " Wetchenn " and I found it quite nice. Patchouko's style is not Konpa. He plays a mixture of Rasin music, reggae and slow rock. At times, his sound reminds me of Boukan Guinen. What I like with this music is that every song has a message which reflects the orientation of the singer. The lyrics clearly show that Patchouko is concerned by the great social ills which affect the Haitian society: health, corruption, exploitation, a bad justice system, lack of leadership, literacy, and so on. Patchouko pleads for a more equitable society, real nationalism and an end to hypocrisy. Tunes No. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11 all contain powerful messages. Tune No. 8 is a nice nostalgic and slow Christmas melody. Tune No. 9 is a nice tribute to the Haitian woman. The lyrics are a welcome change from other Konpa dirèk groups dealing with the same theme (their lyrics are so flat and so lacking in creativity, their choice of words is so bad that the song almost become demeaning to the Haitian woman instead of elevating her). In this case, Patchouko's lyrics are noble, he asks for laws to be voted in their favor so that they can be protected from birth. The mixing is good, the musical arrangements are nice. Patchouko has a voice which allows him to sing very high notes. While he is never off key, in the long term, I am afraid that he may be doing harm to his voice by continuously singing so high. I highly recommend this album not only for the music (he plays some very nice reggae too), but for the deeply rooted messages , the meaningful lyrics and the seriousness of the themes the artist introduces in his songs. Do not delay in adding it to your collection.

Also in New York, I got my hand on an album which came out some time ago. I had heard of it but was never able to find it. Guy Durosier, 10 ans après is a very nice album which should be featured in any collection. The first tune is a medley of slow tunes (boleros) in which Durosier sings a great number of his hits. That will take a number of us down memory lane. The musical arrangements are very modern, with some wonderful harmony. Durosier is accompanied by some Latin American musicians as well as his daughter Jenny and Arsène Appollon from Ska Sha. Tune No. 2 is entitled Boat People and it is a poignant tribute to the Haitian refugees who had to flee Haiti by boat and die at sea. The lyrics reflect Durosier's strong nationalism. Musically, well this is vintage Durosier: nice phrases and nice horn. You can recognize in the background Durosier playing the saxophone. In tune No. 4, Durosier deals with the issue of Aids and Haitians. You can feel the anger in the lyrics and Durosier's indignation, particularly in tune No. 4. Listen to those lyrics and you will feel like screaming to the whole world. If anything, Durosier never hesitated to claim his Haitian heritage wherever he went; no wonder he was designated "The Ambassador of Haitian Music" . This particular song is proof of that. These songs were recorded in Brazil and Colombia and that is probably why you can hear some bossa nova on the album. He is also supported by a few Brazilian musicians. Tune No. 6 is played on a Konpa Dirèk beat. While he made a lot of arrangements for Konpa groups, this the first time I actually hear Durosier playing pure Konpa.dirèk. The mixing could have been better though; I find that some instruments do not come out clearly enough. Otherwise, I highly recommend this album for the music and the lyrics. It should be a collector's item.

Have you ever heard of a group called Amanda? Most likely not. Well Amanda is a Swedish Group which was formed in 1981 in the Swedish City of Gothenburg. The liner notes indicate the purpose of this album entitled " Café Créole " : " They set out to mix the traditional sound of Haiti and Swedish songs into a blend of Creole Music. ". And believe me they do quite a job. Singing a cappella and supported by drums, the group sings traditional Haitian songs such as: Peze Café, Wangol, Papa Loko, Gede Nibo, Ezili. Its treatment of Tune No. 3 Wangol, reminds me of this famous Haitian choir called Choeur Simidor. You rally have to strain to hear any accent from those Swedish nationals singing in Kreyòl. In fact, the musicians understand the music so well that tune No. 5 Rara Papiyon is a Rara written by the band leader Sten Källman. Most of the musical arrangements on the CD are also made by him. The arrangements on tune No. 8 Frè O are very good. The singing is just wonderful and it is a tribute to our culture that people as far away as Sweden not only take interest in our music, but set out to disseminate it in their society. So this is an album I recommend highly; it is original, the singing is very nice and the musical arrangements are excellent. Make sure you add it to your collection.

Serge Bellegarde