Chronique no. 53 | Chronique Index

November 22, 2001

Last week in Cuba, a chapter of Haitian culture came to an end with the passing of the famous Haitian female singer Martha Jean-Claude, who is frequently referred to as the " Grande Dame de la Chanson Haïtienne " . And for good reason.

Perhaps, no one since Lumane Casimir had had such an impact on Haitian culture as Martha Jean-Claude did . Her first album , " Songs from Haiti ", had set the tone. A simple look at the choice of songs on the album clearly pointed to Martha Jean-Claude's orientation : she aimed at enhancing the music of Haiti and culture through her music, her rythms, her African roots. The Haitian composers whose music she chose to interpret were among the best : Ludovic Lamothe, Rodolphe Legros, Mauléard Monton, Auguste Despradines. In the liner notes on another album entitled " Martha Jean-Claude chante Haïti - A voodoo experience ", the great Haitian poet Anthony Phelps, describing the singer's great humility, says that " for her, the quality of her art (was) not a reason for personal pride. ". Phelps goes on to quote Martha herself: " When the audience applauds me, when I sing before famous men who express their appreciation to me, when I am recognized on the streets, I am proud, of course. But not for me. I am proud simply because I am convinced that through me, it is Haïti which is the subject of this honor, it is all my people who find reason to look up, to raise their heads, who find reasons for pride. " That says a lot about Martha Jean-Claude's character and personality.

It is thus understandable she decided to go into exile under the Magloire regime rather than witness injustice and abuses, and remain silent. One can only speculate how she would have evolved in Haiti if she had been able to stay, but she was most productive from the time she left for exile in 1952 first to Venezuela, and then to Cuba where she spent the rest of her life. She only went back to Haiti to visit 34 years later, after the fall of Jean-Claude Duvalier, at the invitation of the Mayor of Port-au-Prince. She continued to sing and promote Haitian culture in Cuba. President Préval honored her in 1996 with the " Honneur et Mérite de l'Ordre des Officiers ", a well deserved tribute to her strong convictions which she never compromised.

Martha Jean-Claude may be gone physically, but her fighting spirit remains alive, an example of moral strength, vitality, force of conviction, talent and keen sense of self-esteem. Another great Haitian female singer named Lody Auguste wrote a most powerful Kreyòl poem on the occasion of Martha Jean-Claude's passing, and it is only fitting that I conclude this tribute with a loose translation of a passage of the poem, originally written in Kreyòl:

What right would Martha have to leave us ?
Such energy will never die.
A strong woman, a woman from Haiti, a woman from CubaHaiti,
a woman with conviction, full of capabilities,
A woman who can fight, a woman who can love, a woman who brings in the rain
The kind of rain which will make the roots of the new generation blossom
…..I will never cease to sing to you, Martha

Martha Jean-Claude's spirit, if not her presence will continue to inspire and provide strength , for such was her life as an artist, a militant, a woman, a staunch defender of her people. It is my fervent wish that Haitian female artists get together to plan for a ringing tribute to the "Grande Dame de la Chanson Haïtienne", in recognition of her contributions to Haitian culture. May that wish come true in the near future!

Serge Bellegarde