Countries Archives: Haiti

Compas

In the early 20th century Haiti developed a tradition of “twobadou” (troubadour) music, which was a personal, folksy style like American blues. In the ’30s and ’40s, big bands had replaced “twobadou” as the most popular music and by the ’50s Haitian band leader Nemours Jean-Baptiste had pioneered a style known as COMPAS, which wedded Haitian folk music with merengue rhythms (1-2, 1-2–we’ll look at meremgue below), African percussion and American big band jazz. According to AllMusic.com’s brief introduction to COMPAS, “Although similar to merengue, compas has a more driving rhythm; its moderate tempo is paced by a steady bass, which anchors the drum and cowbell percussion.” Or, as The New York Times puts it: “COMPAS, Haiti’s pop music, is a mass of rhythmic complication, in which syncopations are accented and pass for downbeats, and rhythms interlock and repeat, all for the benefit of dancers.” Watch COMPAS favorites Tabou Combo perform live in L’Olympia.

Documentary about Kompas Direct:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuPBupAHsLs

Haiti–Rara

Haitian rara music is very much music of the street. Rara bands wielding drums, maracas, multiple hand percussion instruments and long bamboo trumpets called vaksen take to Haiti’s streets in raucous public processions, ostensibly to celebrate Easter week, but in reality to celebrate much more. Rara is associated with Haiti’s history of African and Afro-Creole slavery, during which enslaved Haitians would sometimes be able to parade on Eastern Sunday.

In All Around This World classes we experience a rara procession and par-tay!

More information:
A first-hand account of rara | YouTube: Vaksen in action | Rockin’ umbrella Rara!

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Haiti–When you go there

Even before the 2010 earthquake, traveling to Haiti wasn’t easy. Being the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere, and one with a history of dictatorships and coups to boot, the nation has little tourist infrastructure. All but the most independent of independent travelers stayed away…which left the nation’s welcoming people and exceedingly rich culture wide open for those with a wide open mind. Unfortunately the earthquake damaged or destroyed most of whatever infrastructure existed; repairs will take years. If you do plan to go to Haiti and want to find out more about traveling there, start with Travelholic.com, which tells you the best and worst things about the Travelholic’s most recent Haitian backpacking adventure.

More information:
Wikitravel on Haiti | “Why Haiti needs tourists”

Lesson 3: Haiti

This week in All Around This World classes we take music class to Haiti, a country with a proud rebellious streak and a terribly troubled recent past. Haiti’s history is a tale of unfortunate external manipulation, devastating internal failure and the ability of a resilient people to somehow survive.

— OVERVIEW: Haiti is a country with so many stories to tell, from the triumph of rebellion to a seemingly endless string of natural disasters.

— MUSIC: Haiti’s traditional music rose from African rhythms mixed with the melodic joie de vivre of the French.

— LANGUAGE: We speak Haitian Creole, a mix of French, African languages and so much more.

— WHEN YOU GO THERE: Traveling to Haiti may not be easy but it will surely be worthwhile.

— RARA: We take to the streets in Haiti to elect on of our classmates president.

Explore these All Around This World songs from Haiti:

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Explore these musical genres from Haiti:

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Petiti Oiseau

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COUNTRY: Haiti

LANGUAGE: French

“Petit Oiseu” is a French folk song, sung in Haiti, about a lilting little bird. I first heard this song on the Smithsonian Folkways CD, Caribbean Songs and Games for Children.

Lyrics of All Around This World version:

Oh little bird, come with me

Here’s the cage I bought for you

And the fruit I’ve picked, you’ll see

And the flowers wet with dew

Petit oiseau viens avec moi

Voir la cage si bien parlee

And the flowers wet with dew

And the fruit I’ve picked, you’ll see

Raisin De

COUNTRY: Haiti

LANGUAGE: Haitian Creole

This chant, found on Alan Lomax in Haiti means “two roots—wood wood!…which doesn’t seem to mean much of anything. With that said, the term “mizik rasin,” or Haitian “roots music,” does mean a lot, especially to Haitians who are drawn to a fusion of Haitiain vodou and rock ‘n roll.

Lyrics of All Around This World version:

Raisin de, bwa bwa

Raisin de, bwa bwa bwa bwa bwa bwa

Loi Loo

(this is a video of “Loi Loo” with a special bonus celebration of Haitian Ancestry Day)

COUNTRY: Haiti

LANGUAGE: Haitian Creole

“Loi loo” isn’t a song on its own but a phrase tucked into one of the many songs on the extraordinary Alan Lomax box set, Alan Lomax in Haiti.

Lyrics of All Around This World version:

Loi-loo, lo lo lo lo lo

Loi-loo, la la la lo lo

Angelique O

COUNTRY: Haiti

LANGUAGE: Haitian Creole

A traditional Haitian lullaby about a girl who comes to live with a family to help with chores but can’t cook or clean well enough to stay . . . or at least that’s what it is on the surface. People in Haiti in the early 20th century understood the song as a thinly veiled rallying cry against the U.S. occupation.Found on the Smithsonian Folkways album, “Haitian Folk Songs.”

Lyrics of All Around This World version:

Angelique, oh, Angelique, oh
Allé calle manman ou

Anglique, oh, Angelique, oh

Go to your mama

Go back to your mama, dear, allé calle manman ou