Lataye – Tou Manbre (Dadisound Productions, 2005) & Mozayik – Haitian Creole Jazz (Zoho, 2005)
Some of the best Haitian music is being produced in the United States, thanks to the vibrant expatriate communities. Lataye is a new band, but the musicians are veterans in the Haitian music scene. Lataye is led by Daniel ‘Dadi’ Beaubrun and Marjorie Beaubrun, founding members of the much-admired Boukman Eksperyans.
Tou Manbre follows the Haitian Vodou Rasin style, showing that Lataye is one of the finest acts in the category. Their sound is rootsy and well polished, staying away from pop simplicity. In addition to Haitian roots, Lataye incorporates other world sounds, such as African rhythms, rock, and reggae.
Producer and songwriter Daniel ‘Dadi’ Beaubrun states: ‘This is the accomplishment of an important project. It’s my heart, soul and spirit. I wanted to share my music, my culture and the message of unity that the earth needs right now. I wanted my people to know that some of us still care for the well-being of Haiti and this CD is my contribution towards it. The lyrics are my thoughts. It’s the way I see certain things. It’s a reflection of personal experiences. Sometimes the people’s voice can’t be heard, so I write about things they would want to say so the world could hear their plea.’
The cover artwork on Tou Manbre is by Jude Papaloko, a famous Haitian painter and musician who lives in Miami.
Mozayik is a Haitian band formed by first-rate musicians who fuse jazz with traditional Afro-Haitian rhythms, as well as Cuban and Brazilian jazz. In 2004, Mozayik released their second self-produced CD, Rhythmic Reflections. This recording was picked up by New York City jazz label Zoho Music, and re-released as Haitian Creole Jazz in May 2005.
The CD features effective Haitian folk drum rhythms as Nago (Sa te Bel) Mayi (Pen Mayi), Ibo (Mireille), Rara (Caravan & Moving On), Kontradans (African Queen), Kongo (Limye) and Petwo (The Journey).
Buy Tou Manbre and Haitian Creole Jazz.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
