Mozayik’s sound draws upon the rich heritage of traditional Afro-Haitian rhythms, mixing them with the instrumentation, melodic and harmonic sensibilities and improvisation of jazz. Mozayik also includes Cuban and Brazilian jazz as sources of inspiration.
The group draws from a diverse array of other influences: classical, jazz, gospel and funk are all part of the Mozayik sound. The members of Mozayik bring together multiple talents and years of performing and recording experience.
Mozayik’s self-titled debut recording received good coverage in the United States and Haiti. The band’s second CD Rhythmic Reflections (re-released as “Haitian Creole Jazz” by Zoho Music) includes traditional Haitian folkloric drum beats: Nago, Mayi, Ibo, Rara, Kontradans, Kongo and Petwo.
The compositional talents of drummer Gashford Guillaume, guitarist Eddy Bourjolly and pianist Welmyr Jean-Pierre are evident on this recording as the tunes are literally written to the Haitian drum patterns.
Discography:
Mozayik (2000)
Rhythmic Reflections(2004)/Haitian Creole Jazz (Zoho Music, 2005)
website: www.mozayik.com
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.
