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Haiti Troubadour Live In New York On Saturday March 29, 2003, Haiti Troubadour presented a tour the force at Amazura nightclub, in the heart of Queens, New York. Nearly 5,000 New Yorkers attended Haiti Troubadour’s all-star lineup, which featured two generations of 42 acclaimed Haitian musicians, including the great saxophonist Loubert Chancy, Dieudonne Larose, Rodrigue Millien, Isnard Douby, Andre Dejean, Fabrice Rousier, Keke Belizaire, Ivon Gerome, Wyclef Jean, Michael Benjamin, Jube Jean, Jacque Sauver Jean, Jude Jean, Jn.Michel St Victor, Michel Martely, onton Bicha, Carl Fred Bebrmann, Steve Valcourt, Raymond Cajuste, Jose Tavernier, Parisien Fils-Aime, Armstrong Jeune, Boulo Valcourt, Masc Bellange Jacquet (choupit), Claude Marcelin, Moise Temitis, Wesner St. Louis, Yves Joseph (fanfan), Eddy Brisseaux, Jo Damas, and James Germain among others. An hour before the music began, the Amazura nightclub was already filling up, as people attempted to find a place as close to the stage as possible. The restless audience cheered enthusiastically in for the Haitian Troubadour musicians to begin the show. By the time the music began and the lights were dimmed the club was full to the brim with cheering fans eager with anticipation. Click on individual picture for a better view
Even though the event did not start on time as advertised, it was worth the wait. The concert was well organized and well planned. The event started precisely at 10:55 with the introduction of all the artists. The crowd was then graced with a powerful performance of the Haitian anthem, “Pour le Pays Pour La Patri”, by James Germaine. This propelled the crowd into an initial euphoria of patriotism, with people displaying Haiti’s national flag. Subsequently, Jacque Sauver Jean entertained the Haitian crowd with his famous song, “Haiti Cherie”, a plea for social and structural changes in Haitian society. Haiti Troubadour, the show, was by far the greatest event in recent Haitian music history, not because the movement succeeds where other Haitian events have failed in – impartiality, a lack of organization, and management savvy. Haiti Troubadour epitomizes and embodies all that is good in Haitian music and society – unity among Haitian artists. All the credit should be given to some of the most respected Haitian artists in the music industry, Fabrice Rousier; Keke Belizaire; and Eric Charles, the visionaries behind the Haiti Troubadour music movement that revitalized Haitian Twoubaour and brought together two generations of Haitian artists under a single platform. Fanfan Tibot, of Zafen productions, and Jamming productions’ investors who sponsor the event deserve tremendous credit as well for bringing Haiti Troubadour to New York. Haiti Troubadour the Tour in the big apple would not be that successful without the showmanship of Konpa poster boy Sweet Micky. He was the master of ceremony for that evening, he kept the crowd entertained thoughout the concert with flamboyant antics. Sweet Micky has once again proven that he is still a force in the Haitian music industry. The Haitian crowd attending the concert behave exceptionally well. There was no report of any incident. It certainly would benefit the music industry if Haitian partygoers were to conduct themselves in that manner all the times. GIVE US YOUR FEED BACk ABOUT THE CONCERT
The opening riff to Shak Shah classic song “Haiti”, performed by Michel St Victor ‘Zouzoul’, received immediate applause and gave Loubert Chancy room for some sax improvisation, which was ideal for the song's lively feel. The public enjoys this type of variation in live shows because it adds a vitality that studio recordings often lack. Claude Marline and Keke Belizaire, two of the best Haitian guitar players, make an interesting alternative famous guitarist Slash. Later on in the concert, there was a lengthy display of musicianship following Larose and Rodrigue Millien’s excellent performances. The tempo picked up tremendously with charismatic artistic displays, by both Jude Jean and Michael Benjamin, with their respective performances. Each time there was a break in the background music, the crowd, especially the ladies, enthusiastically cheered these young talented singers. Diane, a hit song from Haiti Troubadour’s first album, worked particularly well, with screaming music fans. Towards the end of the song, Don Kato and Company energized the crowd with stunning moves. But a surprising performance by Hip Hop and R&B super star, Wyclef, in collaboration with Haitian music’s most colorful artist, Sweet Micky, stole the show. Wyclef’s live interaction on stage with Sweet Micky was unprecedented. The hardcore sound of MPV Kompa came through very well, as Fabrice Rousier improvised with the keyboard. Often when musicians improvise to this extent, the feel of the song can be lost as the melodies become more and more complicated. However, in this case the crowd loved it THIS WEEK POLL Do you think that Haiti's political, social, and economic structure would have been different had we been given our independence by Toussaint L'Ouverture instead of Jean J. Dessaline?(we hope you're understand both leaders polical concept and ideology). Click here to vote END OF POLL The festivity continued with an acoustic approach in Excuse Me, one of Wyclef's more serious songs. In response to the crowd's persistent cheering, Wyclef decided to join the crowd on the floor. The ladies went crazy, many of whom attempted to touch Wyclef, but unfortunately for them, his body guards maintained complete control of the situation. There was (do you mean no unruly behavior?) unruly behavior with this respectful crowd. The show proceeded as scheduled, with an amazing performance from the 22 year old,Tonton Bisha, who displayed arrays of moves during the performance of Haiti's second national anthem " Je vais" with Eric Charles. But it was difficult for any other artist to top Wyclef Jean and Sweet Micky’s lengthy performance. Notably were the absences of Alan Cave, Black Alex, Pouchon Diverge, and Roberto Martino(T-vice was scheduled to play in California that weekend). Gracia Delva certainly has a good explanation for not being there due to immigration legality, but we are not certain why the other artists did not participate. We will bring you more information as it becomes available. The musicians who took part in this historic event earned tremendous respect from Haitian music fans. To date, Haiti Troubadour is the most successful event organized in the Haitian community, in New York. Yves Joseph's jovial personality combined with his business ability made this show truly an electric experience. Click on individual picture for a better view
The show proceeded as scheduled with Jose Tavernier and the rest of the artists, but it was difficult for any other artist to topple Wyclef Jean and Sweet Micky performance. Notably was the absence of Alan Cave, Black Alex, Pouchon Diverge, and Roberto Martino. Gracia Delva certainly has a good explanation for not being there, but we're not certain why the other artists did not participate. We will bring you more information as it becomes available. The musicians who took part in this historic event earned tremendous respect from Haitian music fans. To date Haiti Troubadour is the most successful event organized in the Haitian community in New York. Yves Joseph's character combined with his business ability made this show a truly electric experience. We
will be adding more pictures this week
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