By
Tequila Minsky, Heritagekonpa Magazine
Mozayik
and Blues in Red Band (Buyu Amboise) bring together fine musicians from the far
corners of the world who share a profound understanding of jazz's harmonic
complexity and improvisational freedom. Drawing on Haiti's rich musical legacy,
they produce an enjoyable hybrid that expands the boundaries of Haitian music
and resides solidly inside the jazz tradition.
Continuing
with the Haitian Jazz tradition these two bands played SOB’s on February 11 and
will be playing along with Emeline Michel, Mushi Widmaier; Beethovas Obas;
Reginald Policart and others at the Haitian Jazz Festival in Miami on April 21.
At Champ
de Mars in Port-au-Prince on March 9, Thurgot Theodat, Mushi Widmaier, Reginald
Policart; Joel Widmaier and others will be playing.
Click
here to answer the question ( Is there such a thing as Haitian Jazz?)
Album
Review: Buyu Ambroise
Fifteen
years ago, jazz saxophonist Alix Buyu Amboise heard Anonse (Announcing)
also called Priye Ginen (Prayer to Ancestors) on an old Atlantic album
recorded by ethnomusicologists interested in documenting Haitian folkloric music.
This was his first source to traditional Haitian music since he left Haiti as
a young boy. He decided--given the opportunity--to record it some day and
so, it is now the lead song on his new CD, Marasa. The CD is named for
the Haitian vodou god (lwa) Marasa, which means twins and represents abundance
and all those born in special circumstances.
As
Buyu's second CD with the Blues in Red Band, Marasa reflects
an abundance of interpretations in the jazz medium. Between the three traditional
Haitian melodies including the rara tune Dilere with the textured and authentic
rhythms of master Haitian percussionist Tiga (James Jean-Baptiste), four cuts
are reinterpretations by other Haitian musicians.
Plezi
Mize (Pleasure in Misery)--a seeming contradictory title--has pulsing rhythms,
mellow sax riffs, a vibrating piano solo and is a joy to listen too. It was composed
by Beethova Obas and made famous by Haitian diva Emeline Michel when she recorded
it in 1986. From a more traditional jazz source, the Wayne Shorter cut Footprints
gives space for the bass and percussion to groove together....
FULL ARTICLE
