Port-au-Prince International Jazz Music Festival

Rene Devis & Tequila Minsky, Heritagekonpa Magazine.

The International Jazz Festival of Port-au-Prince 2008 wrapped up March 9th with its final concert at the historical park of Cannes-a-Sucre on the Tabarre Road. A full turn-out almost filled the seating and the tables of this outdoor venue. Dignitaries from collaborating embassies and the UN were present.

On the bill, musicians Dirk and Franz-double upright bass and vibraphone from Berlin, Germany, performed their simple yet complex music for over an hour, a big change from the earlier performances highlighting larger bands and trios. A captivated Haitian audience was offered yet another take on the multiplicity of jazz. The eight-day program included Spanish music with a flamenco flavor (Jerez-Texas), Brazilian (Clube do Choro Do Brasilia), straight ahead jazz, jazz singing, jazz with Haitian influences, and Haitian jazz (Badji).

From TNH Television, the 3-camera video projection of the German musicians, which was broadcast live, used very effective fades, double exposures and close-ups of the musicians' performing hands. Interested people who could not make it to the concerts made up for it by watching some broadcast live on television. Mushy Widmaier on keyboard joined the two Germans in their final number for a total improvisation. Dirk announced, "We don't know what to expect." With all the musicians listening hard to each other, as they later explained, their sounds worked together, swapping the leads during the piece.

Brought by the German Embassy, the Haiti stop lasted a little more than 24 hours for these two musicians on a two-week tour. Having played three days in Mexico, after Haiti, their next stop is Santo Domingo. Seems that the vibraphone cases, too big to pass the door of the commercial flight that connects Haiti to the D.R., required an overland trip to Santo Domingo in a van large enough to accommodate three vibraphone cases and the upright bass and its bulky case.

On the last evening, Chilean band Siroco Trio played next, followed by the all-Haitian performance with Mushy Widmaier on keyboard, Joel Widmaier on drums, Richard Barbout on bass, Jowee Omicil on saxophone, and Haitian percussionists.

The Festival showcased a whole new line-up from last year, one of the organizing committee's goals: to offer new sounds and diversity from last year.

Audience members had their favorite groups amidst the mixture of jazz styles presented. Some like the together sounds of the Mexican Toussaint brothers (Sacbe), who have been playing music together for over 30 years, others the wild passion of Jowee Omicil, who not only played with his own band at the French Institute (the audience went wild and weathered the rain) and Canne-a-Sucre, but joined with Mushy's performance on Champs Mars AND Canne-a-Sucre. The Canadian jazz singer (in French) Annie Poulain was a favorite among many, definitely engaging the audiences with her Haitian Creole "Gen Yon Chimen", There is a Road.

Photo credit: Radio Metro Pole Link from last year festival: Jazz Festival Review Pictures: Haiti Jazz Festival Pcitures 2007

The American Mimi Jones Band, included three Caribbean heritage women performers: bass player/singer Mimi Jones (her parents are from Barbados), drummer Lucianna Francisca (Trinidadian/Cuban heritage) and keyboard, Haitian-American Goussy Celestin (also, the singer in Charanga Soleil).

Mimi Jones Band members gave a music workshop at St. Trinity Music School and also traveled to Jacmel for a workshop at the music school there. Because the participating St. Trinity brass musicians got rained out at what would have been a collaborating performance at the residence of American Ambassador Sanderson, they joined the last third of the Mimi Jones’ French Institute performance. Hardy music lovers weathered more rain, taking shelter under overhangs and umbrellas and stayed throughout the session; the rain began about half-way through.

This year, nine participating embassies brought bands to perform. The Chilean band Sirocco Trio also played a concert in Cape Haitien (and post-Festival, an evening gig at the Oloffson.) “It’s good for Embassies to have their bands do something in the provinces where there isn’t much going on. It gives a chance for the band to give workshops and see the country. For the people, they have a chance to receive the workshops and have contact with the foreigners,” said one of the Festival founding organizers, Pascale Monnier.

Playwright and director Syto Cave commented on the Festival, “Jazz used to be music for the elite but now the people are catching it.” The televised concerts helped, too.

n expanded jazz workshop program -from the American Embassy’s pioneering initiative, last year-included five sessions at St. Trinity Music School with their students taught by the American, Chilean, Mexican musicians and saxophone player Jowee Omicil and the Canadian singer Annie Poulain. The members of the Swiss and Spanish bands, Mushy and Annie also gave workshops at FOKAL to mainly students of En-Arts.

For many of these music students, this was their first contact with different musicians from all over the world playing different styles, having different teaching techniques and philosophies. One musician/teacher said "you should learn how to read music" while another, during the same session, said that reading music wasn't necessary.

For the most part, these sessions were open primarily to the students of these music programs inorder to keep the attendance manageable (20 to 40 attended each session) and to present class content relevant for attendees. From the Spanish band, students learned Flamenco guitar technique. Mushy gave a class in the steps to good arrangement, playing music tracks. One participant recalled that for good arrangement "You need balance, focus, variety and economy."

Singers, musicians, and actors took Annie Poulain’s voice workshop, which started with physical stretches to get the body ready. One actor said, "We learned technique, how it is supposed to drive your voice." One guitar player said the voice workshop would help when he is arranging music. How much can be learned in a two-hour session? Obviously, it's contact and just a start, but for singer/teacher Annie Poulain, "This was the best experience of my life." An attentive class, serious and hungry for information gave equally to the teacher.

Luccanes Louis, former St. Trinity student, now, teacher, choral director, and pianist, attended the St. Trinity workshop with the Mexican band teaching and commented, "It was good to meet with musicians from the outside; I was able to gain knowledge and information. Specifically, he learned that with the dominant chord you can do anything and improvise anything." Trumpet player Carlot Cave found the Mexican band workshop, which included band members demonstrating, an inspiration to learn more.

Among the hundreds of music students at St. Trinity, there are only about 20 interested in jazz and are all self-taught. Carlot was among the brass musicians who joined Mimi Jones Band on stage at the French Institute.

Seems that the "icing on the cake" for the Festival were the After Hours sessions at the Quartier Latin restaurant in Petionville, starting anywhere from 9pm on--one started after 11pm because the concert went on until then. The Swiss Band, Mark Richard, and Thurgot Theodat played a full set; the sessions evolved to jam sessions, a true delight for participating musicians hungry to mix it up with other Festival participants. It was a jazz club atmosphere that prevailed, standing room only at the bar with sessions that were "smoking" going on until 2 or 3am.

The club atmosphere gigs provided yet another venue for jazz enthusiasts to partake.

This year's well-received Festival is another example of Haitians' love of music and openness to different styles. Having been hunkered down for far too long, the Festival is another chink in the wall of cultural isolation. Meanwhile, the visiting musicians felt the love from the audiences. No doubt, this cross cultural exchange gained many more positive ambassadors for Haiti.

All total, about 13,000 jazz enthusiasts heard the music live, during the eight-day event. Countless others watched the live TV broadcasts. The Festival was organized by a committee which included the collaborating embassies, co-founding member Paul Levy and the French Institute, co-founder Pascale Monnier, and co-founder Joel Widmaier.

International festivals of this sort, with successful track records in how they are organized and received, should be noted by the Culture and Tourism Ministries. Here is positive spin for Haiti and should be used if and when the country is ready for tourism.

Historical foot note: Jazz is not new to Haiti; the island has a long history that includes this music in its rich musical culture. Following several decades after World War I and the two American occupations (1915 & 1934), jazz was being played everywhere in Haitian high society, dance halls, and in the military. Jazz Des Jeunes, the premiere Haitian orchestra of the 30's and 40's, adapted forms of American jazz and fused it with folklore to conjure up the term 'Haitian jazz'. Before Konpa came along in the mid 50s, Jazz Des Jeune inspired a whole new generation of Haitian musicians, including some of Haiti's great folklore jazz singers: Gerald Dupervil, Edner Guinard (Jazz Guinard), Raoul Guillaume, Issa El Saieh, Toto Bissainthe, David Mettelus ( Ti-Coca), Dodolphe Legros, Guy Durosier, Joe Trovillog, Raoul Guillaume, Saxophonist Nemours Jean Baptiste and Weber Sicot