Some Haiti-Related Posts

I came across some great, useful, and interesting posts pertaining to Haiti in the past few days. La Revue Indigène, started by the moderators of Haitian History on Tumblr, has posted again. Haitian History on Tumblr has also posted a useful overview of Duvalierism. And last but certainly not least, two lists of great 2014 books on Haiti from The Public Archive and Celucien Joseph are online.

Gospel Trane

Here is some spiritual jazz for Christmas, from Alice Coltrane. "Gospel Trane" is clearly a reference to her late husband, John. Alice Coltrane does not always get the recognition she deserves, and we tend to forget the ways in which she crafted art unique to her vision.

Grog Mwen

An adorable tribute to a Haitian classic, Makaya's rendition of "Grog Mwen" is a welcome addition. Also worth checking out are versions of the song from Haitiando, Africando, and last, but certainly not least, Super Jazz des Jeunes. Clearly, some Haitian music is indebted to the influence of Cuban styles.

The Revolutionary Abolitionists of Haiti

Listen to a Laurent Dubois lecture on the Haitian Revolution here. Dubois discusses the Haitian Revolution with a focus on individuals or biographies of some of the leading historical actors. "The Revolutionary Abolitionists of Haiti" is a great lecture and introduction to the Haitian Revolution, like Dubois's Avengers of the New World.

Lessons of Hayti

A very interesting documentary on the Hayti district of Durham, North Carolina. Named after Haiti, Hayti grew to be one of many self-sufficient, thriving black towns or urban districts across the US. It is fitting that this successful enclave of African-Americans in Durham would name their neighborhood after the first independent black republic, Haiti. Also worth checking out is this interview with the man behind the documentary series, and this historic film on Hayti.

Mary McLeod Bethune, Haiti, and Black Feminists

Source

Mary McLeod Bethune, influential figure in the Black Freedom Struggle and one of the leaders of the National Council of Negro Women. Often obscured in our memories of this important and powerful Black woman is her links to Haiti, a country she only visited once. Bethune was friends with the President of Haiti's wife, Lucienne Estimé, and awarded Haiti's Medal of Honor and Merit.

While she only visited in Haiti during 1949 (the same year of President Estimé's Exposition for the Bicentennial of Port-au-Prince), the National Council of Negro Women had been in communication and solidarity with the Haitian women's movement throughout the 1940s. The Ligue d'Action Feminine Sociale, established in the 1930s, maintained links with Black women organizations and feminists in the US and some of its members traveled and met with African-American women, too.

African American Women and Haitian women had also found solidarity and worked together earlier (as early as the 1920s, when African-American women showed an interest in anti-US Occupation collaboration and research on the conditions of Haitian women) in the International Council of Women of the Darker Races, an organization consisting mostly of African-American women and a small contingent of important Haitian feminists (including Theodora Holly, Haitian daughter of an African-American immigrant, Theodore Holly). Clearly, the Haitian women's movement of the 1930s and 1940s was tied to broader Black women's movements in the US and international collaborative projects.

For more information, read Grace Louis Sanders's "La Voix des Femmes: Haitian Women's Rights, National Politics, and Black Activism in Port-au-Prince and Montreal, 1934-1986." Her excellent work is the source for this post, and eloquently elucidates the origins and forms of Haitian women's activism in Haiti and the Diaspora.

Robin D.G. Kelley

Gotta love Robin D.G. Kelley, public intellectual, jazz aficionado, and an academic unafraid to take a stance. I have read his excellent biography of Monk, enjoyed his take on cultural politics and discourses of race and class, was fascinated by Black Communists in Alabama during the Great Depression, and was enthralled by his analysis of exchanges between Africa and US in the lives of 4 understudied jazz artists. 

La Pati La Pata

One of my favorites from legendary Malavoi. This is also one of the more jazzy Malavoi songs I have heard, another example of how versatile the band was in playing the myriad styles of the Caribbean and jazz worlds.

The Stuart Hall Project

A highly recommendable overview of the life and times of Stuart Hall, a pioneer in Cultural Studies of Jamaican origins who studied at Oxford. Hall discusses racism against people of Caribbean and African descent in England, how he came to reject the class/color restrictions of colonial Jamaica, his work as an editor of leftist journals, and broader processes of identity and cultural formation. I have recently rediscovered his other work, documentary series, and his status as a public intellectual, so this film is an excellent introduction. Another worthwhile video is Hall's interview of Trinidadian intellectual, leftist, and avid cricket fan, CLR James, a towering figure of Black thought who influenced Hall.

Remembering 1946

With Haiti in the news again as Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe resigns, one cannot help but think of the large protests and unrest that rocked Haiti in the 1946, culminating in a revolution that unseated Lescot. During the current wave of protests, journalists described protesters as gathering around the grounds of the destroyed National Palace and I immediately thought of Matthew J. Smith's Red and Black in Haiti, which is where I found this photo. 

El Martiniqueño

A nice big band merengue based on "Sly Mongoose," exemplifying links between various styles of music in the Caribbean archipelago. Perhaps "Sly Mongoose" entered the Dominican Republic through West Indian laborers, or the appeal of calypso bands. Either way, it's an infectious song!

Francis Santana, Haiti, and Colombia

Francis Santana, accompanied by Antonio Morel's merengue orchestra, sings a Haitian song in Kreyol that I first heard from Pepe Bayard, "Trois Bebes" (though I believe the song predates Bayard and Gary French). The earliest recording of the song appears to be from the 1950s Haitian Dance Bands Vol. 1 compilation. In addition to the Dominican merengue cover, a Colombia cumbia version can be heard here.

The Caribbean: A History of the Region and Its Peoples

I think The Caribbean: A History of the Region and Its Peoples will be the last of the general histories of the Caribbean I shall read for the foreseeable future. This has nothing to do with the quality of the text, but after a while, one must find more specific histories to engage with to learn all the nuances and particularities of individual islands or states. Anyway, what I loved about this course is how similar the text's chronology and inclusiveness was to Francisco Scarano's undergraduate Caribbean history course I took some years back. Scarano really emphasized the indigenous Caribbean, the Haitian Revolution, slavery, and Puerto Rico, but due to the limitations of a single semester undergraduate course, did not cover nearly as much as he would have liked.

From talking to others after the publication of this voluminous history of the Caribbean (which he edited, along with Stephan Palmié), that very course I once took now uses this book and is certainly more extensive and inclusive of other aspects of Caribbean history. For instance, the complexities of Caribbean ecology, environmental constraints, 'creolization' in the indigenous Caribbean, as well as inclusion of mainland regions like Suriname and Belize into the Caribbean world paints, with broad strokes, accessible and accurate introductory essays to the history of the Caribbean.

What I would have liked more is substantial citations for each individual essay, particularly because some essay authors included only a handful of references. The book includes a bibliography showing sources for each part of the book (the text is divided into separate parts moving chronologically and thematically) at the end, which is useful, too. Also appreciative is the broader 'Old World' precedents in sugar production that are excellent for framing the broader Atlantic World context of sugarcane. Nonetheless, this is an excellent overview of the Caribbean, from the Taino to the era of globalization that hits on all the themes touched upon by Garrie Gibson and Gad Heuman in their histories of the Caribbean (slavery, race, Cuban Revolution, Haitian Revolution, gender, imperialism/colonialism, creolization, culture, emancipation).

The Caribbean: A Brief History

Gad Heuman's 2nd edition The Caribbean: A Brief History is the latest general history of the Caribbean I recently read. Perfect for students, Heuman's 2nd edition includes extensive recommended readings and a broad overview of nearly every aspect of Caribbean history in a short text. Heuman added much more to this edition on the indigenous Caribbean societies, and focuses on social history, emphasizing subaltern agency, culture, slavery, gender, race, and labour. Like Carrie Gibson's work, Heuman also places the Cuban Revolution into a broader Caribbean context, but the book is stronger on the non-Hispanic Caribbean, especially Jamaica and the British West Indies. While giving a whole chapter to the Haitian Revolution and another for the Cuban Revolution, Heuman's work is overall much more informative and inclusive of the non-Hispanic Caribbean, and Haiti after the 1804 is rarely part of the narrative, despite brief discussion of US occupations in the Greater Antilles.

Maringa, Merengue, and West African Music

I do not believe anyone has verified if there is indeed a link between Caribbean merengue and Sierra Leone's maringa, although the ties between Caribbean music and that of West Africa have been fruitful in terms of highlife. The names sound too similar to be a coincidence, and we know maringa's early history in Sierra Leone was linked to Krio people with descent from across the Atlantic, according to Paul Austerlitz. Nonetheless, after listening to some recordings of maringa or "maringar" music from Sierra Leone, particularly the music of Ebenezer Calendar, the music sounds more like Caribbean calypso and highlife (although the rhythms of some songs actually remind me of baião music from Brazil, such as in "Fire, Fire, Fire").

From songs like these, it is difficult to see any correlation between Sierra Leone's maringa and the Dominican merengue, although one can find songs from the United States, such as a classic blues from Bessie Smith re-recorded by Ebenezer Calendar. It's possible maringa from Central Africa was an influence, too, given the popularity of dance called maringa in colonial Brazzaville, according to Phyllis Martin. For similar music from Sierra Leone, check out Famous Scrubbs, and palm-wine music (like the Kumasi Trio), which spread throughout West Africa partly because of coastal sailors, such as the Kru. It seems undeniable that Afro-Caribbean influences were part of this thick musical stew that connected various parts of West Africa from the 19th century to the rise of highlife, but merengue as we know it does not seem to have been a large part of it, at least not as significant as calypso and Cuban son.

n addition, one cannot forget how recaptives, colonialism, religion, and migration shaped culture in West Africa, leading to cosmopolitan or diverse influences for musical culture. Perhaps one day someone will write an exhaustively researched history of highlife music in West Africa that demonstrates how all of these aforementioned influences. Adidtional research is needed on the question of the relationship between the Congolese maringa and that of West Africa, too. For a great example of how West African music as early as the 1920s reflected several cultural influences and was shaped by Europe and the Americas, check out the West African Instrumental Quintet recordings from 1929, here and here.

Issa El Saieh et Son Orchestre

Came across some lovely recordings by Issa El Saieh and His Orchestra of Haitian music in a jazz or big band vein. In addition to the classic "Carolina Cao," Issa El Saieh's group also recorded "Ma Brune," "Panama m tombe," and a hot number called "Ti Mama." "Ma Brune" is an excellent example of a Haitian song translated and recorded recorded by Sonora Matancera as "Morena."

Empire's Crossroads: A History of the Caribbean From Columbus to the Present Day

Carrie Gibson's Empire's Crossroads: A History of the Caribbean from Columbus to the Present Day provides an excellent overview of more than 500 years of Caribbean history, as the ambitious title indicates. What stood out in Gibson's analysis is her broader definition of 'Caribbean,' including at times Central America (especially British Honduras and Belize, but also Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Panama) and South America's Spanish-speaking countries like Venezuela and Colombia. Her move to include, albeit marginally, these circum-Caribbean mainland societies is wise because, as her title suggests, the Caribbean is a crossroads of various imperial powers, thereby connecting the histories of the entirety of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Gibson also manages to delve deeper into the context of the Iberian peninsula and Mediterranean in the early parts of the book (such as the island conquests and antecedents of the Caribbean colonies, particularly the Canary Islands and the Atlantic islands, such as Madeira), devotes ample attention to the Haitian Revolution (as well as the Age of Revolution more generally for the Caribbean), the rise of chattel slavery, and covers the various developments of Caribbean history from colonialism to independence. Gibson's analysis weakens when her chronological history reaches the 20th century, partly due to the brevity of her chapters on complex political history in some islands, such as Haiti under the Duvaliers. In addition, she uses the word "voodoo" instead of the less pejorative Vodou, to describe the religion. By no means does the author subscribe to racist notions of Haitian Vodou, but the pejorative connotations are problematic to use in a general history.

One supposes by necessity Gibson's text would eventually have to leave out the details or a serious study of all aspects of 20th century Caribbean history down to specific islands, but she excels in weaving together the broader strokes of the Caribbean region's common themes, interconnections, and problems wrought by colonialism, tourism, the World Wars, the Cold War, inequality, and ethnic and racial divisions. Inclusion of the mainland "Caribbean" also enhances her argument and the shared political, social, and economic histories of the area. For instance, how can one tell the history of the British West Indies without discussing the Panama Canal, the rise of the banana industry, and West Indian migrant laborers in Central America or Cuba? Or the rise of Black Power in Trinidad without discussing Rastafarianism, the US Black Freedom Struggle, and the declining conditions across the Anglophone Caribbean?

The case of Garvey's UNIA is an excellent example of the author's talent to connect the Panama Canal, Caribbean migrant laborers, and immigrants in the US to show how the Caribbean cannot be understood as islands or mainlands in isolation. How can one properly understand the history of the Caribbean without placing the Haitian and Cuban Revolutions in a pan-Caribbean perspective, or, indeed, a Latin American perspective, as the case of Haiti in the anti-colonial movements of Venezuela, Colombia, and even Mexico emerges? In sum, Gibson accomplishes her goal in showing how the Caribbean is also one of the first sites of modernity, globalization, and the rise of consumers and industrial revolutions in western Europe. Gibson deserves accolades for that, as well as demolishing the myth of the Caribbean paradise that remains so pervasive to this day.

All For You, E.T. Mensah and Black Atlantic Musical Currents

A beautiful example of Black Atlantic musical exchange from one of my favorite highlife orchestras, E.T. Mensah & The Tempos. Their song, "All For You," is based on the melody from the Caribbean tune, "Sly Mongoose." In addition to entering the highlife repertoire, "Sly Mongoose" surfaced in US jazz recordings, too, such as this lively rendition from Charlie Parker and Jack Sneed & His Sneezers. Don't forget to hear Lord Invader's take and Sam Manning's.

Some Images of Puerto Rico in 1899

Ponce in 1899. All images are from Margherita Arlina Hamm's Porto and the West Indies.

A laundress in Puerto Rico

Mayaguez

San Juan Marina

View of San Juan from the Harbor

Port-au-Prince mon seul et unique amour

Arnold Antonin's documentary on the life and work of Georges Corvington is endearing and nostalgic but avoids romanticizing Port-au-Prince's history. Beginning with the life of Georges Corvington, his education, and his vast library that was lost in the 2010 earthquake that nearly killed him, the rest of the film goes over his magisterial history of Port-au-Prince from the colonial era to Magloire in the republished CIDIHCA volumes of Port-au-Prince au cours de ans. Along the way, we see interviews with Georges Corvington and others who knew him, such as Michel Hector and Frankétienne discussing how Corvington was committed to the city of Port-au-Prince's history and how the city was his only love (Corvington never married). The greatest thing about this documentary was the plethora of photographs, images, and video clips of Port-au-Prince in the various stages of its history, including some delightful Haitian mereng (Lamothe's "La Dangereuse" can be heard at various times) and jazz music. 

Port-au-Prince's early history, its history of fires and political upheaval, the rapid urban growth, the rise of more architecturally beautiful public buildings in various phases, the impact of US Occupation (the rise of more public administration buildings, particularly under Borno's presidency), the colonial period (which was the origin of building most of the city in wood from the 18th century to the 20th century), the 19th century (which did feature monuments, such as the National Cathedral and various presidential palaces), etc. are all covered in the film (including development in Port-au-Prince of tramways, more monumental architecture, the Bicentennial Celebration, the Belle Époque years of the 1950s). The film challenges notions that no Haitian government has ever invested in or tried to change Haiti, and looking at Haiti's urban history is clearly something that merits further investigation beyond Port-au-Prince. Indeed, it would be excellent to find more urban historians who can carry on Corvington's legacy for different Haitian cities, such as Les Cayes (where the Corvington family resided before Port-au-Prince), Jacmel, and Gonaives.

Overall, this short documentary, under an hour in length, is a great introduction to the works of Corvington. Although his vast library was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake that left Corvington under rubble, his legacy can and should live on in additional scholarly work on Haiti's urban history. The astounding visuals also complement quite well the interviews with Corvington and those who knew him. My only complaint is the shortness of the film, which means less detail, and the lack of special features on the DVD to explore some of the sources for the visuals, music, and Corvington's works. Nontheless, the numerous details and tantalizing facts about Port-au-Prince (such as its first film projection, back in 1896, the development of the Bel-Air neighborhood and the rise of new residential areas, such as Turgeau and Bois Verna). Furthermore, Corvington's impressive work on Port-au-Prince's history was all the more so because he did not travel abroad to research, but collected his sources in Haiti and used his library to write instead of relying on foreign archives.

Stuart Hall in Haiti

Stuart Hall's documentary series episode on Haiti is, of course, too short, but a good introduction to Haiti from the great Caribbean scholar. The documentary also challenges the stereotypes of Henri Christophe's rule and the interviewed Haitian scholar alludes to Baron de Vastey's allusions to African architectural genius and grandeur resurfacing in the monuments of Christophe's Haiti. Unfortunately, the film tries to fit Haiti into a transplanted Africa in the Americas that was isolated from the rest of the world. Watch the second part of the video here, which discusses Haitian art. 

Ponce in 1898

Source

Ponce, Puerto Rico in 1898, a fateful year. I am in love with the Caribbean city, so all these views of Caribbean cities fascinate me.

Haiti on Tumblr

Sadly, my favorite history blog will likely never return. Haitian History Blog was not only high quality, sourced, and nuanced, but one of the few serious blogs on Haitian history. For a variety of reasons, the administrators got sick of disrespect and the Tumblr community, and while I sympathize with their plight and agree with them on some of the flaws of Tumblr, I hope they return to blogging with a wordpress. At the very least, they will keep the blog open so we can always return. In the meantime, we still have Haiti In the Americas, a great Tumblr blog associated with a graduate course at Yale on Haiti.

Toby Green on the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

I first read Toby Green's "The Rise of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in Western Africa: 1300-1589" a while back, but I love how Green emphasizes African agency and history that shaped creolization, trade, and slavery in the broader Atlantic World context.  He emphases internal African diasporas that linked North Africa with West Africa and global markets, which paved the way for international trade with Europeans, the slave trade, and cultural mixing that facilitated the exchange of people, goods, and culture that shaped the Atlantic World. Listen to podcasts with Toby Green here and here.

Port-au-Prince, 1917

Source

Port-au-Prince in 1917, with a public market in the foreground and US ships in the background. Image found in Hans Schmidt's "The United States Occupation of Haiti, 1915-1934."

Hinche, Haiti in 1935

Source

A photograph from 1935 of Hinche's public square. One can see the Haitian-styled architecture of Hinche. Hinche was one of the centers of Toussaint's volte-face after entering the service of Spain with other early leaders of the slave unrest in the north of Saint Domingue. Ada Ferrer's new book on Haiti and Cuba actually delves deeper into the presence of Cuban soldiers in Saint Domingue during the Haitian Revolution, and the complete dependence of Spain on these black 'auxiliaries,' which made it quite easy for Toussaint Louverture's forces to recapture Saint Dominguan towns occupied by Spain, as well as seize new cities along the border of the Spanish colony (Hincha became Hinche). 

1912 and the Other 1937

I had the fortune to see Gloria Rolando's documentaries on the 1912 massacre of Afro-Cubans as well as Reembarque, which puts a human face on the experiences of Haitians and Cubans of Haitian descent. The humiliating and demeaning repatriations of Haitians in 1937 are vividly retold by Haitians in eastern Cuba and Haitians within Haiti, and the viewer sees Haitian culture alive and well in Cuba. Although the musical performances and interviews were beautiful, I think the documentary would have benefited from a deeper analysis or context of Haiti at the time, particularly the push factors for Haitians in the specific regions of Okay, Aquin, Bainet, Leogane, etc. where most of the emigrants in the period between 1910-1930 were born. Nonetheless, Reembarque breathes life into Matthew Casey's well-known study on Haitians in Cuba during the same period. 

As for Rolando's other documentary series, the film accomplishes a similar task of bringing to life through interviews, newspapers, historians, and descendants of the historical actors or people from Oriente and Santa Clara, the rise and fall of the Partido Independiente de Color, culminating in the massacres of thousands of blacks. The world needs more documentaries and studies of these crucial episodes in Cuban history, also important for emphasizing inter-Caribbean links and cultural exchange, even in the midst of US imperialism. Fortunately, the presence of Dr. Patrick Bellegarde-Smith and Gloria Rolando epitomizes the importance of inter-island historical relationships and provided an excellent overview of the connections between 1912 and 1937, 1804 and 1959, in the short discussion after the showing. I intend to watch more of Rolando's work. 

Jazz for Malcolm X

Haven't heard this one in a while. "Mr. X" is Max Roach's tribute to Malcom, recorded in 1956. Already in the mid to late 1950s, one could see a shift in Max Roach's political orientation and views on the Civil Rights Movement, which included his admiration of Malcolm X and some forms of black nationalism.

Merengue Sounds from West Central Africa

Lovely Congolese 'rumba' band plays a merengue. It's uncanny how similar these Congolese merengue songs were to the guitar-based merengue from the Dominican Republic, and the widespread appeal of Caribbean and Latin music in Central Africa (in addition to influences from Europe, such as Tino Rossi). I highly recommend Dr. Nico's music, African Jazz, and an Angolan band, África Ritmos, for Angolan takes on merengue. If I remember correctly, some members of Les Bantous de la Capitale ended up in the French Antilles, further complicating the waves of musical exchange that connected the Caribbean and Africa during this time. Here's one more merengue from Les Bantous, here!

Some Photos of Jacmel

Source

Some nice images of Jacmel and its City Hall from The Blue Book of Haiti, 1919-1920. 

Port-au-Prince in 1907

Source

A view of the Haitian capital in 1907, which can be found in Jacques Nicolas Léger's Haiti: Her History and Her Detractors.

The Caribbean After Slavery

Check out this informative lecture on the Caribbean after slavery by Gad Heuman. It's mostly focused on the British Caribbean, but it's also inclusive of the other European colonies of the region. Heuman also strives to include women into the experiences of Afro-Caribbean people in post-emancipation societies.

Cap-Haitien in 1907

Source

Enjoy these lovely images of Cap-Haitien in 1907, courtesy of Wikimedia and a digitized version of Jacques Nicolas Leger's Haiti, Her History and Her Detractors. The first photograph is of Cap-Haitien, the second of the Union Club, and the final photo is the bishop's house.

I believe Orchestre Septentrional's "Cite du Cap-Haitien" is essential listening for this post.

Haiti From Independence to US Occupation

"In the end Haiti was undone by a combination of imperialist intrigue by the United States, abusive behaviour by the core and an economic model that was too dependent on coffee and customs duties."

Victor Thomas-Bulmer's "Haiti From Independence to US Occupation" is a worthwhile read on Haitian economic history from independence to 1915. His work demolishes some of the silly myths for understanding Haitian economic underdevelopment by placing Haiti into a broader Caribbean and Latin American framework as well as discussing foreign merchant communities and imperialist core powers intervening in Haitian affairs. Foreigners had multiple ways of maneuvering around laws prohibiting foreign ownership, Haiti was actually paying debts on a consistent basis, and yes, political instability and poor governance played a role, but the economic impact of the political instability was usually limited and the extent to which the foreign community fomented or contributed to Haiti's economic troubles does not get acknowledged. In the end, Haitian economic underdevelopment is a result of both internal and external factors, which Thomas-Bulmer's work defends. Moreover, for most of the 19th century, Haiti's economic output was not as abysmal or horrific as one would think, actually faring quite well if one excludes Cuba from the Caribbean average. It seems that only by the 1890s and assuredy by 1910 that Haiti can be seen as "lagging" by many indicators in comparison to Latin America, the Dominican Republic, and the Caribbean. Even then, some argue that Haiti's economic stability and 'vibrance' lasted into the 1930s, when the Dominican Republic began to surpass Haiti in terms of revenue (Bernardo Vega discusses this here) and only in terms of education and other indicators did the Dominican Republic began to pass Haiti only in the 1950s and 1960s (read).

A Concise History of the Caribbean

I believe A Concise History of the Caribbean by B.W. Higman is a useful read in conjunction with Frank Moya Pons's book I recently reviewed. While the latter emphasizes economic history and the plantation system, Higman offers a much more informative and enlightening introductory chapter on the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean while offering a much broader history of the Caribbean that encompasses, social history, creolization, slavery, resistance, and coverage of the Caribbean after 1945 (Frank Moya Pons concludes his analysis at 1930). So, when read together, both books offer very accessible and informative general histories of the Caribbean. Furthermore, Frank Moya Pons's obvious specialization in the Dominican Republic and Spanish Caribbean is balanced by Higman's background in the Anglophone West Indies, thereby bridging together the archipelago.

History of the Caribbean: Plantations, Trade, and War in the Atlantic World

For those looking for short but efficient reads on the economic history of the Caribbean as it relates to the plantation complex that unites the region as a productive unit (in a subordinate space to the dominance of western Europe and North America), read Frank Moya Pons's History of the Caribbean: Plantations, Trade, and War in the Atlantic World. I was expecting more social history and mention of slave resistance and cultural creolization, but the title of the book makes it quite clear there will be an emphasis on economic history as it relates to the development of plantation colonies (or neocolonies) and conflicts over resources and profitability of tropical products. In addition, Pons ends his analysis of the economic purpose that connects all Caribbean societies in 1930, although one could easily argue that the modern Caribbean after 1930 is still serving the same role for North American and European powers. Furthermore, at times it felt the text was much more effective, informed and concerned regarding Hispaniola and the Spanish Antilles than elsewhere, although Pons does an excellent job integrating the Lesser Antilles and the various European powers into a single analysis.

Koze Koze

I am loving this Septen song today. Lovely singing and perfectly jazz yet distinctly Haitian. Read more about Orchestre Septentrional here and immerse yourself into Haitian big band sounds, "Vodou-jazz," and Cap-Haitien.

Devastaciones de Osorio and the Depopulating of Western Hispaniola

Source

Devastaciones de Osorio, a perfect example of poor policy by Spain in the 17th century Caribbean and the root of the division of Hispaniola into two separate colonies. By ordering for the depopulation of the sparsely settled western Hispaniola, the destruction of the towns there, and forcing the inhabitants to leave without taking their cattle, western Hispaniola after 1606 was open to anyone willing to seize it from the crumbling Spanish empire in the Antilles. Based on popular resentment, colonial officials did not try to depopulate parts of Puerto Rico, but the damage to Hispaniola was done. Now vast herds of quickly feral cattle attracted French and other European "buccaneers," nobody was around to stop settlements on Tortuga and northern Hispaniola's coast, and smuggling continued as a way of life in the Spanish Caribbean. By the end of the century western Hispaniola was under French control and transforming from a tobacco-based colony to a slave society based largely on sugar. The French would later build towns on the old Spanish settlements (La Yaguana became Leogane, for instance). If the whole idea of depopulating the western section of the island was to curb smuggling and prevent the infiltration of Protestants (Dutch and English in the early 1600s) in the Caribbean, Spain failed miserably. For good sources on this, Eugenio Matibag and Frank Moya Pons are quite useful. 

When the Drum Is Beating

Source

I finally watched this endearing documentary! Orchestre Septentrional has been one of my favorite orchestras of Haitian music for some time now, and I have been meaning to learn more about the band through this documentary for quite some time. The documentary covers the bands 6 decades of history with interviews, video footage, live performances, some background history, and brief analysis of Haitian music in relation to Haitian culture and politics. The viewer is treated to some of the infighting and tensions in the band (debate over the change in sound, conflicts over pay and leadership, complains by and about the older members like Michel Tassy, the legendary singer) and how the band's long history relates to the proud people of the North of Haiti, Cap-Haitien's history, and Haitian history. The documentary shows both sides of Cap-Haitien, the pollution, horrible roads, and poverty, but also the palace of Sans Souci, Cap-Haitien's elegant, older styles of architecture, and the beauty of Haitian music, culture, and history (one of the founders of the band, Maestro Ulrick Pierre-Louis is shown at Sans Souci speaking about the need for another Henri Christophe). 

The documentary does a good job of showing how Septen's music falls into the "Vodou-jazz" style popularized by bands like Jazz des Jeunes, which formed around the same time (unfortunately, Jazz des Jeunes is not mentioned at all, and Ulrick Pierre-Louis is presented as being the only Haitian artist wishing to fuse Vodou rhythms with jazzy, dance bands). One could have done much more with this by covering Haitian cultural nationalism in the 20th century, the influence of Vodou music on Haitian classical music, or even exploring further the links between Septen and Cuban music, supposedly an influence. The band even plays examples of different rhythms, emphasizes the importance of Vodou, music, and dance in Haitian culture and history, and the orchestra's current director, Nikol Levy, also leads a Vodou music choir. Unfortunately, the documentary was a little lacking on Haitian politics, and presented biased clips from the 1940s and 1950s that made Haiti before Duvalier seem like some amazing place (I suspect at least one of those clips was for promoting tourism). Despite Robert Fatton's inclusion, Haitian politics only gets marginal attention, focusing on Duvalier and the rise and fall of Aristide is covered. 

The band's fate under Duvalier also reminded me of how Haitian compas and other "Vodou-jazz" bands like Jazz des Jeunes were all, at one point or another, forced to compose pro-Duvalier songs (after a makout opened fire at the Rumba nightclub and killed a member of the band), exemplifying how, as Gage Averill argues, music is power in Haiti and was inherently linked to politics and ideological movements (noiriste, for instance, in the case of Duvalier). Regardless of some of the misses of the documentary, it's nice to see the band members tell their own story, though those expecting a fully detailed year-by-year breakdown of the band and its musical evolution will be disappointed. Also, I was not sure exactly how comparing the leadership in Septen can be compared to political leadership, but fortunately, that aspect of the director's vision is not too apparent. Enjoy!

Fetishes and the Rights of Man

I recently read Stephan Palmié's Wizards and Scientists: Explorations in Afro-Cuban Modernity and Tradition and what stood out most to me was the example of a rebel slave during the Haitian Revolution whose fallen corpse was found to carry a copy of the Rights of Man (Droits des Hommes) as well as a 'fetish.' This is part of the author's larger argument about placing Afro-Cuban (or Afro-Atlantic religious practices in a broader perspective) as essentially "modern" (not a primordial, timeless African tradition) and as much a product of modernity as the French Revolution, Enlightenment thought, and Caribbean slavery and rationalized economies. Other examples given by the author include the Lemba cult of Central Africa, which was also a way for Central African groups to reconstruct their social and moral systems of thought in response to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and an increasingly linked Atlantic World.

Returning to the fallen soldier of the Haitian Revolution, it is important to remember how one should not try to enforce a dichotomy that makes it seem "strange" or nonsensical for this former slave to have carried on his body a "fetish" representing African/Afro-Atlantic as well as writings expressing Enlightenment thought. Because both the Enlightenment and Haitian Vodou (although that term is not the most accurate for describing the religious and moral thought of Africans in colonial Saint Domingue) are products of modernity and a broader Atlantic World, both are equally "modern" and rational, and to be expected in the highly modern, complex Caribbean of the late 18th and 19th centuries. Stephan Palmié's comments on this case are also of importance for understanding the principles and ideology behind slave insurgency in Saint Domingue and the Haitian Revolution, a subject Thornton's work has explored based on Central African societies, specifically, Kongolese, in Saint Domingue. But what would be more interesting to study is the confluence of European and African influences on the slave masses during the Haitian Revolution, from Afro-Atlantic social thought and religion to Enlightenment ideas.

Race and Puerto Rican Migrants in the Interwar Years

Interesting lecture by Peter Carlo Becerra on race and the experience of Puerto Rican migrants in New York during the interwar years. I came across this from the Transnational Hispaniola Facebook page, a useful site for news and scholarship on Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Haiti in 1865 (Harper's Weekly)

Source

Some images of Haiti in 1865, from an August edition of Harper's Weekly. The sketches, by a Lieutenant M. Farland, show Cap-Haitien, a street in Cap-Haitien, a "belle of Cape Haytien," Place du Geffrard in Port-au-Prince and some soldiers. Smith's Liberty, Fraternity, Exile breathes life into the violent 1865 civil war, centered in Cap-Haitian where a seemingly endless siege of the city by Geffrard's forces sought to defeat Salnave, a presidential contender. Only with the aid of British naval intervention was Geffrard able to win back Haiti's second city, a city captured in these sketches. According to Harper's, the city was mostly one story homes housing a population of 5000, full of foreign merchants and exaggerates the presence of Dominicans in the rebel forces of Salnave. 

Creole Choir of Cuba

The Creole Choir of Cuba is currently one of my favorite groups. Though I had heard of them a few years ago, it was only a few weeks ago I began to devour their music. Enjoy this lovely performance of "Son de la loma!"

Liberty, Fraternity, Exile: Haiti and Jamaica after Emancipation

Smith's Liberty, Fraternity, Exile: Haiti and Jamaica after Emancipation is one of the best comparative histories and best recent works on Haiti I have encountered in quite some time. Smith carefully weaves together different tapestries of Jamaica and Haiti's pasts, highlighting the numerous instances in which Haiti and Jamaica were bound together by the vagaries of race, colonialism, and encroaching US dominance of the Caribbean by the early 1900s. In addition, Smith's prose is more engaging and succeeds in breathing life into the various civil wars and coups in Haitian history. Moreover, Smith manages to find that elusive land between academic and accessible, making the Morant Bay Rebellion and the plethora of coups in Haitian history comprehensible. In addition, some of the deeper nuances of late 19th century Haitian history and the uncovered new ground of Jamaica's historical links to Haiti make for fascinating reading.

John Oliver and Columbus Day

As usual, John Oliver's Last Week Tonight delivers the laughs while offering some much needed corrections to the traditional narratives on Christopher Columbus as some sort of 'hero.' Enjoy!

Kaiama Glover and Haiti

A worthwhile lecture from Kaiama Glover on how discourses of Haiti after (and before) the 2010 earthquake are predicated on an anti-African, anti-black bias. Media reports of Haiti during and after that catastrophe often emphasize Haiti's links with Africa as a way of denigrating and Othering Haiti.

La historia negra

Joe Arroyo sings of slavery and Cartagena. One of my favorite salsa numbers by far, "Rebelion" is essential Colombian music. No le pegue a la negra!

Nèg Dafrik

First came across this group a few weeks ago, but my memory was refreshed by the 'Legends of Haitian Music' Facebook page. Although the band, Boulpik, uses twoubadou instrumentation, this song is more in the realm of compas. The band's album was even reviewed in a British paper! To learn more, check out their page on Lusafrica.

Frank Guridy on African-Americans and Afro-Cubans

Check out this fascinating interview with Frank Guridy on African-American and Afro-Cuban relations. The importance of Tuskegee, transnational racial solidarity, Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance's connections to Afro-Cubans (poetry, music), and even unexpected ways for Afro-Puerto Ricans to assert their rights are mentioned. I am dying to read more of Guridy's perspective on why Afro-Puerto Ricans were less likely to foreground their race in political struggles for equality (as in civil rights, race-based organizing). The ways in which the Garveyite movement also shaped Afro-Cubans is also alluded to as an important movement for the African Diaspora in Cuba, the Anglophone Caribbean, and African-Americans.

Cléante Valcin

Cléante Valcin, an important figure in Haitian letters and feminism. Valcin's 1929 novel Cruelle Destinée became the first novel by a Haitain woman to be published. She was also one of the founders of the Ligue Feminine d'action sociale in 1934 and a women's journal, Voix des Femmes, which commented on political and gender issues. As a part of the growing feminist movement in 1930s Haiti, Valcin contributed to a broader movement that endeavored to transcend class divisions among Haitian women by promoting education, sought political and civil equality for women, fought for children's rights, and demanded a minimum wage. Partly successful in these regards, the early 20th century phase of feminism in Haiti was not solely centered on the elite, and engaged Haitian political and economic inequality.

Valcin also broached similar subjects and themes of gender, race, class, color, and identity in her writings, particularly the 1934 novel, La Blanche Négresse. As explained by Haitian-Canadian scholar Myriam Chancy, through criticism of the brutal, racist and sexist US Occupation of Haiti (1915-1934) and the ways in which indigeniste Haitian ideologues could go too far in embracing 'African roots," Valcin sought to find a 'middle way' for the identity of the Haitian women that was empowered, not subject to the confines of patriarchal marriage, and open to the multiple cultural and racial elements of Haiti. In short, Valcin's novel weaves together themes of race, gender, sexuality, the 'tragic mulatta,' and Haitian national identity. I highly recommend Myriam Chancy's "Framing Silence: Revolutionary Novels by Haitian Women" to learn more about the accomplishments of the pre-Duvalier feminists as well as the various ways women novelists have challenged the subordination of women. Her work is the source of the interpretation of Valcin's work shared here, as well as the broader context of the feminist movement.

Sources

http://haitist.com/5-giants-of-classic-haitian-literature/

http://www.lehman.cuny.edu/ile.en.ile/paroles/valcin.html

http://islandluminous.fiu.edu/part09-slide22.html

http://www.windowsonhaiti.com/windowsonhaiti/w99101.shtml

Marabout de mon coeur by The Josephs

Lovely instrumental take on the classic "Marabout de mon coeur" by Roumer (with music from Legros). Although I have blogged about this meringue lente before, the only sung version I had located then was by Joe Trouillot from the 1950s. Anyway, while hearing this song, one could not help but note the overwhelming similarities between this meringue and Cuban danzón (or the Puerto Rican danza).

Choubouloute

Gerard Dupervil sings the lovely "Chouboulute," which sounds like a meringue lente. I am not sure who authored this love song, but Orchestre Citadelle also recorded it in the early 1960s in a big band setting. Dupervil's version is a little better for the extended length and attention to bringing the lyrics to life, however. Regardless, both are excellent recordings of excellent Haitian music. 

From Douglass to Duvalier: U.S. African Americans, Haiti, and Pan Americanism, 1870-1964

Millery Polyné's From Douglass to Duvalier: U.S. African Americans, Haiti, and Pan Americanism, 1870-1964 manages to examine U.S. African-American-Haitian collaboration and solidarity through the lens of Pan-Americanism in a variety of fields, such as international relations, economic uplift, black nationalism, tourism, dance, and education. In some ways quite indebted to Plummer's work on Haiti and U.S.-Haiti relations (as well as reminiscent of her work on the role of African-Americans in shaping US foreign policy), Polyné introduces the reader to several interesting figures who shaped African-American relations with Haiti, and in turn, U.S.-Haitian relations. Pan-Americanism as an important area for the African Diaspora of the Americas also has relevance here.

Moton, Barnett, Lavinia Williams, Frederick Douglass, etc. all shaped US relations with Haiti in important but understudied ways. Black nationalist sentiment, African-American sincere belief in US-centered Pan-Americanism (but critical of white supremacy and imperialism), and Haiti's legacy as a testament to black freedom motivated U.S. African-American involvement with Haiti, but due to the aforementioned motivations, sought to improve Haiti's economic and political turmoil from the late 19th century to the rise of Duvalier. Although I felt the chapter on Douglass was initially overly long in its coverage of Douglass's support for annexation of the Dominican Republic in the 1870s, one can see that chapter's relevance to later chapters of the text (specifically, some of the shortcomings of African-American Pan-Americanism that favored U.S. rule or capitalist development under inter-American policies dominated by the U.S.).

In the case of some African-Americans, inter-American relations were further weakened by a reluctance to criticize sovereign black leadership abroad, as in the case of Claude Barnett's influence in the U.S.'s black press and a refusal to repudiate Duvalier (something Polyné refers to as a nadir of African-American-Haitian relations). African-American deviance from Anglo-American Pan-Americanism, however, is another important theme in the text that illustrates how African-Americans have played a significant role in challenging US imperialism. In addition, African-American Pan-Americanism faced the economic constraints of the Great Depression (which undermined business initiatives connecting African-American capitalists and Haiti, though the success of Major R.R. Wright's investments in coffee and the African-American pilot, James O. Plinton, in starting a small airline and laundry service in Haiti demonstrate important examples of how African-Americans with capital and skill contributed to Haiti's economy, albeit not helping much with the rural sector).

Nonetheless, African-American dancers (Lavinia Williams, Haitian dancer Destiné, Moton, and Walter White (of NAACP fame) played an important role in promoting Haiti's tourism industry and cultural heritage (by bringing 'discipline' to folkloric dance, capital and advertising in tourism, and commissions to recommend changes in education during U.S. Occupation (besides uncovering and disseminating news of racial oppression, violence, and economic disaster under U.S. rule). African-American criticism of the paltry aid given to Haiti during the early Duvalier years, calls for increased investment, debt relief, cultural programs, defending Haitian sovereignty (exemplified by Douglass during the negotiations for the Mole St. Nicolas) and appreciation for Haitian history (as well as other forms of solidarity and intellectual exchange, such as cultural, literary, and Pan Africanist programs and movements) indicate additional ways African-Americans have shaped US-Haitian ways for the better.

Son Dominicano

Joan Soriano has quickly become one of my favorite bachata artists. His excellent guitar playing and 'authenticity' with bachata's Afro-Dominican roots appeals to me, as well as his excellent performance with Puerto Plata. This "Son Dominicano" seems to be quite derivative of the Cuban son, except played a little faster. 

The Coptic Church and Nubia

Check out an interesting interview with a scholar on Nubian Christianity, one of the least known Christian traditions of African antiquity. Salim Faraji is interviewed by a Coptic host on the subject of relations between the Coptic Church and Nubia, how a Nubian king initiated Christian conversions in Nubia, and other aspects of Nubia's history. As the host says, an understanding of the intertwined, interdependent histories of the Coptic, Nubian, and Ethiopian Orthodox traditions is necessary for comprehending the Copts in their proper African context. Check out this interview, too, on the study of Egyptian and Nubian Christianity.

La cama tiene candela

Robin Cariño's hit, "La cama tiene candela," is excellent bachata. Moreover, Cariño is supposedly a Dominican of Haitian descent (according to an NPR program), thus a great example of Caribbean music transcending ethnic and national boundaries. Regardless, the invariably beautiful guitar and lovely lyrics make this a memorable bachata number.

Voy Pa' lla

A beautiful bachata classic from Antony Santos with stunning guitar playing. Bachata is growing on me as a genre, particularly in how 'familiar' this new genre should be to me. It bears more than a passing resemblance to Cuban and Haitian twoubadou music, which is not surprising given the mutual Cuban influences in twoubadou and bachata. Nonetheless, some of the older styles of bachata feature excellent guitarists with infectious rhythms. This song, "Voy Pa' lla," was a hit with the Dominican diaspora in New York, perhaps because the title resonated with the immigrant experience, according to Afropop Worldwide's special on bachata. Another excellent feature of bachata is the adaptation of the bachata guitar style to merengue, something exemplified in tracks like "Cojelo Ahi" or "El Tomate" by Luis Vargas. The guitar style is quite reminiscent of Cuban tres as well as Congolese styles due to, again, shared Cuban and African influences. To be honest, I am now ashamed of my previous dismissive attitude toward bachata without really hearing it.

Men Kalot

An excellent twoubadou song from the talented Beethova Obas. As usual, he adds a touch of jazz and sophistication to anything he plays, along with irresistible melodies. "Men Kalot" is a deep twoubadou groove that I have already played several times this evening. While in a twoubadou fixation, enjoy Jackito's "Lanmou Doudou" as well. 

Cheri Amou

I don't care much for bachata, but this bachata in Haitian Kreyol is infectious. "Cheri Amou" has an endearing music video, lovely guitar sounds, and hand percussion. Although I will probably never be a huge fan of bachata, I am grateful to the music forum Islandmix for opening my eyes (and ears) to some beautiful Caribbean music. In some ways, this is not that different from twoubadou because of the prominence of the guitar and similar playing styles. Check out this video for Toni Tomas and bachata legend Joan Soriano singing "Cheri Amou" live.