Unearthed a gem of Haitian-inspired Cuban music by the legendary pianist and bandleader, Bebo Valdes. He spent some time in Haiti and recorded a Haitian meringue I blogged about in the past but also recorded this "Hot in Haiti" which sounds so much like 1950s and early 1960s Haitian kompa. Valdes spent some time in Haiti in the 1940s and clearly never quite forgot the intricacies of the Haitian meringue and the particularly repetitive, percussive brass essential to the music. Nevertheless, Valdes retains a uniquely Cuban solo voice for the band's horns, US jazz influences, and a little percussion solo.
Check out "Merengue A La Moore." which is similar to "Hot in Haiti" for illustrating how adept Valdes was in fusing his knowledge of Haitian music with his Cuban base. Indeed, this music is fascinating for showing how musical influences flowed, surprisinglyh, from Haiti to Cuba in the 1950s despite the overwhelming influence of Cuban music in Haiti and the rest of the Caribbean and Africa during this period. In the spirit of encouraging further pan-Caribbean musical collaborations, enjoy a stirring tribute to a key figure in the development of Haitian music during La Belle Epoque, Issa El Saieh! Rest in peace, Valdes and Saieh.
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