Irène

Merry Christmas! Today, I am enjoying jazz and a random assortment of music. Today's gem is an old meringue, "Irène," performed by the Montreal-based band, Makaya. Irène the name of my great-grandmother, also has sentimental value to me, but I generally love older styles of Caribbean and Latin music, especially styles with a hint of jazz. The original can be found on Youtube or Spotify, as part of the Sans Parole volume of Haitian Belle Epoque music, consisting of meringues, big band, and jazz sounds.

Café au lait by Les Shleu Shleu

"Café au lait" by Les Shleu Shleu is a stirring minor-toned piece with gorgeous guitar. Also, apparently the group was initially funded by an Arab Haitian (source). Does that explain the seemingly North African-influenced band name? I'm not sure, I suppose it's possible. The guitarist, using a lot of reverb produces a pleasing sound that, though repetitive, is very dark and sounds like guitar music of Latin America, although much of Haitian music would use similar minor scales and feature 'ominous' sounds, right? Regardless, it's a beautiful song showing how great Haitian music of the 1960s can be, without a full horn section, too! And listen to that drummer!  For no reason whatsoever, check out "Oscalypso" by Art Blakey from one of his 'worldbeat' 1950s albums, the electric amp connected to the cello reminds me of this song. And check out the rest of the Les Shleu Shleu album here!

Marabout de mon coeur

I've heard much about Joe Trouillot from older Haitian relatives and family friends, but only tried listening to him recently. "Marabout de mon coeur" is quite beautiful and based on a poem. Will definitely listen to more of his music and other gems 1950s and 1960s Haitian music. Another work I am enjoying a lot today is Haitian Merengues by Sicot, released back in 1960. Very repetitive at times, but something akin to a pleasant slight breeze on a slow but relaxing day. Still, what I want to do is find recordings of older Haitian classical music, but, alas, that wealth of musical culture and history has not been properly served and recorded. Where can one go to find Occilius and Occide Jeanty, for instance?

Paulette

This song is quite good, avoiding some of the schmaltz of a lot of Caribbean music centered on the electric keyboard or synthesizers. In my opinion, much of African and Caribbean popular music lost its charm following the widespread adoption of synthesizers and electric keyboards (sadly, the case of Ethiopian music illustrates this quite well, though of course the new instruments were cheaper and I suppose more convenient for the musicians themselves, rather than continuing to rely on full bands with horns and other acoustic instruments). "Paulette" also features the voice of Roger Colas, a man I must admit I never heard of until about 2 years ago when visiting relatives in Miami and southern Florida. He has a great voice, and the band's accompaniment, horn section, and restrained yet jubilant percussion (often some of my favorite in Caribbean and West African highlife music) thrill me endlessly. Somewhere about halfway through, the song's structure shifts and recalls Cuban music, perhaps a result of Cuban influence or the general 'lazy' and smooth jazzy atmosphere of the tune. It's undeniably Haitian or French Caribbean. One final reason I may like this version is that it sounds like the same "Paulette" of folk or meringue fame, though it's unquestionable that Weber Sicot recorded the same "Paulette" in 1961 (listen here).

Nemours Jean-Baptiste

Very catchy old Haitian music! Nemours Jean-Baptiste was a master. The song's repetitive and light-hearted horns, catchy rhythms, delectable melodies, and improvisation is reminiscent of jazz's Caribbean roots. 

Musique d'Haiti

I am currently working on a Haitian music playlist. I am looking for suggestions, so please, send some recommendations my way! Check it! Bel mizik!

Hit That Jive, Jack

Nat King Cole Trio