Celebrating Jacmel’s vibrant musical heritage as a symbol of Haiti’s cultural resilience and its contribution to the global soundscape.
Setting the Stage for an Extraordinary Journey Through Haitian Music
In this masterful exploration, Dr. Jean-Elie Gilles takes us on an unforgettable journey through the heart of Haitian music, a journey where tradition and invention meet, and where the city of Jacmel stands as a luminous beacon of cultural excellence.
Drawing from its rich history of classical compositions, vibrant folkloric traditions, and groundbreaking popular music movements, Dr. Gilles reveals how Haitian music has shaped our national identity and global aspirations. From colonial harps to rara parades, from salon piano recitals to rap anthems of the new generation, this article celebrates the enduring power of Haitian music as the living voice of a people forever committed to artistry, resilience, and world citizenship.
Editorial Note
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Haitian Music: A Reflection of Cultural Identity and Global Citizenship
Jacmel as a Living Example of World-Class Musical Practice
In this exploration, we do not attempt to present an exhaustive catalog of Haitian music in all its rich diversity. Instead, we invite readers to reflect on compositions and artists who often receive too little attention despite their profound cultural significance. Using Jacmel as a case study, with its extraordinary musical heritage and world-class traditions, we call upon music lovers and researchers across Haiti and the diaspora to highlight the various musical practices flourishing in their communities.
Cultural Misconceptions and the Power of Haitian Sound
In today’s mass consumption of Haitian music at home and abroad, our country is often stereotypically reduced to three cultural signifiers: Vodou, Kompa, and political dysfunction. While Kompa, rara, Vodou-inspired, and folk music are central to the Haitian experience, they have tended to overshadow another vibrant realm of Haitian music, one often reserved for more formal settings and mistakenly considered the domain of a social elite.
This form of ‘musique savante,’ art music, is, in fact, deeply rooted in Haitian soil. It reflects our historical memory and our creative ability to merge tradition and invention, even in times of cultural alienation or international scrutiny. Some critics may label our literature “too Francophile” or our music “too rhythmic,” but such claims miss the essence of our artistic complexity.
The vitality of Haitian music lies in two powerful and interdependent forces: Tradition and Invention.
From Sacred Hymns to Classical Composition
Haitian 19th and early 20th-century composers began their musical journeys by writing hymns for the Catholic Church. Educated by Catholic institutions or trained by French mentors, they composed sacred motets and harmonium-based hymns. Toureau Lechaud, Albert Ambroise, and other professional organists were among the early pioneers.
With contributions from Eluspha Laporte, H. Vilain Fils, and J.B. Voliumar, the foundation of Haiti’s classical and salon music began to emerge. That foundation later flourished through the works of figures such as Oswald Durand, Hector Ambroise, Ludovic Lamothe, Justin Elie, Valerio Canez, Werner Jaegerhüber, Carmen Brouard, Lina Mathon-Blanchet, Christian Werleigh, and many others. They elevated traditional Haitian rhythms, especially Vodou, into refined piano pieces and even full-scale Vodou-themed operas.
In contrast, Haitian popular music exploded post-1949, after the bicentennial of Port-au-Prince, with stars like Martha Jean-Claude, Lumane Casimir, Les Jeunes, Pepe Bayard, Webert Sicot, and Nemours Jean-Baptiste. The fall of Jean-Claude Duvalier in 1986 ushered in yet another era of musical innovation, with groups like Boukan Ginen, RAM, Boukman Eksperyans, and artists like Master Dji, Emeline Michel, and Beethova Obas reshaping the landscape.
Jacmel: A Cradle of Musical Excellence
Jacmel has long been a cultural beacon where music was the glue of society. Music is present in public festivals, Vodou ceremonies, and especially in cultural clubs like Union and Excelsior. These venues birthed the troubadour style, with iconic figures like Ti Paris and Vulcain delivering unforgettable performances. Hired by Jacmel’s elite for social gatherings, troubadours brought live instrumentation and lyricism to parties when record players were still a rarity.
The town’s embrace of music stretched across all genres—piano, jazz, opera, and included vibrant nightclubs like Djoumba and Oasis. In the mini-jazz era, Father Guire Poulard, now Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, founded the group La Cordée de Jacmel, drawing young musicians to rehearse and perform in parish halls under the watchful eyes of clergy like Fathers Jean Fagot and Vital Médée.
Even before the Desaix Baptiste Music School existed, Jacmel’s music scene thrived with private lessons and porch-side jam sessions. Names like Philippe Cadet, Philippe Jean, Roland Zenny, and Roger Zenny were known for their skill and dedication. Piano lessons from the Lapierre sisters or the nuns of Saint Joseph de Cluny added refinement to the musical education of Jacmel’s youth.
Evening strolls in Jacmel offered a sensory feast—jasmine in the air, sea breeze on the skin, and piano music drifting through the shutters of homes along the Place d’Armes. These were times of artistic communion, when women played Chopin or Kabalevsky on upright pianos, and children practiced minuets with intense concentration.
Jacmelian musical life also flourished on special occasions, like Saint Cecilia’s Day, when quartets led by Hector Ambroise featured Roland Zenny and Madame Victor Cadet, which were truly unforgettable performances.
A Historical Legacy in Music
Music in Jacmel was historically a cultural lifeline, especially for women during the colonial era. As men worked the plantations, music provided solace, expression, and dignity. Even during the Revolution, General Beauvais wrote one final letter while fleeing exile to ensure payment for his daughter’s harp lessons, revealing music’s high value even amid the turmoil.
Jacmel hosted touring French theatrical troupes, orphéons (choirs), and orchestras. During General Louis Tanis’s 1876 rebellion, François Massillon Lauture conducted martial hymns in the public square. In De l’Égalité des Races Humaines (1888), Anténor Firmin praised composer Eluspha Laporte as a “consummate musician…a virtuoso of the highest order.”
By the late 19th century, Jacmel boasted four philharmonic orchestras:
- The Military Band of the 22nd and 23rd Line Regiments, with red trousers and blue coats, led by Commander Joseph Pierre-Louis
- The Municipal Orchestra, founded in 1895 by Mayor Aristide Mathieu, with instruments purchased on credit from Paris and led by Ernest Bellande
- The Orphéon Orchestra, under Georges Lherisson, delivering unforgettable performances at Place Louverture
- L’Union Musicale, with 45 performers and led by the passionate Albert Ambroise
The Heartbeat of a Nation
Jacmel remains a city of warriors, poets, Masons, lawyers, traders, and artists. With one foot in commerce and the other in the arts, Jacmel has always prioritized music as a cornerstone of civic and cultural life.
From sacred hymns to troubadour serenades, from piano concertos to mini-jazz experiments, the music of Jacmel, and by extension, that of Haiti, embodies a dynamic fusion of heritage and vision. This is not just the sound of a people but the heartbeat of a nation reaching confidently toward the world.
About the Author:
Dr. Jean-Elie Gilles is a distinguished Haitian cultural scholar, musician, and advocate. Born in Jacmel, he has dedicated his career to preserving Haiti’s rich musical traditions and exploring the intersections of culture, identity, and artistry.
Bibliography
- Alexis, Stephen. Modern Haitian Thought, Books Abroad, September 30, 1956.
- Charmant, Alcius. La Mort de Chicoye, Imprimerie Duval & Davoult, Le Havre, 1907.
- Charmant, Alcius. Le Spectre de Chicoye, Imprimerie Duval & Davoult, Le Havre, 1907.
- Dumerve, Constantin. Chants Patriotiques, Compagnie Lithographique d’Haïti, Port-au-Prince, 1952.
- Gilles, Jean-Elie. Jacmel, sa Contribution à l’Histoire d’Haïti, Tomes I, II, III, Éditions des Antilles, Haïti, 1995; Educa Vision Inc., Florida, USA, 1999, 2000, 2002.
- Nelson, Nancy. Chansons de l’Encrier et du Piano, Presses de l’Irnaje, Washington, USA, 1998, in collaboration with Jean-Elie Gilles.
Periodicals Consulted:
Weinstein, Brian and Segal, Aaron. Haiti: Political Failures, Cultural Success, Hoover Institution Press, 1984.
SUD’OUEST, collection from 1935 to March 4, 1966.
LE TEMPS, collection from 1932 to 1937.
L’ÉCRAN DE JACMEL, collection from 1972 to 1987.
ECHO PAROISSIAL DE JACMEL, collection from 1954 to 1956.
AYA BOMBE, collection from 1947 to 1949.
CAHIERS D’HAÏTI, August 1934 to December 1951, Kraus Reprint.
