“Alan Lomax, the greatest ethnomusicologist in American history, went to Haiti in 1936... and captured a moment of culture and a moment of history that would have been lost to us otherwise.”Watch this moment
Alan Lomax In Haiti
Various Artists
This collection showcases the rich tapestry of Haitian music as recorded by folklorist Alan Lomax in the mid-20th century. The album captures a diversity of sounds, blending traditional instruments like the tanbou (drum) and the guitar with lush vocal harmonies that reflect the vibrancy of Haitian culture. The rhythms are often lively and syncopated, embodying the spirit of Vodou ceremonies, while other tracks delve into the more melancholic melodies that hint at the island's complex history. The production offers a raw, unfiltered glimpse into Haiti's musical landscape, allowing the listener to appreciate the texture of the performances. Field recordings feature ambient sounds that transport you to rural settings, where musicians perform in communal gatherings. Lomax’s approach emphasizes authenticity, preserving the organic essence of these cultural expressions, which might otherwise be lost to time. Key moments include "Dewoulé," a spirited call-and-response that invites participation, and "Mwen Se Mèt A Dlo," a haunting lament that highlights the emotional depth of the repertoire. The album stands out within the genre for its dedication to documenting the everyday sounds of Haiti, rather than simply presenting polished commercial music. Released in 2009, this compilation not only serves as a vital historical document but also invites contemporary listeners to engage with the ongoing narrative of Haitian music. It is a poignant reminder of the resilience and creativity of the Haitian spirit, making it an essential listen for anyone interested in world music or the cultural history of the Caribbean.
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Tracklist
286 tracks · 538:36 · click to previewDisc 1
1
Mesi papa Vincent
1:42
2
Test Strip
0:50
3
Gonaives
3:20
4
Merengue
1:32
5
Instrumental Merengue, Pt. 1
2:47
6
Instrumental Merengue, Pt. 2
2:34
7
Loko
1:50
8
Nibo
2:22
9
Profound Admiration
3:05
10
Medanm-yo ki jalou
5:12
11
Fanm ki jalou
4:45
12
Le grand sympathie
5:16
13
Bon kleren de Nicanor Petiguy
5:25
14
Deus Blues
3:39
15
Ochan pou President Trujillo
1:55
16
Toulejou se yon sel chason
4:00
17
Drapeau benis
1:13
18
Boumbaya boumbe
0:28
19
Bluebird
0:37
20
Bama Bama
0:36
21
There Stands a Bluebird
1:10
22
Nan neyi-m fanm pa konmande
3:07
23
Fanm-sa-a wa tiye gason
2:43
Disc 2
1
Son bon gason mesye
4:02
2
Demonstration of the Tuning of the Malinoumbas
1:16
3
Mesi papa Vensan
4:35
4
Ala mesye ki gen kourai hanbile
3:51
5
Moun podene, Pt. 1
3:54
6
Moun podene, Pt. 2
3:03
7
Ti Manman-m cheri
2:50
8
Danbala aye
1:57
9
Kamelit a bay la bèl choz
3:37
10
M pap mouri pou w an jalouzi
2:07
11
Bon ti konsey
1:58
12
Ti manman cheri
2:46
13
Ma prale Jeremie
2:47
14
Valse a elle
2:38
15
Mwen manman bouke fem sibi
3:27
16
La violette
2:19
17
Moun podene
2:18
18
Bonswa papa Pye
3:18
19
Le President Trujillo te visite
4:41
20
Nan gonayiy
4:43
21
Feray-o
4:50
22
Nibo
1:02
23
Micheline
3:01
24
Papa gede bel gason
2:41
Disc 3
2
Voye ale
3:25
3
Mwen pral kay tilem
1:38
4
Maskawon Drumming
0:42
5
Ma rele se semaphore
1:59
6
San-m ape koule
1:28
7
Aganman monte bwa, 1 ale
2:47
8
Jenn Jan Kokoaye m' tande a
0:59
9
Woy-o Woy-o plus ochan
0:40
10
Kondiye, wa play drapo
3:58
11
Se ayizan mwen mande ; St. jacques bann vodou song
3:34
12
Annou manyen na we
1:42
13
Mesa papa Vensan
1:03
14
Se konnen, yo pa konnen ou
1:14
15
Kondi m ale
0:34
16
Alandtou kay la genyen dife
1:04
17
Mi-a, m tande rele-o
2:03
18
Ezilio-o, ezili-mi-a
2:24
19
Moyiz-o
2:41
20
Kayoka ; men wa men wa, woy-o ; lage sirèn la, se laraj-o
0:24
21
Ma we w banbile
1:44
22
Pou w taya banda
1:13
23
Prese pou n ale
4:41
24
Moyiz-o ma pare un bwa pou yo
5:38
25
Sourit kaba bobo a
5:36
Disc 4
1
Papa gede kenbe-m
3:11
2
Map pran yong fnm kon rara deyo
2:10
3
Fredrik kaba medanm-yo
1:17
4
Peny nan pwèl ; saul-o, de ougan kontre-la ; elèn-o, vini kontre mwen plas dos-la
3:23
5
Beni se papa legba ; beni se papa legba ; dirèktè mwen t'a bwe bwason etranj ; ayo, monte bwa o ale
4:05
6
Chez-o, prete
2:28
7
Pa mele nan
2:09
8
M'a rele lelen
2:21
9
Way, way, dimann
2:55
10
Ouvri pot-la, fre ago
2:43
11
Awi-aw-a, lage bourik-la
2:31
12
Ago monte bwa, 1 ale
1:41
13
Ago, nou we sa-o, bagay-sa
1:57
14
Chez-o, prete m yon chez-o
1:21
15
Bob kay sou teras-la
1:02
16
Mwen an va, loko, anye
2:34
17
Papa ki ban m gwos-la
1:55
18
Katil wete fanm-nan
1:30
19
Gwo, gwo
1:51
20
Voya ale
1:06
21
Yavole
1:22
22
Vaksin-s of the rara ste
2:39
23
Mwen tete
2:16
Disc 5
1
Dodo, dodo, krab nans kalalou
1:11
2
Un p'tit pied laurier, Pt. 1
0:52
3
Un p'tit pied laurier, Pt. 2
1:14
4
Ti zwazo
0:38
5
Delina, pinga manyen moungo
1:18
6
Pinga manje
1:21
7
M pa manje nan janden manman-w
0:18
8
Se rosann, yap prete m yon pelen
0:41
9
O'zanana
0:37
10
Jwe yoyo
0:53
11
Adye manman bay kola-a
1:09
12
Twa pa, toutlanwit
0:54
13
De rad broule
1:25
14
Rozmeli, ale pale manman-m pou mwen
1:12
15
Agawou-o, dyab-la bobo lode
0:55
16
Bonjou, bonjoy manman sira
1:20
17
Cantique des patrouilles
1:28
18
La crocodile
1:06
19
Les scouts sont la
1:14
20
C'est le piston qui fait marcher le machine
1:20
21
Madmazel ki manje kalabou
0:24
22
Je vois la marguerite
0:26
23
Helene
0:35
24
J'avais des belles fleurs
0:36
25
Deyè mòn-la, ann prale wè
2:03
26
Bonjou, manman sira
1:54
27
Drums and vaksin-s
1:13
28
M-pral fè lago ti zongle
1:42
29
Pinga way-o
1:47
30
La fig banann
1:19
Disc 6
1
Fleurs, certaines jolies fleurs
1:53
2
Al entrant dans sa maison
1:41
3
La belle, la belle
1:13
4
Trois kilomètres, ça use les souliers
1:05
5
M ba sayil manje
0:55
6
Chère mama, cher papa, assez longtemps
2:14
7
Etendez là
2:33
8
Se yon ayewoplan
3:03
9
Quand je suis enceinte
2:01
10
Monsieur Napoléon
1:20
11
Romance de princesse Zèlène
4:40
12
À la trois ans dans la prison
3:16
13
Romance de la guerre, Pt. 1
1:51
14
Romance de la guerre, Pt. 2
3:39
15
Le malheureux jour pour moi
3:56
16
Gouvernour Bovil
3:35
17
En avant simple
0:26
18
Mesi, papa Vensan
0:56
19
Drums of the Sosyete Viyolon
1:10
20
Kantik, Pt. 1
2:44
21
Kantik, Pt. 2
2:04
22
Announcement By Elizabeth Lomax
0:10
Disc 7
1
Yo mache ak wanga pou m pa sa mariye
1:49
2
Medanm-yo ki mande mariye, napwen lajan
1:24
3
Demwazèl, na fè renmen
1:24
4
Ameli, wa di manma konsa
1:36
5
Ou pa si bèl, ou pa si dous
1:52
6
Menaj mwen jalou, wap a manyen tetem
1:15
7
Kina, kina, manman la mennen ou lantan
1:48
8
To, to, to, papa, ou se kannay
1:31
9
Mwen di yo, mwen pa wè moun lakay la
1:35
10
Kite 1 ale tribinal
1:52
11
Nou tout se moun
1:52
12
Larivyè bòde, lè pase
1:52
13
Twa fwa nan peyi-o, chanpay-o
1:34
14
Avan lamò se grandyè nan syèl
1:42
15
« Aye, ki gangan sila ? »
1:35
16
Papa legba zandò
1:34
17
Danbala-m se koulèv
1:43
18
Fiyole pou danbala
2:47
19
Ayizan, belekounde
1:12
20
Agwe tawoyo, m prale peche
1:09
21
O sen yo, le-le-o
1:10
22
Ogou badagri, si ou rete yon kote
2:01
23
Ogou-o nèg gè, fizil tire, m pa pè yo
1:49
24
Ezili yon lwa ki rèd-o
1:49
25
Ezili bon lwa, defensè-mwen
2:06
26
Kandèl-e, frè nago, kote ou ye
1:36
27
Ayama ibo le-le
1:33
28
Gade nan mizè-a m tonbe
1:32
29
Gedevi yawe, se lwa mwen
1:23
30
Gede nibo, yo fè rayi mwen
1:25
31
Papa pyè badè kiliso
1:30
32
Badè vayan gason
1:57
33
Papa gede, lanmè kache, rasin san bout
2:49
34
Gougoun, mwen nan men w
1:23
35
Mèt kafou men djab-la
1:47
36
M ale nan simityè tout zonbi kouri dèyè mwen
1:31
Disc 8
1
Papa legba ouvri baryè-a
1:00
2
Legba, wayan, wayanm m ale
1:02
3
Fè salye, ewa, ewa, legba bouke
0:47
4
Mwen di loko, mwen yanvalou mwen
0:56
5
Papa loko, pale petit-yo pou mwen
0:59
6
Loko ma bia elouwe
1:03
7
Danbala wèdo tokan koulèv
1:20
8
Danbala wèdo, ogous-o
0:53
9
Danbala wèdo, chita-la, siyan-o, bondyè
1:35
10
Bonswa gran, bonswa zanfan-yo
0:59
11
Alouba, alouba, nous mare-o
1:00
12
Ezili-o, kote ou ye ?
0:44
13
Ayizan-o, laisse coule
1:15
14
Ayizan, ayizan-o, ayizan marche
1:02
15
Ayizan, do, le, le
0:57
16
Agasou-o, m pral nan ginen
1:51
17
Agasou, do m selère
0:39
18
M prale wè mitans si ma degwe
1:12
19
Nou la-e, sobo, nou la-e
1:22
20
Jouda-yo nonme nonm-mwen
1:32
21
Li sa agonye-e
1:17
22
Adamisou, bravo ougan mwen
1:17
23
Tiyèt marsèy na gade ounfò
1:22
24
Konsole laplas ginen konsole
2:05
25
Gloria & Prayer
1:20
26
Christening of the Drums / Prayer
1:48
27
Deploye dwapo gade wanman, nou la-e
1:40
28
Sobo mande yon vèvè, drapo-sa elouwe
1:48
29
Flavodou wanga siye
0:27
30
Gabriyèl-o, vodou mwen-yeah-o
2:12
31
Lafanmi sanble
1:42
32
Danbala wèdo, dan ki sou mande salado
1:15
33
Go-wi-en, danbala wèdo, go-wi-en-e
1:04
34
Wèdo, miwa-e
1:58
35
Mi doulè, mi doulè la, ayizan gid mwen
1:50
36
Dayome woy, ma sa nou de
1:00
37
Koupe pou de gouden, deliha, koupe donk
0:57
38
Danbala wèdo, ankò wi-en-e
1:15
39
Li lè pou nou reploye drapo
1:02
40
Y ape kondi m ale
0:54
41
Wo-o-o-o, me wi-en-e
1:21
42
Ounsi malouk-o
1:17
43
Di sa bondyè-e
1:16
Disc 9
1
Lisya-o, komè sa ou vie ?
2:32
2
Se pou chante-a, yo banmwen twa degout-o
1:11
3
Padon, padon, map mande padon
1:43
4
Bare, bare, bare fanm
1:07
5
Tifi-a mete pantalèt
1:27
6
Nan semityè pou m antere fanmi mwen
1:12
7
Ogou demanyè, nou wè koyo, ye
1:50
8
Banm mwen lè, mwen batonyè
2:41
9
Tomazo na prale
1:57
10
Dous-o, dous-o
1:41
11
Kite m ale, manman mwen
2:13
12
Lakonmin-o
1:21
13
Mwen chache yoyo
1:20
14
Pinga w manyen manman
1:34
15
Legba, i ouvri baryè-a pou mwen
1:38
16
Larèn, ti jann, nou wè nou se deja kongo
2:24
17
Tiyiya, seway
1:23
18
Rasin de, bwa, bwa
1:23
19
Se mwen rosinyòl, sanba, mwen chante
1:47
20
Kou w vle mennan mwen
1:28
21
Drumming of the Sosyete Wou
2:12
22
Djouba and Kongo Drumming
2:31
23
Anmwe nibo, m te pale ou
2:33
24
Viv o, m rele gouvenè
2:03
25
Leve rad, pou m konnen sa ou pote
1:46
26
Elèn kap kriye, bèt-la anraje i
3:03
27
Madanm mariye, sa se dwol
1:44
Disc 10
1
Bonjoy papa dambala, kouman ou ye
1:30
2
Badè ounsi
1:41
3
Mape mande ou padon
1:16
4
Ezili freda, sen jwa-e
1:25
5
Ezili, kote ou ye
1:21
6
Ogou balendyo nèg politik
1:59
7
Azaka gweliye, tonnè
2:02
8
Azaka mande san-e
1:26
9
Jwe minis azaka jwe
1:56
10
Kouman sa
1:12
11
Ogou fè mande sinyale-sa
0:40
12
Fè yon vèvè pou danbala wèdo
1:09
13
Danbala tokwan, mape mande
1:18
14
Pa jodi nou sou lanmè
0:40
15
Jodiya, se joy pa mwen
2:18
16
Ala yon bèl ti gason se ogou fè
1:04
17
Drumming of the Sosyete Dereyal
1:20
18
Ti kita, bouyi non woy
2:14
19
Ti kita se pa konsa m konmande
1:23
20
Jan kita, se mwen yo rele kann chèch-o
2:04
21
Ezili ma foula pou yo
1:11
22
Chanpay oke, krètyen pa krètyen anko
1:47
23
Lè minwit-o se lè mwen
2:05
24
Sedye ! Sedye o !
1:36
25
Granbwa, manje w pare
1:09
26
Zila lan peyi kongo
2:28
27
Drumming - 3 Drums of the Sosyete Boumba
2:18
28
Mwen salonge, yaya mwen salonge
1:45
29
Ezili si ou mande manje, map bayou li
2:02
30
Lwa zila, se sakre
1:41
31
Fèy-o, rele fèy-o
1:46
32
Makaya penba, m vle wè yo
1:49
33
Lenba, lenba sou lemò
1:58
34
Granbwa-e, manje ou pare
1:20
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