In my opinion. There are many ways we can try to learn about anything in life. First, we can learn on our own. This path can be very hard and mistakes will be made undoubtedly. Secondly, we can learn from our ancestors. In order to do so, the respect of traditions does not ground and secure this pivotal learning process unless there is continuity. Thirdly, we can learn from a source whose goal, whether it is hidden or obvious, is to subdue our mind by imposing by any possible means a new persona. Fourthly, and this is a very unfortunate aspect of Haitian life among the educated and the middle class, one can notice this voluntary surrender and adulation for the foreign or for the White, or anything related to Western culture that has become their paradigm. “Blan an fò tout bon” or “Mwen fen tankou Blan.” The focus on education in Haitian society is more about prestige than civic responsibility. Knowledge is being used as a ferocious weapon and tribal mentality reinforces division among Haitian people. To be educated by the Whites and have recognition among them must undoubtedly bring the respect due to a King and the kneeling of the common people in front of the throne. Only, a few educated Haitians show humility and assume their professional and civic responsibility. What is it about jazz? It is simply a genre of music where techniques of improvisations are formulated. How far one can go does not depend necessarily of one’s knowledge of those formulations but rather of the soulful and skillful expressions of one’s musical ideas. Yes, I am not a jazz musician or a genius, and my statement does not discount at all the fame and the greatness of any geniuses of Jazz. But, when applied to those imitators whose talent will never equate or surpass those geniuses, I do intend to let it bleed as it must be. We, as artists and musicians, have a job to do. This job demands a strong sense of responsibility that restrains personal freedom. Haitian arts have been for too long censured by this ferocious phenomenon of acculturation prompted not necessarily by politics, but rather by this servile mentality and adulation for the foreign. One of my friends got mad at me because I mentioned the lack of vision in Haitian paintings. Our Haitian painters are stuck on primitive art since it was recognized by “famous White people”—Jean Paul Sartre and André Malraux. What would have become of it without their censure? The idea to be in vogue or to be recognized in Haiti by imitating or even plagiarism has become the rule for creativity and people are being honored for it. Almost every single artist must be compared to some foreign famous ones. Anyone who brings the foreign to Haiti deserves greatness. Many artists claim that they are inspired by Ti Paris but their music does not reflect at all his playing or even his approach of Haitian music. Why a Haitian musician would spend years to learn “Spain” or “Around Midnight” or any jazz pieces instead of learning about our music will remain incomprehensible to me forever, not that I do not respect his or her personal freedom. To make a personal passion the denomination of a trait of culture in the times of national repossession and rebuilding at the expense of national identity is just a crime. There is no soul searching in our society, but an incessant flow of the foreign by the elite and the middle class. The resiliency of the peasantry is being battered ferociously and the divisions within our society remain strong. We have now a cultural shock in Haiti where assimilation is strongly effective and resistance futile. The sad truth is that most Haitians refuse to take responsibility and do intend to enjoy their personal freedom at any cost. The independence of Haiti in 1804 would have been totally impossible with many past generations and specially the current one. That has nothing to do with the terrible weaponry system of the Whites, but specially the current state of mind of Haitians—they admire the foreign. The house slaves have always felt closer to their masters. Not too many had the courage to stand up. They just like doing what pleases the masters and try to be like them. Jazz is great. Oh yes! It is black music. Oh yes! I do not see those great knowledgeable musicians playing Soukous! Oh yes! Haitian music is more than black music, it is OUR MUSIC! Too bad that most of them must know it in order to play it! It is not even second nature to most of them. Why? I have heard so many replies to that question. But all I know is that the Blue Book is their recipe for imitation, not for creativity. Chapo ba John Coltrane II, Herbie Hancock II, West Montgomery II, Michel Legrand II, Stanley Clark II, George Benson II, George Benson III, George Benson IV, Earl Klugh II, etc..! Jesus Christ, what a mess!
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 07:01:07 +0000
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