#43 - Musical Summer in Haiti: Love, Sorrow and Watson G
#43 - Musical Summer in Haiti: Love, Sorrow and Watson G
Watson G and summer music, launch of HAITI MIXTAPE SESSIONS, tribute to MechansT, DJ Nick at the summit, Brooklyn Market returns to Cité Soleil and the road to the South comes to a halt
Along with the usual love stories, disillusionment has dominated the musical hits of recent months in Haiti. The artist of the moment, Watson G, shares his thoughts with HAÏTI MAGAZINE in a special issue dedicated to Haitian summer music. This and more in HAITI WEEKLY #42 by DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO, a collective of journalists and media professionals based in Haiti.
Summary #43
Vacation Music: Between Love and Disillusionment
Launch of HAITI MIXTAPE SESSIONS
Tribute to MechansT
DJ Nick Wins 1st Guinness Time Contest
Music Video of the Week: Kriye by Kenny Haïti
Cité Soleil: Brooklyn Market Returns
Port-au-Prince: the Road to the South Completely Paralyzed
Press Reviews
Vacation Music: Between Love and Disillusionment
The biggest musical hits of recent months in Haiti have been marked by themes of reconciliation and heartbreak. Festive music has been almost eclipsed. While stories of passionate love and lasting friendships continue to inspire, the country's difficulties weigh heavily on the collective psyche.
Performing several times a week this summer, Watson G is one of the biggest musical revelations of the year, and several of his tracks are being played over and over again. In between concerts, HAITI WEEKLY caught up with the artist.
Released at the end of May, Watson G's song Nou tout ki lakòz [We're all responsible] is already one of the biggest hits of the year, despite the fact that several music radio stations in the capital have changed their programming or stopped broadcasting altogether in recent months. “Many people have told me that they had tears in their eyes when they first heard this song,” the singer recalls. In Nou tout ki lakòz, Watson G describes himself as being caught in the crossfire: on the one hand, the bandits, and on the other, a police force that is unable to protect the entire territory and often targets the wrong people. The chorus of this song pleads for the police to do their job.
His other big hit, M nan san (in collaboration with Wenly Jay), released in February, deals with the strength of those who “aren't afraid of failure”, despite the country's major socio-economic challenges.
With over 10 million views on YouTube for his last three hits, young Watson G is now in demand across the country. He still lives in his hometown of Trou-du-Nord in the Nord-Est department. “I now feel the social importance of my music,” confides the singer, who launched his career in 2017. “I feel that I symbolize the future of the country.”
It is easy to see the influence of Blaze-One and Baky, two of his biggest inspirations. These two musicians have had much success with songs that are highly critical of the country's leaders and situation.
Friendships and Disappointments: the Year in Music
As with Watson G's recent successes, stories of disappointments have been at the center of both rap and regular songs this year. Nicko G had already moved audiences last November with M paka anfòm [I am not good]. His new song Mouri deja, released earlier this year, tells the story of a kidnapping victim's last phone call to his mother: “All the money they're going to ask for, where are we going to find it? [...] I'm already dead. [...] Mom, bye bye, I'm gone.”
For his part, rapper Mada Mada celebrates the importance of friendship and brotherly love on No Fake (Love Ak Kè), with several guest artists, including Watson G, who starts the first verse. Produced with two other up-and-coming rappers, Bourik The Latalay and Bando, the track has become one of the genre's biggest hits since its release last April.
Special mention also goes to Kingstreet, who this summer released a cover of Leonard Cohen's work (Alleluia with Magic Touch).
Ekip also won over the hearts of compas fans this year with songs about independence in love (Dwat nan la ri a with Kenny Haiti) and separation (Separasyon with Bedjine). Since December, the Nu Look group has been attracting attention with a story of disappointment in love (Mwen Déçu with Medjy), while Troubleboy Hitmaker and Tafa Mi-Soleil evoke broken hearts on an afropop-compas melody (Brize).
Finally, the group Zafèm and its two famous singer-songwriters, Dener Céide and Réginald Cangé, continue to build on the success of their album LAS, released last year and considered a compas masterpiece. They were in Jérémie last week, a few days after playing in Jacmel, and then in the Port-au-Prince area last Sunday.
Launch of Haiti Mixtape Sessions
The DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO team presents a new series of podcasts called HAITI MIXTAPE SESSIONS, with this first edition featuring a selection of the biggest Haitian hits of the year: Gadon Blan Haiti Summer Mix 2024.
Subscribe to this new music podcast, available via RSS or on Apple Podcast here :
Tribute to MechansT
Almost two months after his disappearance at sea, we still have no news of the famous singer and rapper MechansT. The man who produced one of the most popular albums of 2023 is said to have taken a boat in the Bahamas, where local authorities attempted a fruitless search last month. Several musicians have begun creating musical tributes to the artist. Until his fate is confirmed by his family, who are still searching for him, here are some of his greatest hits from recent years.
MechansT, who also went by Big Merch on some projects, produced some very successful tracks. Before his death, Wens Jonathan Désir seems to have spent several weeks in the Bahamas.
Initially, some relatives told Luckson St-Ville that he was on his way to a Fourth of July party by boat with friends. The Haitian journalist was later able to confirm that the artist had instead attempted to travel to the United States.
MechansT has never been able to obtain a visa to the United States, despite generous live performance contracts offered by numerous promoters.
After starting his career in rap, the artist began to mix genres, exploring compas song, African pop and prestigious collaborations, notably with Nigerian singer L.A.X. last year.
DJ Nick Wins 1st Guinness Time Contest
DJ Nick won the grand final of the national Guiness Time contest on Saturday, under the watchful eye of host DJ Kemissa and judges Gardy Girault, DJ Jack and DJ Nos. A large stage and pyrotechnic effects were set up on the terrace of the Port-au-Prince Marriott Hotel, next to the swimming pool.
After a first round of 15 minutes each for the four semi-finalists, two winning DJs advanced to the final for 10 minutes each. “The decision was very difficult,” said DJ Jack, announcing the jury's choice after the two performances. “Today, DJ Nick's technical quality was superior, but maybe next year it'll be DJ Cliff.”
DJ Nick wins a professional DJ controller, a pair of headphones, and his own radio show for the next year. He will also be a “Guinness Ambassador” for a year, which will take him to several parties.
His real name is Joachim Jules Rahens and he is also the brother of another famous DJ and musician, AlCol.
DJ Nick wins the first edition of the “Guinness Time” contest - Loop Haïti
Music Video of the Week
Kriye - Kenny Haïti
Afropop music has had a strong influence on Haitian artists. One of the best examples is singer Kenny Haïti’s ballad Kriye [Cry], released in late June.
The clip opens with a close-up of a tear running down the artist's cheek before the first verse: “Something hurts you, stresses you every day. It's so hard, [...] you think you're going to go crazy.”
Mental distress is widespread in the country today, and the lyrics of this song recall the suffering associated with it, with a hint of hope.
The chorus insists that “sometimes it's good to cry, don't you feel relieved? Instead of killing yourself when you feel discouraged, it's better to cry.”
For this special edition on music, here's a list of all the music videos of the week since last year:
Cité Soleil: Brooklyn Market Returns
After years of conflict, the “vars” have been dismantled and the Brooklyn market has reopened in Cité Soleil. Located at the entrance to the neighborhood of the same name, the Brooklyn market was still closed despite the truce that has been in place since last year between Gabriel Jean-Pierre's Brooklyn group and the G9 group (mainly Boston and Belekou). In recent weeks, however, activity has resumed in this market, one of the largest in the commune.
The “vars”, these conflict zones abandoned by the inhabitants, follow the borders of the various rival neighborhoods and have in the past imposed a de facto difficult siege on the residents. In fact, it was in the Brooklyn district that the first cases of cholera appeared in 2022, although the disease had not been detected in the country for several years.
Further south, opposite the port of Port-au-Prince, armed conflict flared up again two weeks ago in La Saline. Deaths were reported between two armed groups in the area, causing panic among residents. The Wharf Jérémie group has controlled part of La Saline for some time, much to the dismay of its rival group. The strategic location facilitates attacks on trucks entering the port.
Following the delivery this past Sunday of some twenty armored vehicles ordered by the government last year, Kenyan police, army and international forces also attempted an operation last Tuesday near the the nearby Bel-Air district.
USA delivers 24 new tanks for Kenyan mission in Haiti - Loop Haiti
First joint operation by PNH, FADH and MMAS in Port-au-Prince - Le Nouvelliste
Port-au-Prince: the Road to the South Completely Paralyzed
A few months after taking over Route Nationale #2 in 2021, which connects Port-au-Prince to the rest of the country, armed groups set up a makeshift toll system. Most travelers and trucks stopped using the road due to the high risk of kidnapping, but the journey was still possible for the more adventurous.
Since the latest attempt by an armed group to take control of part of the town of Gressier this month, traffic on the national road south (past Martissan and Carrefour) has come to a virtual standstill.
This situation has had a direct impact on food prices, which are once again soaring in the capital, while producers in the south are left with large quantities of unsold produce.
A new alternative route has developed by boat, but the roads to get to the bottom of the city at Wharf Jérémie can be treacherous.
Over-availability of agricultural produce in the South: engineer Astrel Joseph predicts disaster - Le Nouvelliste
Haiti-Criminality: Around twenty bandits killed in Gressier and Carrefour - AlterPresse
Gressier, in the grip of bandits, residents forced to take dangerous routes - Le National
At a glance: Five Haitians Named Young Ambassadors of the Americas in Nova Scotia
Five Haitians traveled to Nova Scotia earlier this month to participate in the Forum des jeunes ambassadeurs de la francophonie des Amériques. Among them were journalist and author Marc Sony Ricot, former journalist and cultural worker Laura Louis, and Ritzamarum Zétrenne, RFI host and head of cultural programming at the Institut français de Port-au-Prince. They were accompanied by researchers Weldy Saint-Fleur (PhD student at the Université Laval) and Judith Cenot (Institut du Nouveau Monde). Together, they participated in a week of activities in the company of some 50 other young francophone leaders from the Americas.
Ritzamarum Zétrenne, young Ambassador of the Francophonie of the Americas - Le Nouvelliste
DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO’s team
Photojournalists: Francillon Laguerre, Sonson Thelusma, Andoo Lafond, Milot Andris, Patrick Payin
Editorial board: Etienne Côté-Paluck, Jean Elie Fortiné, Jean-Paul Saint-Fleur
Interns: Wilky Andris, Donley Jean Simon
Special collaboration: Stéphanie Tourillon-Gingras, Ketlain Difficile, Josué Visual, Laura Louis, Mateo Fortin Lubin
Media partners: Centre à la Une, J-COM, Nord-Est Info
Institutional partners: Kay Fanm, Mouka.ht
Special thanks to the Fonds québécois pour le journalisme international (FQJI) for its support.
How Does Your Contribution Help?
Your monthly support helps to finance the production and pay the salaries of the DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO staff in the communities of Cité-Soleil, Port-au-Prince and Cayes-Jacmel. In addition, donations are regularly distributed for medical expenses, school fees and other emergencies in these communities.
Press Reviews
Press Review - Culture and Heritage
Quand Zafèm séduit le Ritz - Le Nouvelliste
L’écrivain Gary Victor finaliste du Prix Ivoire pour la Littérature Africaine d’Expression Francophone - Le National
La plasticienne Myrielle Pierre Charlier - Le National
« La face cachée d'Haïti » de Boutros Boutros Petit-Car : Une plongée profonde dans l’identité et l’histoire haïtiennes - Le Nouvelliste
Haïti à l'exposition Zombis au Musée du Quai Branly - Le Nouvelliste
D-Singer de retour avec « Ouvè pòt », son premier album - Le Nouvelliste
Dèf Fondamental : Le Kendrick Lamar haïtien avec «Bazik 2» - Le National
Théâtre Toupatou, 10 ans au compteur - Le Nouvelliste
Josma Lawens, le tiktokeur qui donne le sourire - Le Nouvelliste
Zenglen fait son come-back - Le Nouvelliste
Le chanteur Erol Josué à la Biennale Ouidah 2024 arts et cultures vodoun au Bénin - Le National
Pour une sociologie d'Haïti au XXIe siècle de Laënnec Hurbon - Le Nouvelliste
Lancement de la première édition de Port-au-Prince podcast festival - Le Nouvelliste
AlterPresse | Haïti-Culture : Livres en folie toujours au rendez-vous, malgré un climat sécuritaire délétère - AlterPresse
30e édition de Livres en folie: Retour sur la participation des officiels - Le Nouvelliste
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