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Bélo, Haitian through and through
"Ragganga" hits Paris
Paris
06/02/2007 -
RFI Musique: Bélo, you play reggae, whereas we are used to hearing compas or zouk from Haitian artists. Are there many Haitians playing reggae?
Bélo: The first thing to say is that Haiti is a crossroads on the map: it’s in the Caribbean, it’s in America, it’s in the West Indies, and our music has all those influences. Our history is the same: we’ve been colonised by the French and occupied by the Americans. Haiti is a mosaic of colours, influenced by all kinds of music. Yes, there’s compas in Haiti, but there’s also "roots" music, reggae, gospel, a whole mix of stuff. Right from my childhood, I listened to all of these types of music and they all had an effect on me and helped bring about my own original style that I call "ragganga". It’s a mix of reggae, ragga and rara (Ed.: Haitian carnival music).
You were born in 1979 and so you grew up with compas and the explosion of traditional music in the 80s with Boukman Eksperyans.
Yes, that and all the other imported music from the States, France, Canada and Jamaica, and it comes across in my album! Lakou Trankil is more of a reggae piece, but most of the tracks are pretty hard to classify. You could call it Bélo music, really: Tenza is world beat, Istwa Dwol is acoustic. I play a music all of my own and even when I sing compas, I do it my way.
You have just got back from the States, where you gave a concert, and tomorrow you will play in France for the first time. Do you approach international concerts differently?
For me, music is universal. Whatever the place, whether the audience is Haitian or from elsewhere, if I’m playing for two people or two million people, the show is the same. If you take a Michael Jackson concert, or Michel Sardou, you can see that it’s of the same standard, wherever it is.
Do you have any favourite tracks on your first album and can you tell us a bit about the content of your songs.
I like the whole thing! But, for example, the concept of Lakou Trankil is the Haitian courtyard, where members of the same family live. In Creole we say “Lakou”. For me, Lakou Trankil is that tranquil side of Haiti. There are a lot of political problems in my country, and I sing this song as a way of taking the island back to what it was before: If you want to be as big as an elephant, make yourself as small as a mouse, if you want to rule Lakou, you have to obey, if you want to see things change, you’ve got to show that you’re willing. In a different ilk, Istwa Dwol is the story of five young boys who can’t stay in Haiti any more because of the unemployment and the insecurity, and so they decide to leave, but with no idea of where they are going. In the ocean, they quickly run out of water and food. At the end of the song, I talk of all those people leaving the country, the students, farmers, musicians and city people.
As a young artist moving into the international realm, do you feel the same temptation to leave Haiti?
No I don’t. As an artist, my role is to give positive messages — I am the model. And people tend to do what I do: if I stay in the country, my fans will want to stay too. On the contrary, I think it’s a good thing to spread Haitian culture around, whilst staying attached to my own country. When I went to Cameroon for the RFI’s “Découvertes” Award, it was my first time overseas, and all of the positive energy that I found in Cameroon came back to Haiti with me. This prize is a national pride. People thank me for what I’ve done for Haiti, but it’s Haiti that’s done everything for me.
What do you mean by that?
I haven’t travelled. I haven’t become what I am through living in France or the U.S.A. My inspiration, my music, is linked to my island. If I have this talent, and if I am the winner of the RFI’s “Découvertes” Award today, it’s me who should be proud, because it was given to someone who’s Haitian through and through.
Translation : Anne-Marie Harper
