Boukman Eksperyans: the musical revolution of Haiti

In 1990, in Port-au-Prince, a soldier armed his rifle to prevent a group from playing at the carnival¹. The crowd did not retreat.

In brief

Mizik rasin (roots music) is a Haitian movement born at the end of the 1970s that places Vodou traditions and social realities at the heart of song².

Key dates

From Vodou spirituality to vodou jazz

Theodore Beaubrun Jr., known as Lolo, and his brother Daniel grew up in the Protestant elite of Haiti. Their father, a satirical comedian nicknamed Languichatte Debordus and director of the National Theatre, introduced them to James Brown. After their parents’ divorce, Lolo followed his mother to Brooklyn, where Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana and Bob Marley marked his ear². In 1976, the discovery of Bob Marley shook him: « I was surprised to see how he made people conscious ».

Returning to Haiti in 1978, Lolo found a musical scene where minidjaz groups (mini-jazz — a popular form of dance music) ignored committed lyrics. He and Mimerose, an anthropologist, entered a lakou vodou (Haitian spiritual community centered around a courtyard) where they met the future pioneers of the mizik rasin revolution. They founded Moun Ife, « people of the place of spirits », then adopted the name Boukman Dutty, a Vodou priest who led the Haitian slave revolt in August 1791. The word eksperyans pays homage to The Jimi Hendrix Experience¹.

The group’s innovation is electrifying³. Fanfan Alexis, the first guitarist, suggested the name Boukman. Vodou jazz is born.

The musical weapon and exile

1989, the Konkou Mizik contest. Wet Chenn (« Remove the chains ») wins victory². In 1990, Ké-m pa sote (« My heart does not skip, you do not frighten me ») triumphs at the carnival. The chorus becomes a war cry. Soldiers attempt to muzzle the group.

Vodou Adjae (1991), produced by Chris Blackwell on Mango Records, reveals Haitian Vodou to the world³. The 1992 Grammy nomination officializes this recognition. But the September 1991 coup against Aristide forces exile. Kalfou Danjere (1992) is recorded as a direct reaction. In Kingston, the group records at Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong studio for Libete (Pran Pou’l!).

From 1994 to our days, the international career continues⁴.

In 2009, La Révolte des zombies proposes a concept album on spiritual zombification. Lolo defines his approach: « It is a spiritual awakening that will also bring social, political, economic change »⁵. In 2022, the group embarks on an arena tour in North America and Europe. Its legacy continues with Paul Beaubrun, Lolo’s son, who carries on the mizik rasin tradition.

Major works

Legacy

Boukman Eksperyans made music a political weapon⁶. Its invention, vodou jazz, paved the way for an entire generation of Haitian artists. International recognition — Grammy, UN Ambassador — testifies to the power of a music that refuses to choose between spirituality and commitment. As Lolo says: « We do not need intermediaries ».

Sources and references