WOMB OF TRADITIONAL HAITIAN MUSIC
Traditional Haitian Music tells a story of life in its many forms. The connection with this music allows us to express different aspects of our lives rhythmically and culturally. When we think of traditional music in the culture, we cannot help but bring up the womb of Haitian women and influences such as Toto Bissainthe, Carole Demesmin, Emeline Michel. These women influenced many others who now carry the torch by paying homage to the lives and spirituality of the working class and rural Haitians giving them a voice.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
Tetpwav Solèy
Tetpwav Solèy was born in Cité Soleil at the hospital of CHANCERELLE known as Isaie Jeanty in Port-au-Prince, Haiti; an artist exploring many facets of artistry. A painter, instructor in kite-making, music, as well as spoken-word poetry, and an upcoming author on social commentary. His parents taught Tetpwav, his brothers, and sisters to stand up for what they believed and to stay true to their Haitian culture. Growing up, Tetpwav analyzed his parents’ struggles to provide a better life for them and realized that, through it all, they smiled and never complained — that attitude launched his life philosophy.
When Tetpwav was five years old, his family’s house burned down, and they were forced to move to a new neighborhood. One day, he saw a man standing on his balcony and painting on what seemed to be a huge canvas. He remembers the colors to be so bright and vivid. In time, Tetpwav found that this balcony was an art studio, where artists visited often. He was entranced by the art and began going by the studio to visit with the artists. This was his first formal introduction to the artist’s life and stirred his desire to be an artist.
That desire was further fueled when – at age 12 – Tetpwav began a job at a printing company where he pasted pictures into calendars. As he stared into these images, he saw their artistry and found that desire to create growing more fervent.
At 16, Tetpwav met muralist Allwich Moca, AKA T-Rasta, when T-Rasta was painting a mural in Tetpwav’s neighborhood in honor of the Haitian presidential inauguration. T-Rasta invited Tetpwav to his studio, and in time, the two became friends. Working together, then Tetpwav and T-Rasta were commissioned to do a mural and logo for Hillary Clinton’s 1998 visit to Haiti.
Tetpwav also lists Ralph Marsielle, also known as Ezrama, The Chanpwel Master as a major influence. Ezrama’s masterful mixing of colors and his ability to paint shadows with nuance have shaped Tetpwav’s work deeply.
Tetpwav’s most recent work is also shaped by the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti, a disaster that killed his father and many of his friends. This event gave him a strong desire to show the problems of the world but also to reveal the beauty in even the problems. He says, “My art always has subtle messages about how I experience the culture. Now, the intensity of my message is stronger. It’s more spiritual. It’s more conscious.”
Dahyanah “Bantu” Solèy
Haitian-American, raised in New York City, and heavily rooted in her African heritage tracing it back to the Bantu tribe. Being a humanitarian at heart she also contributed majority of her life professionally as a Program Coordinator and Manager in the Health Education sector throughout the New York City boroughs and assisted in fundraising activities towards the nutritional and healing benefits for the development of Ayiti (Haiti), such as Fondation Félicité (FF) by founder and historian, Professor Bayyinah Bello’s “SoupJoumou Project”.
As an Artist, she began using her voice at a young age in singing groups and church choir, such as L’eglise Haitienne Missionnaire Evangelique Church in Harlem, Manhattan, New York. By the age of 18, Dahyanah was dancing her way to places like Broadway Dance Center, ABAKUA Dance Studio and Eddie Torres Studio (also known as “The Mambo King”). At a later age started delving in traditional cultural Afro-Haitian dancing.
Utilizing her experience and love for world music she brings an exciting, eclectic sound with elements of African and Haitian drumming as well as various other sounds from her spiritual journey of enlightenment through her work with music, poetry, astrological evolution of the Haitian Cosmogony and initiation into Kemetic (Ancient Egyptian) African practices and ritual. This inner-working and labor of love is heavily influenced by the African-Haitian Culture and spiritual transformation highly credited to the many inspiring performers, artist, musician and writers in the local community.
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