KOMPA! MAGAZINE

[Staff Poze 2]

This day April 14 2007 is the 100th Anniversary of the birth of the man that was going to become the most talked about Haitian president of Haiti in the 20th century... François Duvalier.
Most of you guys are obviously too young to have seen President Duvalier live ,but I'm almost sure that you have heard his name if not in a good way,but in a bad way because over the years and until today Haitians continue to have different views of their former leader that many used to affectionately called PAPA DOC because in his early days as a medical doctor he used to go the remote areas of the country to provide medical care to our poor brothers and sisters that some Haitians till today call Abitant or nèg mòn.

While I'm not here to talk about President Duvalier being good or bad in this music forum since I'm a history and sociology freak.... I like to do my own research...and I can go on and on.... I would simply like to point out that during his presidency many bands had written songs to glorify him.

In the 1960's popular artists and bands like Septen, Jazz Des Jeunes, Nemours, Sicot and others wrote many songs about the president, a practice that is dead in todays Konpa world. Whether it was because they were forced to or simply because they were looking for attention power,or even money....the bottom line is that they did it even if today most of them are not happy of this period of their career. That practice continued to the mini jazz era until the time of Jean Calude and Michelle as Bossa Combo did a song for the president that include the following words: "Tout sa Jean Claude fè Nan péyi ya sé pam sé paw sé pa nou tout."

In 1971 the band Les Ambassadeurs wrote the following after the speech by Papa Doc introducing his son to the nation as his successor.

2 Janvier 71 Doc fin palé (DOC: referring to Papa Doc)
Tout Haitien alé devan Palais
Yo di Papa mèsi mèsi bocou
Ou sé gnou chef Ki wè Lwen Nou kontanw
Duvalier pensé lavi li pansé la mort
pou lè bon dié rélé'l Haiti pa pèdu
Li Ba nou Jean Claude kò successeur li
Son sacrifis ké'n dwé aprécié.
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Did you read your "Konpa Encyclopedia" today...

[Staff Poze 2]

It 's a fact that to many people François Duvalier was even a tyrant, a dictator, a criminal, however to countless of others he did a lot of goods and had many many followers. One thing about Duvalier is that he was a strong leader and a leader with a vision when we consider that in his government he built the longest/largest street of the country that connect the north and south part of the city of Port-Au-Prince, many schools in the provinces and in the capital, he traveled the streets at night to make sure that they are clean as a former sanitary inspector and a medical doctor, he also build the International Airport with only Haitian tax payers money, he inaugurated the Péligre power plant trying to get rid of the Blackout. Things that showed sings of a leader who was thinking of the future of his country. One can say hey that's little compare to what is expected from a government.....that would have been a fair thing to say if only anyone after him had done something that we can point out today and say well after Duvalier there is one thing that is left by a president of our lifetime that showed he cared about the future Haiti. The country had gone from zero to below zero.....fill with trash,corruption and still in the dark as the following governments were unable to at the least do some maintenance of what was left.

Whether they were forced to or if they wrote it for money or attention the following words were well written by the band Septentrional to honor their president for life François Duvalier

Président à vie
Duvalier tout peuple la nan men'w
President à vie
Nou guen la joie nan kè nou
Rèv nou réalizé
François papa chita chitaw sou chèz ou
peuple la dévwé
nan pwen pwoblèmnan sa papa
Sé bondié ki voyéw ba nou.....

That were some strong words.... and Nemours/Sicot/Tropicana and other artists used to glorify their president is such manner during their time as well.......
This is only a piece of history about Presidential songs a practice that is gone.... may be for ever..... in today's Haitian music society.....

Was François Duvalier a good or a bad president? That question will always depend on someone personal opinion,stories heard and/or their views of Haitian politic of the time......since some people will be quick to talk about the killings of his enemies at Fort Dimanche, the killing of the 19 officers at the P-A-P cemetery and the massacre in Jérémi for example as well as people sent to exile for attempting to overthrow his government,the creation of the Tonton Macoute as what he called the voluntary for the national security to protect his power (kind of sound like Homeland security)....but one thing is certain.....if we had to base our judgment from what was written by the artists of the time since most of us were not there or were to small to judge... one will certainly gave Papa Doc a big A+.....regardless of what were our artists/bands incentives.
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Did you read your "Konpa Encyclopedia" today...

[konpa rockers]

thanx for the info...staff poze.
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"GOD MADE ME HAITIAN FOR A REASON"

[djabolo1]

Thanks staff. Good job as usual.One thing i wanted to contribute to this story is the following,which I think you may have ignored or simply did not know. I know some people who are really close to the septen and tropicana crew. My former music professor is actually a current musician of septen and my primary school teacher(kay frè) has been playing the congas in tropicana for years. Originally Septen wrote a song that suggestively was critical of the Duvalier Regime. Duvalier found out and call Septen to ask them to come to the presidencial palace,mainly maestro Ulrich. At that time whenever Papa Doc ask for you, you were more likely to come out dead or simply disappear. Ulrich Pierre-Louis,being as smart as he is,decided to take all the musicians with him. While there were on the bus to porto-Prince(a 6-7 hours drive at the time) They composed that song called duvalier a vie,which they started playig as they were getting off the bus. Their was a reversal of fate as Papa doc was really happy and received them with the uttermost respect. I's sure i have that song somewhere but i really can't locate it now.

[Staff Poze 2]

djabolo1 wrote:

Thanks staff. Good job as usual.One thing i wanted to contribute to this story is the following,which I think you may have ignored or simply did not know. I know some people who are really close to the septen and tropicana crew. My former music professor is actually a current musician of septen and my primary school teacher(kay frè) has been playing the congas in tropicana for years. Originally Septen wrote a song that suggestively was critical of the Duvalier Regime. Duvalier found out and call Septen to ask them to come to the presidencial palace,mainly maestro Ulrich. At that time whenever Papa Doc ask for you, you were more likely to come out dead or simply disappear. Ulrich Pierre-Louis,being as smart as he is,decided to take all the musicians with him. While there were on the bus to porto-Prince(a 6-7 hours drive at the time) They composed that song called duvalier a vie,which they started playig as they were getting off the bus. Their was a reversal of fate as Papa doc was really happy and received them with the uttermost respect. I's sure i have that song somewhere but i really can't locate it now.

Interesting...but I never heard of that story....
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Did you read your "Konpa Encyclopedia" today...

[Mrchampagna]

my friend in the antilles saw your post and sent me 10 duvalier songs let me know if you want me to post any.
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The Haitian Sensation

[Staff Poze 2]

This is not my call.......it's an open forum.....

All I did was to share a piece of history.........and talk about "Presidential Songs" a practice that is completely dead in today's Haitian music society.....as usual you guys put some audio tracks to support the thread.......may be that will give the chance to the younger posters an idea of the sociopolitical atmosphere of Haiti at the time of the Duvaliers presidencies.
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Did you read your "Konpa Encyclopedia" today...