Haitian Artists Assembly of MA - Boston PRESS RELEASE Contacts: Carey Dardompré Eritaj Foundation 617-852-6436 508-881-8131 What BOSTON CELEBRATES HAITIAN CULTURAL ICON CAROLE “MAROULE” DEMESMIN’S 30 YEARS OF CULTURAL PERFORMANCESWhen Sunday, November 22, 2009 6:30-9:300pm, Where: Braintree Sheraton Tara Hotel, 37 Forbes Road, in Braintree, Massachusetts
For Immediate Release The Haitian Artists Assembly of Massachusetts announces “A Tribute to Carole Mawoule Demesmin” Joining this tribute will be renowned Haitian singer Emeline Michel from New York, Carole’s own son, B Flow (Philippe Arty), a renowned performer from Belgium, poets and storytellers Jean Claude Martineau who composed many of Carole’s lyrics and Charlot Lucien from Boston, talented vocalist Mirlande R. Butler, young singer Rebecca Zama, African American drummer Kera Washington of Zile Mizik, the musical band Mélange and artist William Descillien for a surprise presentation. Dignitaries from several official institutions, including Ms. Emmanuelle Dupiton, Consul of Haiti in Boston, Mr. Lesly Condé, Consul of Haiti in Chicago, State Representative Marie Saint Fleur of the Massachusetts Legislature will also join various cultural organizations and representatives from other cities (Chicago, New York, Montréal, Miami, Atlanta, Connecticut, Rhode Island…) to present their congratulations and their awards. Carole Demesmin came to the United States from her native Haiti in 1970 and joined the group “Haiti Culturelle” in the early 70s. She became its lead singer, collaborating with Haitian pianist and ethnomusicologist Gerdes Fleurant who encouraged her to enroll at the Berklee College of Music where she acquired her voice training. She worked with playwright, composer and lyricist JC Martineau to produce her first album ‘’Carole Mawoule’’ (1979), an instant hit. She later went on to release ‘Men Rara’’, “La Wouze”, “Bel Congo”, etc. The success of these releases in which she compellingly integrated Haitian folk music elevated her to the ranks of revered Haitian female vocalists such Lumane Casimir, Toto Bissainthe and Martha Jean Claude and made her a household name in Haiti. Commenting on Haitian roots music, ethnomusicologist Gage Averill (A Day for Hunter, a Day for the Pray, 1997) shares that roots music emerged in the late 1970s in Haiti as a form of protest music. It draws its inspiration from vaudou (voodoo) rhythms found in the countryside, but uses modern instruments and technology to reach a wider, more international audience, from France to Japan. In spite of its popularity, it retains its authenticity: the spirit of revolt, Haitian tradition, folklore, and culture. Her success also revolutionized the status and portrayal of female vocalists in the Haitian musical arena and paved the way for female talents of the younger generation such as Emeline Michel, Tifane, etc. Says cultural promoter Magy Metellus from Montreal: “For the past 30 years, Carole Demesmin has been feeding the Haitian imagination and its thirst for freedom and justice. She carries the torch of Haitian Culture at an unprecedented level.” Carole later used her clout to create the New York based UNITED HAITIAN ARTISTS to promote and defend the work of Haitian artists of all disciplines, advocate to keep various aspects of Haitian history alive (Native Indians past, flags, vaudou) and engage in environmental advocacy to protect Haiti’s disintegrating landscape. She has most recently launched a career as an actress playing a lead character along with actors Jimmy Louis and Rudolph Moise in the movie “Life outside of pearl“ by film maker Jhonny Desarme. Carole has performed in various cities in Haiti, France, Canada, Belgium and the US. As an “Ambassador of Haitian Culture, she has been the recipient of numerous awards (Haitian National Television, Haitian Women Association of Boston, Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti, etc.). Her achievements have been celebrated in Haiti and the Diaspora by colleague artists, cultural and social institutions and it is fitting that the 30th anniversary of her first album “Mawoule” takes place in Boston, where it all started. The Haitian Artists Assembly of Massachusetts is a volunteer group of artists created in Boston in 1995. It has worked to support and feature the work of dozens of Haitian painters, performers and poets in the New England area and has in the past presented awards to established cultural personalities. Additional information by e-mail:
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This event is made possible thanks to the financial and logistical support of the Haitian Consulate of Haiti in Boston, Artisans’ World Gallery, Eritaj Foundation, Tanbou Magazine, the Haitian Consulate of Chicago, the Haitian Women Association of Boston, Phil Computer, Sunny Bay Food Products, Law Offices Nunote Zama, Future Minds, CJL Consulting and the Haitian media in New England. ### Alumni Profile
Carole Demesmin Arty '79: Sharing Her World
By Danielle Dreilinger The island nation of Haiti has rich and diverse cultural traditions. One of the country's revered contemporary musicians, Carole Demesmin Arty '79, has gained popularity by blending her Haitian folk roots with the skills she learned as a Berklee student. In fact, she credits her Berklee education not only with giving her the skills to develop her voice but also with helping her to preserve it many years later.During her high school years, Demesmin emigrated from the small coastal city of Léogâne, Haiti, to America for high school, and later entered Berklee as the college's second Haitian student ever. She enjoyed the chance to learn and inform. "One o'clock in the morning was the best time," she recalls. "We were all together talking, sharing music." She recalls the "excitement of having your pieces played" and a recital where she paired a Haitian folk song with a classical composition from Italy. Demesmin's professors taught her to be prepared to perform no matter what. "If you have a cold and you have a concert, you have to use your technique," she explained. From one Berklee professor, she learned how to use her voice without injury. "It's called larynx singing," she says "You open up your larynx and sing even if your throat is hurting." She cites these techniques for helping her to extend her range and improve her accuracy.A Potent Cultural Blend Demesmin integrated information she took from lessons, classes, and visiting-artist clinics with her own musical traditions. "I kind of made a mixture of what I learned from their technique with [Haitian] culture," she recalls. "There is a freedom in my notes, in the way that I sing, that is similar to jazz."It didn't take long for Demesmin's style to blossom. As a Berklee student, she began working with Haitian songwriter Jean-Claude Martineau to develop her politically themed 1979 debut Carole Maroule. The album made a splash among Haitians. A year later, she put out a second album, with alumnus Michael Cohen '76 serving as her arranger and conductor.Immediately, music lovers recognized her as an innovator, recounts Charlot Lucien, a storyteller and the cofounder of the Haitian Artists Assembly of Massachusetts. At the time, fans of Haitian popular music mainly wanted to dance. But with Demesmin, the message rang out. The music "just mesmerized. It was something brand-new," says Lucien. "There's something about it people really respond to."As Demesmin's career progressed, her horizons expanded to encompass spiritual interests. During the early 1980s, she returned to Haiti to further explore the indigenous culture. She began studying the Vodou religion and eventually became initiated as a priestess. Bump in the Road About five years ago, Demesmin learned that her thyroid needed to be removed-bad news for any vocalist. "The doctor believed that I would not be able to sing anymore," she recalls. But before the operation, Demesmin finished the album she was recording, thinking it might be her last. After the surgery, she continued practicing with the vocal techniques she learned at Berklee to avoid the injured parts of her throat. It paid off. And while she no longer hits her highest notes, she can still sing-as she proved during our phone interview by bursting into the tune "Summertime." She credits Berklee with helping her "to survive and accept the high and the lowest times . . . to control success and make the best of it and share [the] fruits with others."Demesmin performs only four to five times a year now, but she stays plenty busy nonetheless. She's working on her fifth album to honor the musical pioneers in Haiti. She recently acted and sang in the film Life outside of Pearl, about a Haitian family adapting to life in New Jersey. She puts on cultural-exchange concerts that highlight Haitian music, poetry, and film. Indeed, all genres of the arts are equally worthy to Demesmin, who has painted since childhood. Five years ago, her love for art and for her nation spurred yet another project: United Haitian Artists (UHA), which she founded to protect and promote artists. When a member has new artwork or a new performance, UHA sends word to its mailing list, gets in touch with Haitian businesses, and sets up events. "We place the product in their [stores], we advertise in their newspapers," Demesmin says. To maximize UHA's reach, "we always try to work with another group. We try to support each other," she says. Other Haitian artists are giving back as well. This November, Demesmin will return to Boston for a tribute to her organized by Lucien. The event will reunite Demesmin with Martineau, who now lives in Montreal. The concert will be another stop on Demesmin's ongoing journey to bring new colors to her Haitian heritage and connect that culture with others. Though she travels throughout Haiti and the United States, she believes that "music has no frontier. That's the most beautiful part of music: that you share your world with another world."Danielle Dreilinger is a writer and editor in Berklee's Communications Office
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