Although Haiti’s extensive music composition tradition has been around since at least the late 19th century, few people outside of a small group of dedicated scholars know about its many composers, such as Gifrants, Werner Jaegerhuber, Sabrina Jean Louis, Michel Monton, Jean “Rudy” Perrault, and Julio Racine. Just as Haitian culture shares West African and French influences, each of these composers have in various ways used European instruments, harmonies, and styles to showcase West African, Haitian folkloric, and Haitian Vodou songs, rhythms, melodies, and dances.
Our work in Haitian classical music has drawn on the research, documentation, and scholarship of the
Société de Recherche et de Diffusion de la Musique Haïtienne and South Carolina State University Prof. Robert Grenier.
Next: Gifrants
