Original music and spoken word from one of the pioneers of Haitian Roots Music and an important and lyrical voice in Haiti's cry for justice.

8 MP3 Songs
WORLD: World Fusion, SPOKEN WORD: With Music



Details:
"This CD "Kay La Boule" (The House is Burning) is dedicated to all people who are oppressed in the name of democracy. It's my story and your story. It's the story of the sacrificer who sells his country out and puts us where we are today." Harry Ayizan Sanon

In this solo project Ayizan delivers his poetry in a voice that is true to his perspective on the state of his country and his passionate belief in the need for change. His music fuses his percussion and guitar with the other musicians on the CD:
Piano & Keyboard Olivier Glissant, Jean Daniel Beaubrun
Bass Jean Daniel Beaubrun
Electric Lead Guitar Jean Daniel Beaubrun
Soprano Sax, Flute Klarel
Tenor Sax Suavik
Maman Drum Jude Yatande Sanon
Violin Jovanina

The plight of the Haitian people is no secret, and Ayizan is no stranger to the struggles or to the strength of his people. Ayizan has always been a strong lyrical and rhythmic voice, urging his people to educate themselves, open their eyes and insist on justice. He was dubbed Ayizan by fellow musicians in his native Port au Prince, Haiti. Ayizan is the name given to the woman responsible for the earth's secrets in the Vodou cultural tradition. This name also symbolizes the palm tree and the Haitian flag.

Ayizan has been playing drums for as long as he can remember (with time out for playing profesional soccer). In the 1979's he played with a kanaval group called Lobodja in the streets of Port au Prinnce. In 1979 he and his brother Azouke began exploring the far reaches of their country and its deep and varied musical and cultural traditions. The brothers were involved in the formation of the groups Foula and Sanba Yo. The music they played was a fusion of traditional music, jazz and folk/rock, pioneering Rasin (Roots) Music. Since leaving Haiti, they have continued their work in the US, primarily in New York. They created a group called Vodoule with which they toured from the Louisiana Music Festival to New York and as an opening band for the Rolling Stones in Washington, D.C.

AZAKA evolved as their next vehicle of expression. The music of AZAKA preserved the rich and hypnotic percussion music of Haiti, blending in soulful Pan-African funk. With the addition of modern instruments, AZAKA brought the Vodou culture to the stage in an electrifying and danceable performance.

Always in demand for projects requiring percussion, Ayizan has worked, among other things, with Benice from Sweet Honey and the Rock, The Smithsonian Institution on a CD called Roots of Rapture and at Carnegie Hall for the celebration of 200 years of Haitian independance.

Currently Ayizan lives in western Massachusetts and writes and performs poetry and music and teaches Haitian drumming. He is in the studio now realizing an exciting new project. Stay tuned!