Vodou Adjae
The group's critically hailed 1991 international debut mingles revolutionary spirit with the deep tristesse created by Haiti's centuries of loss. Underscoring the lyrics' dense emotional weave is the vibrant mix of traditional African and Caribbean folk forms with modern pop's six-string excitement. The point of equilibrium for Boukman's many-colored musical tapestry is voodoo drumming and the vision those African rhythms evoke of true human community. The set opens with the proud and lovely "Se Kreyo'L Nou Ye" ("We're Creole"), a drum and bamboo flute-based Haitian "rara," that gives way to the pumping guitar chords and full-tilt keyboard boogie that signal the defiance of "Nou La" ("We're Here"). Another standout: "Ke-M Pa Sote" ("My Heart Doesn't Leap/I'm Not Afraid"), became the anthem of the national strike that led to Haiti's first free presidential election.--Elena Oumano