Staging the Nation through Art Music of the Haitian Diaspora

Abstract:Haitian art composers of the diaspora have sought to show Haitian music's uniqueness as well as universality across cultures in order to create an internationally recognized, distinctly Haitian musical voice. As composers of the diaspora have established their individual musical voices, their collective choices have reflected a particular musical narrative staging the nation. Common themes reflected by Haitian composers of the diaspora from the 1960s to the present include nostalgia, fragmentation, cultural tensions, Vodou rhythms, political expression, the mixing of musical styles, and cosmopolitanism. This article examines works by composers Carmen Brouard and Julio Racine for their musical priorities in narrating the Haitian diaspora and staging the nation.