Régine Chassagne

[skywardprodigal]

Haiti (the song)

Haïti, mon pays,
wounded mother I'll never see.
Ma famille set me free.
Throw my ashes into the sea.

Mes cousins jamais nés
hantent les nuits de Duvalier.
Rien n'arrete nos esprits.
Guns can't kill what soldiers can't see.

In the forest we lie hiding,
unmarked graves where flowers grow.
Hear the soldiers angry yelling,
in the river we will go.

Tous les morts-nés forment une armée,
soon we will reclaim the earth.
All the tears and all the bodies
bring about our second birth.

Haïti, never free,
n'aie pas peur de sonner l'alarme.
Tes enfants sont partis,
In those days their blood was still warm

Comments

[starfishncoffee.livejournal.com]

Hey,

I know she's Haitian, but does she identify as POC? As Creole? I ask because there is this really interesting debate going on based on an article by Sasha Frere-Jones about whether indie bands, and especially Arcade Fire, have any black/African influence in their music, and Win Butler (her husband) responded to this arguing that they do, but there has been no discussion at all of the fact that they have a person of African descent in the band and who co-writes the music which is clearly influenced by her place of birth. I personally think that Frere-Jones' article is a bunch of crap, but maybe he's just focusing on the music itself, but he doesn't mention any other bands specifically that have POC members in this discussion.

This is the debate: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sashafrerejones/2007/10/thats-all-folks.html

[skywardprodigal.livejournal.com]

he doesn't mention any other bands specifically that have POC members in this discussion.

Then I would hazard a guess that he knows that Regine's ethnic of identity is subject to debate in regards to the 'one-drop' rule or some other crap.

I think it's ridiculous to posit that Arcade Fire doesn't have any black/African influence in their music. Haitian music is all through that. Something about their music kept tugging me, and I finally caught and went, "Shit. Someone's been messing with rara and kompa at least."

Frere-Jones means nothing to me. And whether or not Chassagine identifies as POC or Creole is nothing to me. I know that as a Haitian, the chances are slim that the Haitian spiritual legacy, bloodborn, doesn't apply to her. There are plenty of crazy people in the world, but I think she'd be stone cold nuts to sing the way she does in Arcade Fire if she didn't belong to Ayiti.

[djeannot.livejournal.com]

I think it's ridiculous to posit that Arcade Fire doesn't have any black/African influence in their music. Haitian music is all through that.

I'd agree with you there, particularly when it comes to melody and rhythm in this piece. I am not familiar with this artist at all or her group, so I would need to explore more.

As to the blood born legacy, I don't know. At first glance of this video, I don't feel the blood born spiritual legacy you mention. I would know it and feel it if she had that. And you know, not all Haitians have that....only the ones that are true in the purest sense (and of course here, I'm not just talking about race).

[skywardprodigal.livejournal.com]

I'd agree with you there, particularly when it comes to melody and rhythm in this piece.

*nods*

I guess as Haitian music isn't well known to *some* people, they can weigh forth as pretend experts as much as they like.

At first glance of this video, I don't feel the blood born spiritual legacy you mention.

Oh! Okay.

At first glance of this video, I don't feel the blood born spiritual legacy you mention. I would know it and feel it if she had that.

*nods*

No? Okay. I figure I miss things but you know you.

And you know, not all Haitians have that....only the ones that are true in the purest sense (and of course here, I'm not just talking about race).

Really? Wow. That I didn't know. Thank you.

[spiralsheep.livejournal.com]

Not keen on the music but I LOVE the lyrics.