Haiti, We Love You – Pauline Jean and Her Sisters in Jazz too (updated April 05)

Haiti, We Love You

The world now revolves around Haiti as peoples from the four corners of the globe mobilize in response to the tremendous human suffering wreaked upon it by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake of January 12, 2010.

Central to this outpouring of support is music.  Artists from across all genres have already begun to lend their talents and star power to draw in support, in cash and in kind, for our brothers and sisters who occupy one-third of the island of Hispaniola that they share with the Dominican Republic.

Not to be left out of the loop, Jazz artists are no more swinging their axes, blowing their horns, wielding their sticks, beating their drum heads and exercising their pipes just because, but rather for the cause.

For instance, Haitian Jazz artist Pauline Jean, instead of preparing for her tour to Haiti for the International Festival de Jazz de Port-au-Prince, was otherwise engaged with Project S – “Sisters in Jazz” in putting on a Benefit Concert for Haiti Earthquake Relief.  The Tuesday, January 19 Exclusive that resulted from this collaboration was held at Tutuma Social Club, New York, NY.

Joining Jean were five other lead females, drummer Shirazette Tinnin, bassist Mimi Jones, keyboardist Miki Hayama, saxophonist Camille Thurman and percussionist Paula Green with support from Luis Perdomo on keys and Obed Jean Louis on guitar.

The Pauline Jean Quintet and other Talented Artists United for the Cause, performed at MIZIK POU AYITI/Music For Haiti Benefit Concert on Friday, January 29 at the Dweck Center for Contemporary Culture, Brooklyn Public Library.

PAULINE JEAN, Miriam Sullivan (b), Elio Villafranca (p) photos: Gregg Richards

Pauline Jean Quintet performing traditional Haitian folk song YOYO

…and Pauline Jean Quintet performing “Dey/Rasenbleman” (Mourning/Gathering Calls) by Toto Bissainthe (below)

The evening of music in support of relief efforts in Haiti also featured Buyu Ambroise (with Paul Beaudry, Steeve Belvilus and Allan Mednard in the Blues in Red Band), Mozayik, Jean Caze, Markus Schwartz (Tanbou Nan Lakou Brooklyn), Chardavoine, Melanie Charles, The Altino Brothers, Lou Rainone, Tiga Jean Baptiste and more…

All proceeds will be donated to the Yéle Haiti Earthquake Fund.

Jean gets back to her charitable ways at il Casale Italian Bar, Belmont, Massachusetts on Monday, March 15  2010 with Her Sisters in Jazz band (Pauline Jean (vocals), Mimi Jones (bass), Shirazette Tinnin (drums), Miki Hayama (keys) and Paula Green (percussion).

Heritage and Heart for Haiti will celebrate the vibrancy and history of Haitian culture through its music and art.  Pauline Jean and the Sistas will perform classic Haitian music while narrating the long-term needs of the Haitian people who have become victim to the devastating earthquake of January 12.

Part proceeds are earmarked for the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

Canadian flautist Jane Bunnett, who was due to perform at the International Festival de Jazz de Port-au-Prince from this weekend, had a cause of her own to fulfill on January 28, 2010.   Bunnett organized a fundraiser for that day at the Hugh’s Room, 2261 Dundas St. W, Toronto to, as she told InsideToronto, “…make as much money as we can…to go to Doctors Without Borders.”  Her assemblage comprised of the Spirits of Havana with special guest Hilario Durán and others.

More than that, Bunnett has pledged to do a whole series of such fundraisers for the people of Haiti.   Thus, the same soprano sax that would have wowed the Port-au-Prince Jazz fraternity from January 23-30  sounded a clarion call to Jazz Fans in Toronto to reach out on January 28 and lend their helping hands.

Jane Bunnett has a history with Cuba, which serves as a hub of sorts for her Latin forays.  Several collaborations with Cuban and other Latin musicians have resulted from that relationship. Interestingly, she became inadvertently tied to the Haitian experience through musicians of Haitian origin who migrated to Cuba.

Now we go across the waters to Jamaica for an example of Haitians helping Haitians.  Singer, songwriter and producer JeanPaul Solomonoff, born to a Haitian mother and a Russian Polish Jewish father, performed with Jamaican pianist Monty Alexander at the 2010 Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival, Jan. 28th.  All proceeds are destined for the Clinton/Bush Haiti Fund.

JeanPaul teaming up with Alexander was not an ad hoc pairing by any means.  In fact, Alexander appears on JeanPaul’s début single Eyes for You from a forthcoming album entitled Introducing JeanPaul.  The single drops on iTunes on February 14, 2010.  I figure it might well be a Valentine for Haiti.

Heading further south into the Caribbean Sea, Barbadian musician/artists undertook a massive Relief Concert and Telethon on Saturday, January 30 from mid-morning til nightfall.  From first glance, one would think that every single singer of songs and player of instruments were lined up backstage at Farley Hill to touch nerves and coax the goodness out of the pockets of their country folk.

Haiti, Barbados Loves You – Relief Concert and Telethon was an eight-hour marathon featuring 114 local Barbadian artistes and 7 bands.  David Rudder, the special guest for the occasion, was no doubt a must-have on the strength of his “Haiti” apology.

These hundred plus artists ran the gamut of Gospel, R&B/Alternative, Spouge, Reggae/Dancehall, Calypso/Soca and, yes, the Jazz of Kellie Cadogan, Arturo Tappin, Nicholas Brancker and  Marisa Lindsay.

The other women and men of honour are:

• Allison Norville, De Warrior, Hozia Hinds, Kareem Clarke, Lillian Lorde, Mya Daniel, Paula Hinds, Shane Forrester and Sister Marshall from the Gospel field;
• Carolyn Leacock, Dwayne Husbands, Kirk Browne & Strategy, Omar McQuilkin, Philip 7, Ria Borman, Richard Stoute, Rosie Hunte, RubyTech, TC, Toni Norville and Kim Derrick from the R&B/Other Alternative field;
• Kirtorah, Mike Grosvenor, Mike Thompson and Tony Grazette from the Spouge field;
• Albert Olton, Brimstone, Buggy, Danielle, Fully Loaded, LRG, Oracle, Prosperity, Ras Al-I, Seth Billy, Super Ruben, Tabitha, Black-Clay-Soil from the Reggae/Dancehall field;
• Adrian Clarke, Allan Sheppard, Colin Spencer, Edwin Yearwood, Gabby, Grynner, John King, Khiomal, Little Rick, Mikey, Mr. Dale, Natalee, RPB (Red Plastic Bag), Merrymen, AC, Dazzle, Sir Raule from the Calypso/Soca field;

The MCs for the marathon are Ferdinand Nicholls, Peter Coppin, Admiral Nelson, Jamar Browne and Mac Fingall.

From Barbados in the middle of the Lesser Antillean arc, we make a great big loop to the north-western end of the Caribbean region.  We land in the Cayman Islands where the Rotary and Rotaract Clubs of Grand Cayman organized Cayman’s Jazz musicians for Haiti.

The island’s Grand Old House, on Wednesday, February 03, was ground zero for a silent auction Haiti Relief effort featuring saxophonist Gary Ebanks and Leyannes Valdes, Chris Bowring, Big Eye Squirrel and Cool School.

Swedish Jazz musician Ed Epstien, a friend of the Woodshed Collective from early, has mobilized the Jazz fraternity over there for a Haiti benefit tentatively scheduled for February 13 at Martas Cafe in Lund, Sweden.  Weeks in the making, Ed tells us that “it looks like it is finally going to happen.”  We do hope it does, Ed.

Coming back around from the Caymans, we touch base with the Haiti Community Support (HCS) of the United States Virgin Islands.  The HCS had been active in their support of Haiti for seven years before the earthquake struck and were already in the habit of mounting an annual Fundraiser and Family Fun Day to fund the school that they built, a hot lunch programme for the 200 pupils at that school, a medical clinics that has been treating quake victims from day 3 and water projects.

This year, the HCS held its seventh fundraiser on Sunday, February 21, 2010 at Mt. Victory Camp in Federicksted, St. Croix, not as a one-off event, but with a special mission to raise US$80,000 over the entire year.  This project, called “Eighty for Haiti” will go towards maintaining the clinics over the long run.

Of course, no fundraiser would be complete without music.  So for the Jazz, in came the VI Rhythm Section; for the Quelbe/Fungi/Scratch/Folk (call it what you will), Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights, for a swing through Cuban Son, there was Seite Son…and the list goes on.

Show your love to Haiti by lending a hand…