Boukman Eksperyans

Lolo returned to Haiti in 1978, where some bands were playing music known as minidjaz. To Lolo, they seemed to pay no attention to song lyrics that dealt with reality. They were even accused of aligning too closely to the Duvaliers. When Lolo and Mimerose began to seek their musical goals, they felt a strong desire to incorporate the African element in Haiti's culture into their music. They decided to combine roots music with vodou religious and musical traditions.^{[citation needed]}

Lolo's grandfather was deeply involved in vodou, but his parents never made this available to him. Lolo and Mimerose entered their first vodou lakou-s, a Haitian spiritual community, where they met musicians and singers. They also got their first real glance at the African culture of Haiti in the form it was handed down from members of various tribes. They founded a group to study vodou music, giving it the name of Moun Ife ("People of the Abode of the Deities").^{[citation needed]} Lolo stated that Bob Marley was another important musical inspiration.^[3] When he heard the Jamaican legend in 1976, he thought he could create something similar in Haiti with vodou. Lolo and Mimerose began to perform as a live act in the 1980s.^{[citation needed]}

The traditional roots instruments were replaced by electric instruments, like the

Boukman Eksperyans first became famous in 1990 when they presented their song "Ké-M Pa Sote" at the Carnival celebration in Port-au-Prince.^[5] The song included the refrain "My heart doesn't leap, you don't scare me".^[2] This song was a protest against the post-Duvalier interim military government of General Prosper Avril.^[5] Armed soldiers appeared, trying to prevent the band from performing "Ké-M Pa Sote" and other censored songs.^[2] After a young girl was shot dead by a soldier, this song became an out-and-out battle hymn admonishing the government. The band continued to write and perform rebellious songs. The band members were never directly threatened, but were advised 'never go out at night'. When the military junta overthrew president Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 1991, the band decided to leave the country for their own safety.

The band achieved international fame in the early 1990s.

Just before the second coup d'état against Aristide in 2004, Lolo joined with many others in protesting the abuses at the very least condoned by the President. In the years following, Boukman Eksperyans was not associated with any political party. Their songs depicted the reality of Haiti as they saw it.

In 2022, Boukman Eksperyans went on a US/Europe arena tour in support of Arcade Fire.^[6]

Discography

Sources:^[11][12][13]

References

External links

• MySpace page
• Boukman Eksperyans auf culturebase.net
• Averill, Gage (15 April 2008). A Day for the Hunter, a Day for the Prey: Popular Music and Power in Haiti. University of Chicago Press. pp. 135–.
  ISBN 978-0-226-03293-1
  .