In his remarks today, Martelly praised the courage and talent of Lénord Fortuné and sent condolences to his family and all those who knew him, for whom his music was a ritual of reassurance.Īzor had been a member of several bands of konpa (SS One and Scorpio) and folklore (Bakoulou group), before joining “Racine Kanga de Wawa”. With the music of Vodou ceremonies as his foundation, Racine Mapou de Azor toured the world helping his audiences discover the value of the music of the lakous and its link to Haitian identity.
The popular musician was one of the virtuosos of traditional music and a tireless ambassador of Haitian culture.
Rasin Mapou performed in honor of their founder before the body left for the Pax Villa crematorium. Today, Azor’s body arrived on the Champ de Mars on a horse-drawn carriage, where the singer was posthumously decorated by Michel Martelly. Gracia Delva, the president of the Commission on Culture, Communication and Tourism, paid tribute to the artist in Parliament. Yesterday an artistic vigil in his honor was held at the Champ de Mars, from 6pm to midnight, drawing more than thirty artists. His national funeral is under way in Port-au-Prince, where a peristyle and platforms have been erected in front of the Museum of the National Pantheon, which will serve as a temple to give the last farewell to a man whose music has been described as embodying the soul of the nation. The singer, who had just performed at Saut d’Eau as part of the celebrations of the Feast of Mont Carmel, was taken to the hospital at Bernard Mevs, where he died during the night.
#RACINE MAPOU AZOR PROFESSIONAL#
Marked by the tireless beat of petro-inspired drums – barely supported by a rhythm machine, the powerful voice of Azor, with the characteristic timbre of voodoo priests, seconded by a choir of women, celebrates the voodoo loas, sings l attachment to the roots or comments on episodes of political life and other artistic quarrels.Īfter fourteen years of existence, seven recorded discs, several tours abroad (including nine trips to Japan) and a documentary film (Haiti, beating heart of Carl Lafontant), the group “Racine Mapou de Azor” succeeds the bet of preserve the authenticity of traditional music, while using modern means of dissemination, which allow it to be included on the professional music scene in Haiti, and to compete with the music that usually occupies the news.Lénord Fortuné, Azor, singer and drummer for the band Racine Mapou de Azor passed away on July 16 at the young age of 46. Musically, with songs and percussion, bass drums and congas, the group “Racine Mapou de Azor” interprets traditional music or pure rasin, that is to say without modern arrangements or electric instruments (while the other trend of music rasin gladly adopts the rhythms of rock and their instrumentation). They aspire to maintain contact with the roots of tradition and the sacred, like the mapou, sacred voodoo tree with imposing roots, reputed to harbor spirits. With this in mind, the members of the group, who all recognize that they are practicing vodouisants, explicitly subscribe to the vodou tradition and symbolic universe, to which the name of the group refers. The success met by the group “Racine Mapou de Azor” therefore means, in part, the normalization of voodoo, through its music, its recognition as a culture, and the acceptance on the African and peasant side of the Haitian identity. It may have gained recognition in this way: Rasin bands now take part in the Port-au-Prince Carnival where they parade proudly as an integral part of the Haitian music scene. It then began to emerge from its marginalization and to be heard openly throughout the country, benefiting in particular from modern means of dissemination (disc, radio, television). In the 90s, led by the rasin movement, this group, led by Jacques Maurice Fortéré, “Wawa” set out to play voodoo music in concert: with him, it went directly from the hounfort (voodoo temple) to the stage. The group “Racine Mapou de Azor” is led by Lénord Fortuné “Azor”, singer and drummer who belonged to numerous formations, of konpa (including SS One and Scorpio) or folklore (troupe Bakoulou), before being part of the group “Racine Kanga de Wawa”. Nevertheless, for a few years, carried by the rasin movement, which advocates a return to the African side of Haitian roots, it has also been present on stage thanks to professional groups, the most popular of which is undoubtedly the group “Racine Mapou de Azor”. Traditional Haitian music, made up for the most part from the African heritage, is especially present in rural areas, where it is performed by amateur musicians grouped around Voodoo temples.
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