Fabrice Rouzier | |
---|---|
Birth name | Fabrice Rouzier |
Also known as | Ti Wouzye |
Born | Port-au-Prince, Haiti | March 6, 1967
Genres | Twoubadou, Compas |
Occupation(s) | Musician, producer, marketing manager |
Instrument(s) | Keyboardist, Pianist, Accordion |
Years active | 1984–present |
Labels | Rhythm & Harmony Records |
Fabrice Rouzier is a Haitian pianist, producer, and entrepreneur who has been in the Haitian music industry for more than 20 years.
Fabrice Rouzier was born in Hôpital du Canapé-Vert in Port-au-Prince. He has lived in Bois Moquette, where he has a recording studio. He currently resides in Pétion-Ville, where he has spent most of his life. [1]
Fabrice Rouzier began playing piano with his aunt Marguerite Borno at the age of four. By 1984, he was playing and recording with musicians and producers including Hans Peters, Bobby Denis, and Patrick Dejean . He started his career in the early 80's and in 1986, he joined, Keke Belizaire, Mano Obas, Choupite Jacquette and other musicians to launch the musical band, Mizik Mizik. The band has released the classic albums, "Blakawout"(Blackout) in 2001 and "Paradi nan Lanfè"(Paradise in Hell) in 2008. Rouzier is also the master producer of the "Haiti Troubadours" CD series.
Over the course of his career, Fabrice has recorded and collaborated on over 300 albums . He has greatly influenced the development of “Compas Nouvelle Generation” and helped launch the career of many well-known Haitian musicians, including Emeline Michel, Michel Martelly, Beethova Obas, Boukman Eksperyans, BélO, Tifane, Jude Jean, Jahnesta, and many others. Rouzier is greatly known as one of the 'Twoubadou Movement' leaders for revitalizing the genre, along with Keke Belizaire. As of 2005, he is one of the forces behind the young record label “Soleil Sound” that has recorded "Haiti Troubadours", BélO, and Nickenson Prud'Homme's upcoming album. He has also produced the first solo albums of crooner Jude Jean and of newcomer Tifane.
In 2006, Fabrice was the musical director for the Organization of American States (OAS) concert for peace held in Port-au-Prince, Haiti [ permanent dead link ].
Fabrice Rouzier is also the Sales and Marketing manager of Sun Auto S.A., which is the exclusive distributor in Haïti of General Motors, Honda and Hyundai automobiles..
The music of Haiti combines a wide range of influences drawn from the diverse population that has settled on this Caribbean island. It often has hints of French, African rhythms, Spanish elements and others who have inhabited the island of Hispaniola and minor native Taino influences. Styles of music unique to the nation of Haiti include music derived from rara parading music, twoubadou ballads, mini-jazz rock bands, rasin movement, hip hop Creòle, the wildly popular compas, and méringue as its basic rhythm. Haitian music is influenced mostly by European colonial ties and African migration. In the case of European colonization, musical influence has derived primarily from the French.
Boukman Eksperyans is a mizik rasin band from the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Grammy nominated for their debut album Vodou Adjae. The band derives its name from Dutty Boukman, a vodou priest who led a religious ceremony in 1791 that is widely considered the start of the Haitian Revolution. The other half of the band's name, "Eksperyans", is the Haitian Creole word for "experience", and was inspired by the band's appreciation of the music of Jimi Hendrix. The band was at the height of its popularity in 1991 when the presidency of Jean Bertrand Aristide was overthrown in a military coup d'etat. Like many other artists and performers, Boukman Eksperyans fled the country to live in exile. During their time abroad, the band performed and spoke out against the military dictatorship of Raoul Cédras. In 1994, after Aristide was restored to power, the band returned to Haiti, where they continued to play concerts, record albums, and perform at the Carnival celebrations.
RAM is a mizik rasin band based in the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The band derives its name from the initials of its founder, songwriter, and lead male vocalist, Richard A. Morse. The band's music has been described by Morse as "Vodou rock 'n' roots", and has been one of the prominent bands in the mizik rasin musical movement in Haiti. RAM began performing together in 1990, and recorded their first album in 1996. The band's music incorporates traditional Vodou lyrics and instruments, such as rara horns and petro drums, into modern rock and roll. The band's songs include lyrics in Haitian Creole, French, and English.
Michel Joseph Martelly is a Haitian musician and politician who was the President of Haiti from May 2011 until February 2016.
Rasin, also known as Haitian roots music, is a musical style that began in Haiti in the 1970s when musicians began combining elements of traditional Haitian Vodou ceremonial and folkloric music with various musical styles. The late 20th century style of this music links to the roots of Vodou tradition, where it came to be known as mizik rasin later in Haitian Creole. Modern-day, the movement is often referred to simply as "rasin" or "racine".
Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis is a Haitian music producer and musician. His first major success was as a producer for Fugees' 1996 album The Score. He also played the bass guitar with the Fugees, and group member Wyclef Jean is his cousin.
Richard Auguste Morse is a Puerto-Rican-born Haitian-American musician and hotel manager currently residing in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Morse manages the Hotel Oloffson, and is the founder of a mizik rasin band, RAM, named after his initials. Morse is married to the band's lead female vocalist, Lunise Morse, and has two children. Morse and his band are famous in Haiti for their political songs and performances critical of the Raoul Cédras military junta from 1991 to 1994. In the early 2000s, Morse has also criticized Jean-Bertrand Aristide and Fanmi Lavalas through his music. Morse is a United States citizen. His cousin Michel Martelly is a musician, right-wing Haitian politician and former President of Haiti. Richard Morse repeatedly expressed support for Martelly in the 2010 presidential elections in Haiti. By the end of 2012, he had distanced himself from the Martelly government.
Institution Saint-Louis de Gonzague is a primary and secondary Roman Catholic school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It was founded and is run by the Brothers of Christian Instruction (FIC). The school colors are red and green
Jean Bélony Murat is a Haitian composer and guitarist. The songs in his first album Lakou trankil explain and reflect the problems Haitians face. BélO is popular in Europe and Africa where he won the Discovery RFI Prime in April 2006. This award had already helped other artists like Tiken Jah Fakoly and Rokia Traoré to reveal their talent in the music industry. BélO's musical approach is influenced by other Caribbean styles but mostly by reggae and jazz.
Compagnie des Tabacs Comme Il Faut, S.A. is an international tobacco company based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It is owned by Luckett, Inc. of Louisville, KY and is the only cigarette maker in Haiti with its Comme Il Faut and Point brands marketed locally.
Misty Jean is a former Miss West Indies and singer. She sings in her native Haitian Creole / French language and also in English.
Jean Jimmy Alexandre, better known by his stage name Jimmy O, was a Haitian hip hop artist who was born in Port-au-Prince and lived in New York City. He was involved with Wyclef Jean's Yéle Haiti Foundation. Jimmy O performed his music in Haitian Creole.
Haitian Carnival is a celebration held over several weeks each year leading up to Mardi Gras. Haitian Defile Kanaval is the Haitian Creole name of the main annual Mardi Gras carnival held in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Twoubadou music is a popular genre of guitar-based music from Haiti that has a long and important place in Haitian culture. The word comes from troubadour, a medieval poet-musician who wrote and sang songs about courtly love. Like the troubadours of old, the Haitian twoubadou is a singer-composer who accompanies himself on songs that tell about the bitterness and humor of love, often using risqué or suggestive lyrics.
Daniel Gérard Rouzier is a Haitian tycoon. Rouzier runs several companies in different sectors in Haiti, including car dealers, and an electric power company; and is member of the executive board of PromoCapital; a Haitian bank. Rouzier is member of the Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM).
Auguste Linstant de Pradines, also known as August de Pradines, Ti Candio or Kandjo was an influential Haitian musician who largely created the archetype of the Haitian troubadour. Over nearly five decades, de Pradines composed love songs as well as songs of political and social commentary, traveling throughout Haiti to perform in clubs, at private parties, in theaters, and outdoor rallies. de Pradines had twelve children, including his daughter Emerante de Pradines Morse who also became a prominent Haitian musician, as did her son, Richard Auguste Morse, and another of Auguste de Pradines' grandsons, Michel Martelly, who also served as president of Haiti (2011-2016).
Wesli is the stage name of Wesley Louissaint, a Haitian Canadian Singer-songwriter, guitarist and a record producer. He is most noted for winning the Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2019 for his album Rapadou Kreyol.
Kreyol La is a Haitian compas band. The group has performed throughout the world, most notably in the Caribbean, Canada, France and the United States through various concerts, carnivals, and festivals.
Clinton Benoit is a Haitian musician and singer-songwriter. Notable associated acts include Tabou Combo and Magnum Band, which are Haitian kompa musical groups based in the United States.