Suite pou Dantan: I. Prelid

"Suite pou Dantan" is written for vocalist, string quartet, and electronics. The suite is part of a larger project by Nathalie Joachim, "Fanm d'Ayiti" (Women of Haiti)

"The foundation of 'Fanm d’Ayiti' began to reveal itself readily through conversation, [which] led me to learn about dozens of Hai­tian female artists, each committed to carrying forward the story of the first free black republic—people known for making treasured somethings out of nothing. These women used their voices to uplift future generations by celebrating our strength.

In 'Fanm d’Ayiti,' I share recordings from my conversations with three women: Emerante de Pradines, a prized voice of Haiti’s Golden Age; Milena Sandler, daughter of the late, famed chanteuse Toto Bissainthe; and celebrated vodou songstress Carole Demesmin.

These voices and my grandmother’s are intertwined with recordings of the girls’ choir from my family’s farming village of Dantan, sending their voices into heaven with hope for tomorrow. I feel lucky to be joining my voice with theirs, bringing listeners a sonic portfolio of my originals and arrangements of historic Haitian songs, woven together in a musical celebration of activism and hope." - Nathalie Joachim

Contrast / Binary Form:
-A Section 0:00
-B Section: 1:51