Haitian Vodou and Music One of the most intriguing aspects about Haitian Vodou is the deviation from the common misconception that “voodoo” is this based on the premise of witchcraft by casting evil spells, raising the dead, or using dolls and pins to invoke evil magic on one’s enemy. Additionally, Vodou music is misinterpreted as purely ritualistic with dark and evil undertones. These misconceptions are mostly due to its representation in popular culture such as Hollywood films and television as well as criticism from the Vatican. Instead, Vodou is a cultural and spiritual religion, comprising of the majority of Haitians and it consists of energetic folkloric dance along with its variety of powerful music. By examining primary sources from …show more content…
Initiating from French colonization that brought African slaves to Saint Domingue, the early slaves took on a new identity while slaves continued to flow into the ports of the island from Africa. Although the slaves had arrived over extended periods from the island’s ports, most slaves escaped to the mountains, away from their slave owners and the harsh environments. It was in the mountains where the escapees, or marronage, formed an assembly of unification. The diverse mixture of the old slaves and the influx of new African slaves led to an amalgam of different vernaculars known as Haitian Creole. Most notably, a collective emergence of religious the practice known as Vodou appeared, incorporating elements from many Western African ethnic groups and their …show more content…
The first track, entitled “Badè,” is a religiously focused song about change in Haiti with vocal call-and-answer chants such as, “Our life is in God’s hands/We want things to change/ We want our country to work.” The song is powerful and shows that the Vodou religion is passionate and meaningful about Haiti’s future. The second track, “Azouke Legba,” is very percussive with many overlapping beats and tranquil sounds of water flowing. The lyrics are a call-and-answer style again, this time with a very distinct Creole vernacular. Track five, “Legba Plante,” is an old recording from 1949 and has the feel as if it were recorded on the streets of Haiti as you can hear children playing and birds chirping in the background. The song has a very distinct jazz feel with a single male vocalist, ending with singing from a group, likely led by a religious leader and is unlike any other track on the disc. Track nine, “Konbit Zaka,” sounds like something out of a Disney movie like “The Lion King” in that it is very African sounding. The song is festive, melodic, with a percussive groove on the congas as well as a cheerful chorus and lively vocals at the end. All of these songs prove that Vodou music has a grassroots in