|  Beethova
Obas
by
Ayesha Morris
Forget about the language barrier. In the
steady comfort of a compa beat, and tinged with the hint of a Brazilian
bossa nova, Haitian singer Beethova Obas's music sounds like a seductively
sweet collection of lovemaking lullabies. Slip in his easy charm,
and the intensity in his eyes could pass for that of an impassioned
lover.
But most of the Kreyol titles he sang Saturday
night at the University of Maryland's Clarice Smith Performing Arts
Center were conga-cutting commentaries on the sociopolitical struggles
of Haiti, a country that became the world's first independent black
nation almost 200 years ago.
Obas's voice -- carried over jaunty
keyboard chords, his cheery guitar strum and a few cute dog-barking
sounds -- waxed and waned through happy-sounding renditions of "Ase
Babye" ("Enough Talking"), "Le Chant de Liberte" and "Kite M' Ri"
("Let Me Smile").
One
of the many highlights of the night was "Nou Pa Moun" ("We're Not
Human"), a jazzy piece dealing with the superhuman powers it must
take to survive in the face of much adversity.
As
Obas weaved in and out of a hip-hop flow, drummer Sheldy Abraham
added accents with versatile triangle and cymbal work. In "Si,"
keyboardist Welmyr Jean-Pierre playfully improvised on Beethoven's
"Für Elise."
 Obas
-- who was named after the classical composer by his father, an
artist who "disappeared" during the Duvalier regime -- has produced
four albums since his career began in the late '80s.
The evening, dubbed a "Haitian Independence
Celebration" and presented in three languages by Jean-Claude Vivens,
also showcased mellifluous Kenny-G-style love ballads by saxophonist
Jacques "Doudou" Chancy, warm vocals by Fanfan, seductive tango
dancing by Carlos Gutierrez and humorous skits by Theatre Lacaye.
-- ©Ayesha Morris/washingtonpost.com
January 5, 2002
| Ayesha Morris is freelance
writer with several articles published, among others, in the
Washington Post and the Washington Citypaper. She wrote an
article recently on Sweet Micky for the Washington Post. She
has Caribbean roots, having lived in Tobago for 8 years. Ayesha
is "very interested in covering Caribbean culture,"
and she adds, "I've always admired Haiti--it's a source
of great inspiration..."
-- Please help us Thank Ayesha
(Haitian by association - she loves konpa) for her contribution,
and for exposing the positive aspects of our culture.
|
|
Celebrating 200 Years of Freedom 
