In 'Pale Pale W' (which means 'talk') and 'Ede M Chante' ('help me to sing'), Mr. The band's guitarist, Vladimir Jean-Felix, laid everything from bent psychedelic notes to skittering high-life rhythms over lattices of voodoo and reggae rhythms as three backing singers added harmonies reminiscent of Zulu a cappella music and Haitian carnival chants.

The 10-person band played music that instead of pining for a better future celebrated it. At Summerstage, the band's leader, Eddy Francois, turned chants into anthems, singing in a big, bountiful tenor about finding freedom from poverty, redemption in work and happiness through unity. Formed five years ago by three former members of Boukman Eksperyans, Boukan Ginen quickly transcended its status as a mere spin-off band with its first album, 'Jou a Rive' (Xenophile). After more than half an hour, the drenched audience was paid back for its wait and the band returned to the stage, transferring the crowd's enthusiasm and solidarity into its live show.īoukan Ginen is among Haiti's top new bands playing mizik rasin, a politically savvy hybrid of electric rock and traditional African and Haitian music. When Boukan Ginen, a roots-rock band from Haiti, had to leave the stage in the middle of its first song because of hazardous weather conditions, the audience took over, singing festival songs, chanting for more music, playing percussion on whatever was available and sending piercing whistles into the dark, rainy sky. Neither prodigious lightning nor torrential downpour stopped the music on Sunday afternoon at Central Park Summerstage.

Boukan ginen edem chante