It’s not often that African communities, as diverse as they may be, and the Haitian community come together in the same space for a performance. Well, that was the case last night, during the concert at Balattou featuring Haitian artist Jean Jean Roosevelt and his special guest Ballaké Sissoko, a kora virtuoso from Mali.
The evening began with a solo performance by Jean Jean Roosevelt, playing guitar and vocals, during which he performed “Dessine ta destin”. Clearly, his fan club was well and truly present at the Balattou, as they could be heard singing along to the artist’s most popular songs, such as “Agoye” and “Acclimatisation”.
“Tonight, I am not alone, I have the honor of welcoming Ballaké Sissoko,” he announced to a standing ovation, before singing “L’Île de Gorée.” Very humbly, the kora master sat down at his instrument, before mixing it with Jean Jean’s guitar. Time stood still, silence reigned in the performance hall, apart from a few noisy spectators who disturbed their neighbors nearby.
On several occasions, Jean Jean involved the audience, who played along quite well. He is one of the few artists who has contributed to bringing African and Haitian peoples closer together. This initiative is a concrete example. One could feel the complicity between the two artists, and at times, Ballaké would make sounds like “yeah” when Jean Jean sang, seeming to approve of what he was hearing.
Then it was Jean Jean’s turn to leave us with Ballaké so he could have his solo moment as well. And off we went again for a soaring session. His fingering on the strings of the kora was both dazzling and soothing, his body movements following the rhythms of the sounds emitted by his instrument.
My favorite moment will be the song in which he pays tribute to his 13-year-old daughter, Maimouna, who was born prematurely. We didn’t want the song to end, and when it did, the audience rose to their feet for a second standing ovation.
“Behind this concert, there is a woman who made it all possible. She knew Ballaké, she put us in touch, and today we are here!” Jean Jean told us between two songs, before introducing us to a certain Nadine.
The concert ended with a return to the duo format of the two artists, between guitar and kora, and this time Jean Jean had two microphones at his disposal, switching from one to the other according to the desired effects. In the song “Libres ensemble,” he also inserts Lingala, the language spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo, another indicator of the artist’s curiosity and artistic openness. He seemed very moved after the song, which calls on Africans to visit Haiti. He ended strongly with “Pinga,” which got the Balattou moving before closing the evening. All the kora and West African music lovers in general were present and rushed to Ballaké Sissoko for photos while Jean Jean’s fan club rushed to greet their favorite artist. We should have more of these spaces of communion between Africa and Haiti, rather than seeing them as silos. One thing is certain: Jean Jean Roosevelt will be one of the precursors.
Photo Credit: Peter Graham
