On October 9th, as part of the 25th edition of Creole Month in Montreal, Ricky Jay, a young singer of Haitian origin, and his band gave a heartwarming performance at the auditorium of the Grande Bibliothèque. The concert took a while to start; I imagine the organizers, and those of us in the audience, were hoping more people would show up.
We could see the musicians peeking out from backstage until the master of ceremonies, who is also the founder of the event, welcomed us and proudly shared the festival’s many activities, including performances, storytelling and book fairs. He introduced Ricky Jay as a unique artist and told the audience to feel privileged to be experiencing such an intimate concert. The room was quiet as the musicians stepped onto the stage, serious and a little tense. Once the performance started, under Ricky Jay’s leadership, each of the musicians came out of their shell. Ricky Jay in particular kept a warm, familiar energy, sharing konpa and zouk songs that ranged from traditional to romantic to festive.
As the energy built, a few people started to dance. I especially appreciated the veteran community members who couldn’t stay seated; their elegance and the way they lived the music transported us back to the beginnings of konpa in the 1950s. All I could think was how wonderful it is that this music is timeless, living on across generations and geographies. Each band member had a solo, a moment to express their passion and their deep connection with their instrument and the music.
Finally, Ricky Jay closed the night with “Zouk la se sel medikaman nou ni” (“Zouk is the only medicine we have”), which immediately moved the crowd of 20-some people to dance up front, and a few brave ones even joined the musicians on stage. “On n’est pas beaucoup, mais on est plusieurs” (“We may not be many, but we are several”), Ricky Jay repeated throughout the performance. To me, it was a reminder that no matter how many of us there were, Ricky Jay and his band performed with devotion and made sure the crowd had a great night.
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Drapeau
