Haitian Beatz

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Artist's Showcase: Markus Schwartz To Release New CD
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Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and raised in a house full of jazz music in the United States, Markus Schwartz has spent the past 17 years deeply immersed in the world of traditional Haitian drum music. Beginning his studies of African/Caribbean hand-drum technique while attending U-Mass/Amherst, after graduating Markus moved to the S.F. Bay area, where he quickly apprenticed himself to an Afro-Haitian dance ensemble, began performing and working as a much in-demand accompanist for dancers.

During this period Markus first visited Haiti, beginning his ongoing involvement with traditional Haitian Vodou drum music and culture. In 1992, at the invitation of master percussionist and bandleader Jean Raymond Giglio, one of the pioneers of the Haitian Rasin (roots) musical movement and a founding member of the seminal Vodou Jazz group Foula, Markus embarked upon his first trip to Haiti. Spending a month travelling the countryside, he was immersed in the beauty and richness of traditional Haitian Vodou music.

Markus has since made numerous such journeys to Haiti, most recently with the groundbreaking Haitian jazz ensemble MOZAYIK in November, 2006 and March, 2007. Joined by special guest master drummers AZOR & Daniel Brevil, Markus and MOZAYIK dazzled the crowd of 1,500. Mozayik's debut Haiti performance was broadcast on national television and covered by "Le Nouvelliste" (Haiti's largest newspaper).

In 1994, Markus recorded and self-produced a solo CD of Haitian drum and vocal music entitled "Simido", which has received airplay on many Haitian and world music radio stations from the New York City area, to Florida, Haiti and beyond. The track "Kouzen Zaka" (available on this page), is from the "Simido" recording.

 

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