14472: Charles posts NOW article about Desandann (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Philippe Charles <pcharles@us.ibm.com>

Printed from NOW Magazine Online Edition
http://www.nowtoronto.com

Haitian heat
Choral crew fires up Jane Bunnett
By MATT GALLOWAY

Jane Bunnett has had her share of hair-rising, spine-tingling moments
in Cuba -- any dealings with the island's Kafkaesque bureaucracy
would do -- but none quite match her introduction to Grupo Vocal
Desandann.You can see her wide-eyed reaction when Bunnett performs
with the ensemble midway through her documentary film Spirits Of
Havana. Never shy about being the gringa jamming with old Cuban
masters, the Toronto bandleader seems almost overawed by the
ensemble, in large part because Desandann sounds like nothing else on
the island.

The 10-member vocal choir from Camagüey makes stately choral music
that has little connection to the son, guaguanco, salsa and timba
that have come to signify Cuban music. Descendants of Haitian slaves,
the choir sings a kind of unearthly a cappella music that has echoes
of African-American gospel, Haitian roots music and the large-scale
vocal acrobatics of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, all driven by Cuban
percussion.

Desandann's performance in a deserted Cuban convent is a highlight of
Spirits Of Havana and of Bunnett's new Cuban Odyssey CD, so you have
to take the saxophonist at her word when she says the ensemble's
Toronto debut Tuesday at the Glenn Gould Studio is going to
be "something else."

"We were planning our trip across the country (Cuba) for the film,
and the fact that there was this massive population of Haitians in
Camagüey really intrigued me," Bunnett explains. "I didn't
actually realize that Haiti is, like, 50 miles away from Cuba, and
most of the Haitians in Cuba are concentrated in Camagüey.

"We went to check the group out at a convent. They got together to
sing for us and we were, like, "Holy shit!' It was one of those rare
times when you get that tweak up your spine that tells you you're
seeing something special.

"These guys are second- and third- generation Haitians, but their
links go deep. They've gone back to the nostalgic period of music in
Haiti, in the 1940s and 50s. Haiti was even more of a tourist
destination than Cuba in terms of casinos and culture, and that's
what they're tapping into."

Despite the choir's unique sound, Desandann has remained unknown
beyond Cuba's and Haiti's borders and has somehow escaped the massive
interest in Cuban music over the past few years. The reason,
apparently, is purely geographical.

"Desandann are in Camagüey, and that's a big deal," offers
Bunnett. "Most of the impresarios who go to Cuba scouting music go
straight to Havana. More and more are now heading to Santiago de
Cuba, which is great, but they don't stop in between.

"People going to Camagüey check into the resort and stay there, so
in some ways this group has been a bit of a secret."

The only problem if you're Bunnett is trying to find a way to jam
with this band without being flattened by their voices. In the film,
she offers only subtle flute accompaniment to Desandann's voices. The
additional tracks on Cuban Odyssey are more experimental, as will be
the group's Toronto performances.

"Being a jazz improviser, I can usually jump in and play off the
rhythm," Bunnett laughs. "That's how I got into Cuban music in the
first place. This is a totally different thing.

"I just try to tap into the essence of the piece. There are four- and
five-part harmonies in these songs, so it's much more of a textural
thing. Desandann are travelling with a percussionist, though, and
we're going to try to integrate our band with theirs, so the shows
will be a change. They've done this before in Camagüey, but it
will be different doing it with gringos."mattg@nowtoronto.com


NOW Magazine Online Edition, VOL. 22 NO. 19

Copyright © 2003 NOW Communications Inc.
story link: http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2003-01-09/music_feature.php