6535: Driver/Morse/Malary (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: OLOFFSONRAM@aol.com

At the time of the Harlan County incident there was a lot of talk about 
reconciliation. I believe, if my memory serves me right, that Malary was 
 appointed Justice Minister by an exiled Aristide. When the Harlan County
was 
sent back, the assasination of Malary was an exclamation point that ended 
reconciliation. To prove that reconciliation didn't exist, I believe,  
Antoine Izmery attended a church service at Sacre Coeur Church in honor of 
the Saint Jean Boscoe Massacre,at which point he was also killed.

Richard Morse
 p.s. I was reading some posts in which people were debating whether I was 
 Haitian or not. I don't think I've ever told anyone I was Haitian, ever.
My 
statement usually goes "My mom's Haitian".
My mom often tells me I have as many rights as anyone else in Haiti. Now 
 there's a statement for you, "rights in Haiti"!. I didn't grow up in a
lakou, 
I grew up in New England boarding schools. I can't change that. I can't 
 change my color. I can't change my Haitian mom marrying an American
professor 
from Greenwich Connecticut. The paradox is: the people who best understand 
 the music I do are the unalphabet poor and the class moyen of Haiti. 
 The statements I make on this list are personal observations. I'm not
trying 
 to "represent" anyone. I used to have extensive discussions with a friend
of 
 mine named Luca (an Italian) who was to head up the USAID Democracy fund
for 
 the elections we had in Haiti this year. He was shot in the head a few
days 
 before the funds were released. An uncompromising young man. We're living
on 
borrowed time. Make the best of it.
 The night before Izmery was killed, he was here at the Oloffson having
drinks 
 with a Canadian TV crew. I remember them having a playful argument over
who 
 was going to pay for the drinks. The next morning I heard the shots that 
 killed him. Izmery was a no compromise revolutionary and yet when I was 
 working at the El Rancho Casino I saw him lose eighty thousand dollars in
one 
hour. When he was done he nodded to the owner and walked away. I see 
revolutionary "bands of the people" that used to perform for FRAPH now 
 representing Lavalas. In Haiti these kinds of bands are called palace
bands. 
They sing the national anthem for whoever's in the palace.
I came to Haiti for the drums. Not the black people, not the white people, 
 not the light people, not the boujwa, not the poor, not the peasants, not
the 
lavalas or the macoutes or the putchists or the Oloffson or anything else. I 
 came for the rhythms so I can make music. The most powerful discovery I
have 
made since arriving here in Haiti are the "chante lwa" and all that comes 
 with them. Most of this other stuff is just baggage. A couple thousand
posts 
back I made reference to the "Bush Cartel". Is anyone laughing now?