KariJazz: You mean all the 6 Haitian musicians on BADJI were formed by you from scratch?

Thurgot Théodat: I would not say from scratch. They already had knowledge in music. But I think I am the one who inculcate them with this concept of playing what you can hear on the CD. For instance, Marc Guirand, the bassist had certain knowledge of the instrument. I taught him jazz techniques and harmony and empowered him in such a manner he was able to extend himself to the point he is at today. The percussionists a few years ago used to play in voodoo ceremonies and had rhythmic ears of their instrument. The challenge was to teach them how to listen to their drums differently in a setting of artistic creation. Playing with other instruments which can solo is a different ball game.

KariJazz: Okay. You mentioned that the percussionists used to play in voodoo ceremonies. Do lakou Souvnans and Soukri have a meaning to you?

Thurgot Théodat: Absolutely… When I started hanging out with the musicians of "Foula", they took me there and as I developed the habit of going there and mingle with these folks, there was a kind of progressive awareness of the richness of this music that arose within me. The rich beauty of the rhythms and the immense possibilities inspired by the melodies was a gold mine for me, for the music I envisioned in my mind. Before that these chants and rhythms were meaningless to me. But After I visited Souvnans, which is a place of pilgrimage in Haiti, I discovered the richness of this music. In fact every Haitian should visit this place at least once a year. There are melodies that you hear in Souvnans that someone might think come from our deep Alma Mater Africa. But they are chanted every year in this highly respected place of pilgrimage and worship. This is where I got my inspiration. I do not play the music of Souvnans per se, but my music is strongly influenced by the music played and chanted in Souvenans.

KariJazz: Absolutely! We have noticed that influence. Why did you add foreign musicians to the band?

Thurgot Théodat: I have a guitarist extremely advanced technically. I have a very deep friendship with him. Unfortunately, there is no Haitian guitarist on the network who would be capable of playing the way he does on the CD. I communicate with him with ease and he is very friendly and he is an extremely good musician. He was the ideal guy for this job. The choice of an African drummer from Senegal to play within that voodoo rhythm was also ideal. This demonstrates also that music is universal. Even though the music we are playing is Haitian by its roots, not all the musicians have to be Haitians to play it. The concept suffices as a guide as soon as you are a real musician. Real musicians are flexible because they are gifted with infinite possibilities and they can be integrated in any project regardless of cultural color.

KariJazz: And this flexibility implies an excellent technical background that is crucial to this kind of endeavor?

Thurgot Théodat: Absolutely

KariJazz: I am saying that because I hear a lot of folks out there, even musicians, saying that there is no need for deep knowledge in term of musical structures in order to play music. But to access the level we are talking about here, the musician has to go the farthest in music theory and language/style development.

Thurgot Théodat: You are absolutely right!

KariJazz: I wanted to add a comment from what Karl just said about the foreign musicians. I found the guitarist (Claude Py) extremely versatile, and this is a rare phenomenon in Jazz because once musicians find a niche, they usually stay in this style their whole life. On the album he exhibits various colors. Some times he reminds us of Bill Frisell, sometimes Metheny. In other pieces he seems to flirt with the colors and language of Sonny Sharrock in Jimmy Hendricks. He is like a chameleon. Can you comment on this for KariJazz?

Thurgot Théodat: He is a very interesting guy. I did not want to have him only as a soloist in the CD. I wanted him to be more involved. That is the reason he is the artistic director of the project. He brought various colors to the pieces and I wanted this diversity. All his interventions lead us somewhere else.

KariJazz: It is very surprising Thurgot, what you are saying. Coming from a Haitian musician, this kind of statement is very amazing. You hired someone to play on your CD. Not only you give him all the latitude and space he needs to express himself but you also let him decide of the artistic orientation of such a project. I have difficulty to understand this behavior that is not common at all musicians in our very egocentric culture. Why? Maybe your friendship made all this possible?

Thurgot Théodat: Friendship, respect and the way I wanted him to be involved as a friend. The way it usually happens in such a case, the guest comes, plays, and gets paid and it is over. I did not want it to be this way. Claude is a very open-minded individual and a real artist. He was not there for the money. I wanted him to be more involved in the project. Most of the pieces were composed by me. I also arranged them. I did not want this project to be a reflection of myself. I was looking for balance, a kind of reassessment of my work. I had to find a good musician who is open-minded and who would help me achieve this goal and prevent me from making a Thurgot Théodat's CD. After all I have my limits and my encounter with these musicians allowed me to work in a more open-minded attitude and consequently it also helped me to widen my horizon.

KariJazz: Very interesting! Very interesting! BADJI! It is really a beautiful title. Isn't it?

Thurgot Théodat: Indeed, it is a beautiful title. I like the way it sounds: B-A-D-J-I. This is also a very musical sound. In the actual Haitian reality the term Badji sounds very adequate. Haiti is at a very difficult stage of its history now because of all kind of problems. BADJI taken in the Haitian context is an answer to these problems. Unfortunately, certain values are being lost. A lot of folks will disagree with my on this. In our culture, the BADJI is the source of answers to many situations Haitians are facing today. Your son is sick; the hougan can find the answer in the Badji. You are not lucky with your beloved one, the Badji has the answer. I you are loosing your partner; the Hougan through the Badji has the answer. If you are broke, the Hougan can also give you the winning number for the lottery. Whatever your problem is, there is a solution through the Badji. I would like this album to serve as a Badji for the listeners' mind

KariJazz: It is true that when we look at the Haitian society now, there is no doubt that it is a sick nation that has been striving in a long crisis. There is a lack of everything. There is a crisis of values. Folks are being killed for nothing. And yet, despite all this ugliness, you can release such a beautiful album which carries so much generosity. The way you have conducted this whole project by inviting these musicians, the clinics you have been giving throughout the country, your devotion to teach music, the choice of the title of the album etc... All these facts express how deep is your love for music as such. And I really like that. Unfortunately we are not going to listen to the entire CD. I already did it at least ten times before this interview. Just a blink to some of the pieces. The second one: Mireille…. Beautiful ballad... one more time the guitarist is imperial, very spatial … I love this. What is this ballad about?

Thurgot Théodat: Mireille is a tribute to the Haitian woman in general. Mireille is a very elegant and discreet woman. I was very happy to write this piece for her because she is kind and unaffected.

KariJazz: Are we talking here about Mireille Pérodin?

Thurgot Théodat: Yes, indeed she is discreet and wise. She has good manners and it is pleasant to be around her. She is a great lady. I wanted to write a nice piece to pay tribute not only to women in general who represent the backbone of our society but also to Haitian women who represent so much in our society.

KariJazz: It is interesting what you are saying about Mireille who is involved deeply in art. I have the impression that Thurgot's interest is not only music but also art from a global perspective. Do you have interest in other art mediums?

Thurgot Théodat: I did not tell you yet, but I paint.

KariJazz: Do you?

Thurgot Théodat: I think there are no boundaries in art expression. As a musician I must be capable of showing interest in other art forms. If you are a musician who goes deep into music studies you must be sensitive to painting, poetry. Art forms are interlinked. By extending your interest to other art mediums you open you mind on a wonderful world. Next Page | Previous Page


KariJazz
November 6, 2006