The Queen of Haitian Song

When I think of Haiti's beauty, I think of Emeline Michel.  As La Reine de la Chanson Creole, she embodies Haiti's history and spirit with a voice that swoops over your soul and touches it.  For twenty years, she has ruled as the queen of Haitian music, singing only in French and Kreyol and penning tunes that delve into the island's cultural traditions, while melding Haitian rhythms like compas  and twobadou with modern forms of jazz, slalsa and samba.  To hear Emeline sing is to hear the heart of Haiti.  Her rich, supple vocals  pour over her lyrics, which celebrate the joy, hope and struggle of her country.  Emeline's  award-winning, self-produced, 1999 CD  Cordes et Ame, (Strings and Soul) changed the face of Haitian music with a velvety blend of Haitian roots with Latin undertones. A hypnotic love letter to her island, it urges Haitians to remember their impressive history as the Western Hemisphere's first black republic and to overcome its current turmoil.  The album is considered  to be the definitive collection of Haitian music and continues to skillfully represent the joyful, melodic, music of Haiti.  The video below showcases Emeline and Haiti.  From Cordes et Ame, "Fo m Ale" (Got To Go) draws from traditional twobadou music of the Haitian countryside. It tells the story of a Haitian immigrant living far from home, longing for the warmth and acceptance of Haiti.