Barateau, Destinoble

Born In/Current Location :

Les Cayes

Like most brass musicians, it was in the brass band of his hometown that he learned to play the sax and also the clarinet. A major explorer, he assembled a group of amateurs and aspirants devoted to his cause, in a crusade to enhance regional settings, traveling throughout the area, hosting country and patronal festivals. In order to put the Great South at the pace of multiple bacchanal hikes; when putting a local meringue into orbit . Although beforehand, the dominance of the Haitian-Cuban rhythms of the time, inspired him the triangular cadence , an essentially ternary rhythm and also the total cadence which he explored the orchestral bases. He also joined forces and took under his wings, his young friend Nemours Jean Baptiste who often traveled, Port-Au-Prince – Cayes to come and play the banjo in his group and familiarize himself with the sax under his instruction.

Barrateau distinguished himself as a multidimensional musician, a multi-instrumentalist, a saxophonist with transparent and limpid phrasing, accompanied by overflows made of restraints. As leader of the “Méridional” then of the “Panorama”, he engaged these groups in a return to the source, cultivating the native meringue . He was, therefore, consecrated, eminent conductor, and conqueror of the general Cayen public. The big events of social evenings at the Club Marabout des Cayes became his indisputable stronghold. In a country where the practice of art has proved increasingly difficult, Barrateau has made it a point to pass on its knowledge to the nursery by also providing music lessons in different educational establishments in the city of Les Cayes, with as much passion as patriotism.

In August 1997, he performed in Montreal, at the invitation of the leaders of the Les Cayes regional association. The years have not seemed to weaken the vigor of this robust old man who has kept his breath. He received for the occasion a plaque of honor, thanking him for having devoted himself to the development of young talents in his community, for over sixty years. Barrateau remained, until his death on March 31, 2001, one of these legendary musicians faithful to the mission of perpetuating the value of art, something so rare to find today.

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