ARTIST/BAND /GROUP INFORMATION
| Occupation(s) : | Guitarist |
| Genres : | Jazz |
Pianist, guitarist, percussionist, chorister, Alix seems to be the cultural conscience of his generation. A succinct analysis of his exploits in the field of music leads us to believe that he is the bridge which connects the Jazz Des Jeunes to the young musicians who today perform or interpret melodies of the genre “Roots” colored by synthesizers .
Born in Haiti on February 25, 1947, his first instrument is the drum, then he learned the keyboard, the guitar, instrument with which he seduced brunettes and doodles. Troubadour, product of the ‘yeye’ movement, Tit debuts with Les As De Petion Ville in 1963 and in 1964, we observe him with the Ibo Lele Orchestra with which he measures 1/5, a somewhat complicated compass. His guitar solo in “La Vie Musicien”, an adaptation of a foreign melody by the singer, André Romain, arrangement by Serge Simpson, is one of the first milestones set by Tit in the world of Haitian commercial music.With his friends from the group Ibo Combo, he recorded on disc “Creole Musette and Fleur D’Amour”, two compositions by Herby Widmaier. This same album also features a Bossa Méringue version of Choucoune, the famous melody of Mauleart Monthon and Adeline, a composition by Francois Guignard, two typical examples of the real Haitian meringue (TamTam ST 102). After his accident in 1967, he gave up the keyboard and returned to New York.
He chose the acoustic guitar in 1968 to deliver his messages and took advantage of working with Charles Davis, Buster Williams, Andrew Cyril ect. With the Haitian Bells choir, he made his first experiences of Vodou Jazz, alongside Kiki Wrainwright, Joachim Levy and Raymond Dussèque. They all wanted to harmonize, modernize our songs, while keeping their local colors (ILP101). His handicap does not prevent him from having fun. In 1971, sitting on his wheelchair, I saw him dance “Alle Lave” with a woman at the night club, Canne A Sucre, around the couple, a perimeter was formed and with all the crowd, Tit and his suite were dancing there.
In 1975, Alix joined musical prestige to socio-political prestige by performing combat ballads with Atis Endepandan. They have printed Kamarad, Ki sa poun fe and Dodinen on disc, songs which can be considered as the prelude to the “Roots” genre movement. Excellent arranger, when he stopped arranging Tabou Combo’s selections, the harmonic structures were no longer the same and Tabou had dark hours. In addition, the titled disc, Tabou Combo The Indestructible published by Mini Records in 1976 (MRS1056), bears the stamp of Tit.
In 1978, with his acoustic guitar, Alix Pascal offers us, Determinations, a solo album in which he evokes the dark freshness of sleeping Manhatan and Pétion Ville, the unfathomable wonders of the memory of the heart and the romantic humor of the jets. of water from the Exhibition City (AMNS4-1).
Casséus chooses the corn to sing about the misery of his people, Tit, he chose the name of Ayizan, his musical group in 1984, to raise awareness of his brothers in combat. Alongside Fefe Etienne, Alix ambroise, Myriam Augustin, Louis Celestin, Tit publishes Ayizan – Dilijans (AZ2000). Ayisan, the emblem of purity, the palm kernel which symbolizes power and freedom, the emblem of eternity and awareness.
Nap travay di
Poun fome yon sosyiete
Kote tout moun santi
Yo se moun o
Alix Pascal is like Michel Desgrottes who saw him grow up a musician who has a depth of extraordinary feelings. This is why his vision of the musical world is far from being limited. In his spare time, he listens with critical ears to the works of other guitarists. He meditates on the works of West Montgomery, Charlie Christian, and Frantz Casséus. We understand why that in the interpretation of Choucoune, all the tenderness, flexibility and majesty of Frantz Casséus are detected. Probably, if Tit hadn’t created Ayizan, we probably wouldn’t have known Sakad, Boukman Experience, Ram,
Adrien B. Berthaud
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