On her new release, Spiritwalker, Haitian-American
singer-songwriter Malou Beauvoir communes with and for the spiritual traditions
of her island heritage. The album is at once a celebration of the Vaudou
spirits that embody and enrich the culture of Haiti, as well as a conveyance of
their message of peace and awakening to the world at large.
“If you have a voice, it’s to be used to communicate for
someone or for something,” Beauvoir says. “It’s great to just sing songs, but
we (as a group) wanted to focus our art on bringing about change. I wanted
these songs that we grew up with – their values, their principles, the ideas
behind them –to become hip, to become accessible to the younger generation so
that we can use our own identity to express our frustration, and motivate each
of us, as individuals, to bring about change.”
Spiritwalker, set for release on November 2 on Panthera
Music International, was recorded at Brooklyn’s Kamoken Studios with a
multi-national band of gifted musicians. The core group of Haitian musicians
included co-producers and instrumentalists Chico Boyer (an activist and
community leader who also owns Kamoken Studios) and Cheff Loncher along with
acclaimed singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Paul Beaubrun and percussionists
Sirgo Decius and Jean Guy Rene. In addition, the band comprised artists from
Cuba (pianist Axel Laugart), Japan (pianist Yayoi Ikawa, guitarist Hiroyuki
Yamada) and the U.S. (guitarist Jon Gordon, bassist Calvin Jones, and
Haitian-American drummer Gashford Guillaume).
Born in Chicago to Haitian parents, Beauvoir was raised in
Long Island while spending summers either in Paris, where her parents met, or
in their native Haiti. “My father, who desperately loved Haiti, would
constantly regale us with stories,” Beauvoir recalls. “Then every summer you
would go and find yourself on this beautiful island with a whole community of
friends and family, and it was such a different life from New York that it
really tempted you to stay.”
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Another compelling aspect of Beauvoir’s time in Haiti was
the tutelage of her uncle Max Beauvoir, a biochemist and high-ranking Vaudou
priest, who ushered her into the island’s profound spiritual traditions. She
considers herself a natural Vaudou priestess or mambo, a word that implies an
ongoing quest for knowledge in the Vaudou belief system. “We believe that when
someone becomes a priest or priestess, it’s the beginning of their journey,”
Beauvoir explains. “It’s your invitation by the spirits to learn, to delve and
to continue the rest of your life acquiring that knowledge. It has opened the
door for me for a lifetime of learning, to cross that threshold and become a
chalice to receive – and to give.”
Beauvoir followed a circuitous path on her road to giving
back through her music. After studying at the American University in Paris she
earned a master’s degree from the University of Hartford and began a successful
career in marketing. A rapid ascent up the corporate ladder proved to be far
less satisfying spiritually than it was financially, and she decided to pursue
a more fulfilling, less secure life in music.
Malou’s muse drew her into the jazz world, where she
performed in Paris, Belgium and New York, released three albums and shared the
stage or studio with such modern greats as Donny McCaslin, Terrell Stafford and
Donald Vega.
The escalating turmoil in her beloved Haiti following the
devastating earthquake of 2010 and the further havoc visited on the island by
Hurricane Matthew led Beauvoir to connect more directly with the music of her
cultural roots. Hearing the voices of the Vaudou spirits in her ear, she
decided to convey a message of pride and empowerment to the people of Haiti,
while communicating the importance of spiritual awakening and togetherness to
an increasingly divided world.
“I was tired of seeing things that started out as spiritual
beacons being used by politicians and profiteers to forward divisive political
messages and greedy economic causes,” Beauvoir says. “I started with Vaudou,
saying these are our roots, this is what gave courage to slaves to revolt
against Napoleon’s army and win our freedom; why don’t we dig deep down into
our culture, our beliefs, our spirituality, and find the courage now to revolt
against what’s going on in our country and in the world. Vaudou is not a
well-known religion, but I want people to judge it on what it is, not what it
is portrayed to be.”
The material on Spiritwalker stems from a variety of
sources. The opening call to arms, “Rasenbleman,” was written by Haitian
actress and singer Toto Bissainte, who herself brought together folkloric
traditions with the modern music of her day. “Papa Loko,” and “Kouzen” are both
traditional songs, the former invoking the spirit of the first Vaudou priest,
the latter paying homage to the spirit of the land and the hard work of
agriculture. “Yoyo” is a folk song about a Haitian street boy, translated into
English by Beauvoir and given a twist of simmering, sultry groove. “Gran Bwa,”
inspired by James Germain’s arrangement on “Kreole Mandingue,” pays respect to
the ancient and venerable tree god who watches over the forest.
“Nwayé,” titled for the Kreyol version of the French word
“to drown,” was co-written by Beauvoir and Beaubrun meditates on the tragedies
wrought by hurricanes over the course of Haiti’s history, but more importantly
addresses the issue of discrimination against marginalized groups in our
society, imploring us to see through the lies and see and accept people for
what they truly are. The two also worked together on “Simbi Dlo,” which calls
to the Snake Spirit of the river and features the piercing guitar work of Jon
Gordon, known for his work with Suzanne Vega and Madonna. Beauvoir’s original
“There’s a Man” dates back to the time of her own spiritual awakening,
referring to a troubling vision that led to her changing her life for the
better. The album ends with a reprise of “Papa Damballah,” a jazz take on the
Haitian classic “Papa Damballah” originally recorded for her 2016 album Is This
Love and featuring Andy Ezrin (piano), Ben Whitman (durms, percussion), David
Finck (bass) and Bobby Mann (guitar).
“Spiritwalker has always been a term that I use to describe
myself and all people who are in communication with the spiritual world,”
Beauvoir concludes. “I believe that everything in our world has a soul, from
the grass to the stones to the air, which all have different energies that find
their place and create a balance in the world. Spiritwalker strives to walk in
step with the spirits that surround us.”
Malou Beauvoir · Spiritwalker
Panthera Music International · Release Date: November 2, 2018
www.maloubeauvoir.com
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