Boulpik - Konpa Lakay - 2014

 

Boulpik is a group that was formed in Port-au-Prince a dozen years ago that, since its inception, have given continuity to a musical tradition that emerged in the streets, as entertainers in squares and private events, recalling times when street orchestras They performed a multitude of pieces, but also a few years when tourism came to the island and today is rare to find. Boulpik mainly interprets konpa, a danceable sound that appeared in the fifties of the last century, rhythms with an artisanal texture that would quickly spread throughout the streets and that would become the sound soul of the entire island, the konpa lakay.

"Chèche lavi", "search for life". An expression in Haitian Creole that sums up the phrase "to look for a way to make a living", and suggests that life is not something that comes easily, but that it is a goal to be sought (as if you were on a search for a lost prize or buried treasure). Thus, Franckel Sifranc and his fellow musicians from Boulpik are looking for lives. Nothing particularly extraordinary has happened in their careers. In fact, his past is very similar to that of millions of other Haitians. Except they have a gift for music.

The story of Boulpik is the story of Franckel Sifranc (founder of the group), which began around fifty years ago, in La Grand Anse, a remote region of the Republic of Haiti, to the west. Thinking back to his childhood in the seaside town of Dame-Marie, he recalls the sounds of the "ti djaz" (little jazz): acoustic bands of amateur musicians who were called that to distinguish themselves from the more prestigious "gwo djaz" (big jazz). , bands with their modern instruments and amplifiers). The ti djaz played at local gatherings using rudimentary local instruments: the Matamò six-string guitar (its name is a reminder of the strong influence of the Trío Matamoros on the genre), the trè (a guitar of Cuban origin with three double strings) or even a banjo. The instrumental formation was completed by the strings of a double bass or a maniboula (a plucked idiophone based on the Cuban marímbula) and percussion: drum, maracas and scratch board or kaskayèt (keys) to accompany the vocal choir that responded to the lead singer.

As a child growing up in a family dedicated to agricultural work, Franckel had no idea that one day he would use those tools to "search for life." A few years later, like thousands of other rural dwellers, he was forced to move from the countryside to the capital, Port-au-Prince, whose population has grown from 500,000 to almost 3 million in the last fifty years. Adolescent, Franckel arrived in the city in the late 1970s, invited by an older brother. Installed in a modest neighborhood in the lower part of the city, he found work as a "handyman" and began to explore the capital, meeting the many musicians who provided the soundtrack of the city night and the entertainment of the tourism that at that time era filled the Caribbean island. Franckel became a member of the Ti Okap band. Today, all that remains of the group's career are the name of its leader, the memories of his popular performances in different hotels, and the band with which Franckel learned to sing and play maracas and kaskayèt.

Later, in 1980, he decided to form his own group: Frère Desjeunes. He continued to perform with them for more than twenty-four years, despite frequent interruptions caused by the endless socio-political upheavals that rocked the country. It was in 2004 when Franckel proposed a new approach to the band, becoming Boulpik and incorporating five young musicians who he considered more talented and committed than his predecessors.

Since Franckel started, the situation in Haiti has changed radically. From the time when musicians used to perform to earn a little extra money, today music is his means of work. Unlike many others, Boulpik's musicians have refused to emigrate (always a temptation for life-seekers). They continue to believe in their lucky stars and show no signs of defeat or self-pity, but rather an unwavering determination to trust in happiness and good vibes. These are other times and Boulpik do not give up singing to peace, love and their country, dignity in the face of adversity.

tracks list:

01. Alakanpay

02. Boulpik Twoubadou

03. Si Lavi Te Fasil

04. Nèg Dafrik

05. Karol

06. Lakay

07. Rele

08. Jeremie

09. Twa Zan

10. Je Reviens Chez Nous

11. Souvenir d'Afrique

12. Lavi a Di

Fuente: Vecinos: Boulpik – Nèg Dafrik"