« Back

I propose a preliminary exploration of records pertaining to early twentieth-century Haitian musical culture held at the Centre International de Documentation et d’Information Haïtienne, Caribéenne et Afro-canadienne (CIDIHCA) in Montréal. A key aim of this project is using this collection to survey the intricate relationship between Haitian musical styles and political expressions in the first half of the twentieth century. In addition to examining the rise and consolidation of nationalistic aesthetics in Haiti, I aim to investigate how these dynamics of folkloric self-expression may have influenced the Western reception and representation of Haitian culture, especially in light of the emergence of audio recording technologies and establishment of major ethnographic archival institutions across Europe and North America.