THURGOT THEODAT

THURGOT THEODAT WAS BORN IN PORT- AU- PRINCE IN 1959 . AT THE AGE FOURTEEN HE LEFT HAITI FOR FRANCE. THERE HE DEVELOPED A STRONG PASSION FOR JAZZ MUSIC. HE WAS FASCINATED BY JAZZ MUSICIANS FROM BLACK AMERICA, ESPECIALLY THE FREE JAZZ PLAYERS , THE INCREDIBLE POWER OF THEIR MUSIC, THE FREEDOM THEY EXPRESSED IN THEIR IMPROVISATION AND THE DETERMINATION IN THEIR POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT. HE COULD HEAR THIS MUSIC IN PARIS WHERE HE WAS LIVNG AND NEW YORK WHERE HE SPENT HIS SUMMER VACATIONS : FROM MY BED I COULD HEAR THE MUSIC IN NEW YORK SUMMER 78 I LIVED ON BLEEKER STREET RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET TO THE VILLAGE GATE FAMOUS JAZZ CLUB. THEN IN 1981 I HAD MOVED TO THE RUE DUNOIS IN PARIS AND ONCE AGAIN WITH A FAMOUS JAZZ CLUB RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET DUNOIS . IN THAT CLUB I COULD SEE LIVE ALL THE GREAT JAZZ MUSICIANS WHO CAME TO PARIS. AT ONE PARIS UNIVERSITY HE MET FRANCIS BEBEY JR WHO CONVINCED HIM TO BUY A SAXOPHONE. AT AGE 23 AS A SELF-TAUGHT HE LEARNED THE BASICS IN MUSIC. WITH INFLUENCE OF PEOPLE LIKE BRAXTON ,SHEPP, MC PHEE ETC,AFTER TWO YEARS OF PRACTICE HE STARTED PLAYING FREE JAZZ WITH 3 MUSICIANS HE HAD MET PREVIOUSLY IN SCHOOL IN PARIS. THEN IN 1986 HE MOVED BACK TO HAITI HOSTING RADIO AND TV SHOWS ABOUT JAZZ. AT THAT TIME HATI WAS IN A CULTURAL AND POLITICAL TURMOIL. THE POLITICAL CHANGE PRECEDING THE FALL OF THE DUVALIER REGIME WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A NEW MUSICAL TREND CALLED ROOTS MUSIC PUTTING THE EMPHASIS ON ENHANCING VODOO CULTURE THE ROOTS BANDS USE TRADITIONAL RHYTHM MIXIMG THEM WITH MODERN SOUNDS LIKE ROCK ,REGGAE, POP OR JAZZ, THURGOT JOINED THE BAND FOULA AND BROUGHT A STRONG JAZZ DIMENSION WITH IMPROVISATION AND THE ENERGY OF THE VODOO DRUMS ENLIGHTENED BY THE BASS AND THE GUITAR. THE FIRST BAND IN HAITI TO MIX JAZZ & VODOO MUSIC FOULA HAD A STRONG IMPACT ON PEOPLE, IT WAS THE EXPRESSION OF THE WIND OF FREEDOM AND CHANGE THAT CHARACTERISED HAITI AT THAT TIME. AFTER BAND MEMBERS DECIDED TO SETTLE IN THE U.S. THE GROUP SPLIT UP THEIR LAST CONCERT IN HAITI TOOK PLACE IN 1991. THURGOT WAS MOSTLY OUTSIDE OF HAITI FROM 91 TO 96. TOURING THE U.S EUROPE AND JAPAN. SETTLED IN HAITI IN 1996 HE PUT TOGETHER A BAND FROM 1996 TO 2002. THURGOT SCORED MUSICS FOR DOCUMENTARIES IN HAITI. HE LAUNCHED A JAZZ PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS IN PORT-AU-PRINCE AT THE SAME TIME TOURING THE COUNTRY DOING CLINICS ABOUT JAZZ MUSIC. IN 2003 HE MOVED TO SOUTH OF FRANCE KEEPING CONTACT WITH HAITI TRAVELLING BACK AND FORTH PLAYING ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY UNDER HELP OF THE FRENCH INSTITUTE IN HAITI. IN 2006 RECORDING OF A CD NAMED BADJI WITH PARTICIPATION OF A FRENCH GUITAR PLAYER CLAUDE PY AND AN AFRICAN DRUMMER SEGA SECK . THIS CD IS THE RESULT OF 15 YEARS OF RESEARCH IN JAZZ AND HAITIAN ROOTS MUSIC.HE IS INSPIRED BY WORKS OF LATE GERALD MERCERON IN THE 70s.AN AVANT GUARD ASSOCIATION OF JAZZ AND HAITIAN TRADITION AL RHYTHMS. THURGOT CONTINUES ON HIS EXPERIMENTAL PATH AND BRINGS TOGETHER THE JAZZ AND VOODOO SPIRITS IN THE INTIMACY OF THE BADJI. (ROOM WHERE THE VOODOO PRIEST KEEPS HIS SACRED ITEMS ).HE RELEASED A REAL CD OF VOODOO JAZZ WITH SERIOUS VOODOO DRUMMING PLAYING RHYTHMS LIKE PETWO; KONGO;NAGO WITH INFLUENCES OF BE BOP, FUNK BOSSA NOVA,ROCK. BADJI IS DEFINATELY A WORK AWAY FROM THE USUAL MUSIC MARKET IN HAITI WITHOUT CONCESSION.,ASSOCIATING JAZZ AND VOODOO CULTURE WHICH ARE CLOSELY RELATED BY THEIR HISTORY AND MEANINGS.