One could hardly imagine a more joyful and uplifting celebration of Haitian music culture than the event that went down at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn on Saturday, June 28. BAYO is a movable musical feast created by pioneering Haitian DJ and producer Michaël Brun. When we spoke in advance of the event, Brun told Afropop, “My goal BAYO is that for everybody who comes to the show will experience the best day ever in Haiti. Like if everything went right, if everything sounded right, if everything tasted right, if it was just like the dream version of my day in Haiti, this is it. When you come here, you're gonna leave inspired, you're gonna feel refreshed, you're gonna feel excited.”
He couldn’t have been more on point. The crowd, almost entirely Haitian from the look of it, mostly filled the enormous hall and were rowdy supporters from the first note to the last. The night opened with Amir Alert and Zili Band, which this reviewer missed, and continued with a riveting live band set from Paul Beaubrun of the iconic racine band Boukman Eksperyans. (Boukman founders Lolo and Mimerose Beaubrun are Paul’s parents, and Paul now acts as the band’s musical director.)
With his uncle Dadi Beaubrun on bass, Paul led the band through a rocking set. He can make his electric guitar roar, but he can also punch out pointillistic clean-note riffs to rival top African guitar bands. And his vocals set the night off to a passionate start. Paul’s set was the night’s nod to racine music in Haiti, and a powerful one it was! Particularly electric was the moment when the band played the Haitian national anthem.
Once Brun set up his massive BAYO station center stage, he began inviting a host of guest artists to join him one by one, and the list was long! Most did just one song each. The music veered more to updates and variations on kompa music, which is clearly resurgent in the 2020s. There were side trips into dancehall and Latin music, and an artist from Benin, but the Haitian kompa stamp dominated the evening.
Actor/singer Anthony Ramos of Hamilton and In The Heights fame made an appearance, bounding around the stage joyously with Brun. And there was a moment for Zohran Mamdani, winner of the NYC mayoral Democratic primary. He promised robust support for the Haitian community and was warmly received.
Late in the show, Brun pulled out his acoustic guitar for a little nostalgia, and his sister Gabriele joined him to sing a classic, well-known to the crowd, as so many of these tunes were.
The show was brilliantly choreographed with an excellent team of dancers enhancing song after song with well-rehearsed routines. Brun himself is the consummate musical host, cheering on and celebrating one star after another as if the whole night were about him or her. Brun kept things rolling at a vigorous pace, and seamlessly interspersed his own tracks into the rushing flow of activity.
Among the many guests were Haitian stars, including two winners of the French Pay TV Trace Awards. Here’s a partial list of the guest artists, with links to their videos. Hours of listening here, and a rich discovery of current Haitian talent!
Sharizee (from Benin)
John Legend (by video)
Anthony Ramos (of Hamilton and In The Heights fame)
Zohran Mamdani (likely future mayor of New York City)
The night ended with all the artists on stage, and the crowd rara’d their way out of the Barclays Center and onto the streets of Brooklyn.
Here are some of my phone photos from the night. We look forward to more BAYO!
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