| Componenti del gruppo |
Frisner Augustin (Master Drum and Artistic Director) studied ritual drumming in the temples of Vodou. In 1972 he came to New York, where he established himself as a master drummer in Vodou rituals, as a performer for Haitian community festivals, and as a drum instructor. His recordings with Makandal feature his settings of traditional Afro-Haitian dances. He has recorded as well for jazz artist Kip Hanrahan, for the soundtrack of the Jonathan Demme film Beloved, and most recently for Haitian American jazz drummer Andrew Cyrille. Mr. Augustin teaches a workshop in Haitian drumming at Hunter College, the Krik! Krak! workshop for children and adults at sites in Brooklyn and Manhattan, and classes, lecture-demonstrations, and residencies through the Brooklyn Arts Council, City Lore, and the Carnegie Hall Global Encounters program. Keenly aware of the negative stereotyping of Vodou, Maestro Augustin uses his drum to recast the mystery of the religion from a positive perspective. In 1999 the National Endowment for the Arts awarded him a National Heritage Fellowship, this nation's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.
Steve Deats (Second Drum) began his study of Haitian drumming and folk singing in 1984. From his classes with Master Drummer Frisner Augustin, he joined La Troupe Makandal’s ensemble, and spent time in Port-au-Prince deepening his knowledge of Haiti’s roots music. His engagements with Makandal include such venues as the Town Hall, Lincoln Center Out-of Doors, the Banlieus Bleues festival in Paris, and many more. Today, he holds a degree in music education for children from Empire State College; he instructs children in rhythm, movement, and song and directs his own children’s troupe. Mr. Deats drums for the spirits in New York’s Vodou houses, where he has won the respect and recognition of the community for his devotion to the culture.
Smith Destin (Actor and Dancer) studied dance and theater in his native Port-au-Prince. In his late teens he worked with La Troupe Makandal in venues ranging from community centers to the St. Louis Gonzague School to the El Racho Hotel. He traveled with Makandal to New York in 1981 and continued to play with the company there. Mr. Destin’s performing experiences include the American Museum of Natural History, the 92nd Street Y, the Town Hall, and many more. He conducts workshops, lecture-demonstrations, and staff development sessions together with Master Drummer Frisner Augustin, primarily through the Brooklyn Arts Council and City Lore. Mr. Destin continues to ply his acting skills on Haitian community television.
Kesler Pierre (Graphic Artist), born in Port-au-Prince, is a self-trained artist who worked for a stained glass studio in Haiti, then continued work in that medium in the United States. His web site calls attention to the need to restore the stained glass windows of the Port-au-Prince Cathedral. Since coming to New York in the 1980s, he has compiled an extensive dossier of work in other media. Mr. Pierre played in Makandal’s ensemble and specialized in frame drum and conch shell. Today he serves on the company’s Board while pursuing his work in visual art. Mr. Pierre has provided the company with altarpieces, particularly sacred bottles. His projections of images from Haiti and the sacred diagrams called vèvè have added a new dimension to recent Makandal performances.
Dr. Lois Wilcken (Musicologist and Executive Director) has had the pleasure of researching the traditional music and dance of Haiti in Port-au-Prince and New York City's Haitian neighborhoods. In addition to administering and developing programs with La Troupe Makandal, Dr. Wilcken works for City Lore, a center for folk arts in New York City. White Cliffs Media Company published her book, The Drums of Vodou, in 1992. In 1998, University of Illinois Press published Island Sounds in the Global City, which she co-edited with Dr. Ray Allen. La Médiathèque Caraïbe has installed her exhibit, La Musique Vodou en Haiti, in its facility in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe, and one may view an online version at www.lameca.org (click on Dossiers & Articles for French, Documentation Files and Articles for English).
Morgan Zwerlein (Third Drum), the newest member of Makandal, recently completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Hunter College, City University of New York. During his time at Hunter College, Mr. Zwerlein studied with Makandal’s Haitian Drum Workshop, then took private lessons with Master Drummer Augustin. He impressed the company with his skill on third drum and his quickness to learn, and when the third drum position opened, the company hired him. Mr. Zwerlein has played with Makandal at Symphony Space, South Oxford Space, Columbia University and other venues, and he assists Master Drummer Augustin with educational programs. His credits as a performer are enhanced by his extensive experience as a lighting, stage, and sound technician.
Lin Deats (Dancer) learned to perform the traditional dances of Haiti from her mother, a Manbo and a professional dancer, during her early childhood in Port-au-Prince. After moving to New York at the age of eight she started performing with her family's group, Ti Ayiti, for which she created a number of choreographies, and with La Troupe Makandal. She has performed in schools and traveled to Haiti in 1995 to perform at the Bouyon Rasin (Roots Stew) Festival. Ms. Deats was hired to teach Haitian dance to children in after school programs. Besides performing she is an avid reader, and she writes much of her own poetry, some of it published. She was initiated at the tender age of 13 and would love to one day follow in her mother's footsteps and become a great Manbo. |
