This is a project that has been supported by a variety of enterprises in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Mark Mulholland was born in Glasgow and has been travelling and playing music around Europe and North America for more than two decades. Now living in Port-au-Prince he joins with Haitian poet, dramatist, painter and actor, Frankétienne. Mark composed music for a selection of texts by Frankétienne, and the pair combine this spoken word and music gumbo into a compelling listen. The language is entirely foreign, but the power of the performance, the passion and persuasion of the delivery draws the listener deeper into a world of intrigue and imagination.
Several other musicians appear on the recording, including Haitian percussionist Zikiki, Belgian double bassist Hannes d’Hoine and violinist Buni Lenski, French accordionist Olaf Hund and Scottish cellist Nicola Geddes. There is a ghost-like quality to the arrangements and the freedom afforded the players allows for some fine passages of acoustic and percussive riffing, while keeping interest firmly focused on the delivery of the poet, Frankétienne. Well worth checking out