Lumane Casimir
A 14 ans, sa guitare sous le bras, Lumane Casimir,
fraîchement débarquée des Gonaïves, arriva à
Port-au-Prince avec sa voix de rossignol.
Excentrique, vive, revêche, toujours à court d’argent,
elle y mena longtemps l’existence typique des artistes fauchés. Bien que son passage sur la scène musicale Haitienne fut bref (elle mourut vers 35 ans dans la misère), nul ne peut oublier sa voix bouleversante au timbre éclatant. Voilà l’hommage qu’en fait le conteur-poète Koralen (Jean-Claude Martineau):
Limàn Kazimi
Yon tifi, yon ti kòmè pwovens
Ki rive Pòtoprens
Vini chache lavi
Yon tifi, san fanmi san zanmi
Yon gita anba bra l
Ak yon espwa nan vwa l
Lè l kanpe, lè l kanpe pou l chante
Wosiyòl k ap pase vin poze pou tande
Se konsa anvan 1 an pase
Bèlè kou Bwavèna se de li y ap pale.
Nan yon ti kay san limyè
Ki te nan lakou Fò Senklè
Genyen yon fi ki pwatrinè
Se la yo di l remize
Gen yon sèl moun k ap okipe l
E se pa toulejou l vini
Se de twa timoun nan vwazinay
Ki konn fè ti goutay
Pou ba li manje
San konnen se yon dènye zanmi
Se yon dènye fanmi:
Limàn Kazimi
Lè l mouri, lantèman l ap chante
Tout moun li te fè byen yo youn pa prezante
Men se te yon jounen san solèy
Syèl la t ape kriye tout nyaj yo te pran dèy
Pye lorye ki gen sou plas Sentàn
Yo pliye yo panche pou yo salye Limàn
E nan van, nan van ki t ap pase
Gen moun ki fè sèman yo tande l ap chante:
Papa Gede bèl gason
Gede Nibo bèl gason
Li abiye tou de blan
Pou l al monte o Palè
….
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Michèle Voltaire Marcelin is a poet/writer, performer and painter who was born and raised in Haiti, sojourned in Chile, and currently lives in the United States. The publication of her first novel “La Désenchantée” (CIDIHCA, Montréal-2006) was followed by its Spanish translation “La Desencantada” and two other books of poetry and prose: “Lost and Found” and “Amours et Bagatelles” (CIDIHCA, Montréal-2009) - translated into Spanish by Editorial ALBA as "Amores y cosas sin importancia" - all of which garnered rave reviews. Her writings are also featured in 3 anthologies published in France: "Cahier Haiti" (published by RAL'M-2009), "Terre de Femmes" (Editions Bruno Doucey-2011) "Revue Intranqu'îllités" (2012). She speaks and writes fluently French, English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. She has a BFA from the Leonard Davis Center for the Performing Arts at CUNY and a Masters from The New School for Social Research.
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