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Hans Fels is a Dutchman who first travelled to Haiti over a quarter of a century. He immediately fell in love with the Caribbean nation and regularly returned. He was there again in 2004 when President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was overthrown. He heard that someone was writing an opera, and he decided to stage it.
Hans Fels returned to Holland and managed to get a sponsor to fund the entire project. When he returned to Haiti to begin production, he found that there were only fragments of the opera. It was the first in a series of setbacks, but eventually he managed to pull it off. The opera premiered on the main boulevard in the capital in August of last year and then the musicians and singers toured all corners of Haiti.
The experience has strengthened Fels's belief that when the international community provides assistance to troubled countries, it should think a bit less about food and water and a bit more about music and culture. "We never think we have to show people humanity," he says. "Humanity is more than just food."
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Piece Description
Hans Fels is a Dutchman who first travelled to Haiti over a quarter of a century. He immediately fell in love with the Caribbean nation and regularly returned. He was there again in 2004 when President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was overthrown. He heard that someone was writing an opera, and he decided to stage it. Hans Fels returned to Holland and managed to get a sponsor to fund the entire project. When he returned to Haiti to begin production, he found that there were only fragments of the opera. It was the first in a series of setbacks, but eventually he managed to pull it off. The opera premiered on the main boulevard in the capital in August of last year and then the musicians and singers toured all corners of Haiti. The experience has strengthened Fels's belief that when the international community provides assistance to troubled countries, it should think a bit less about food and water and a bit more about music and culture. "We never think we have to show people humanity," he says. "Humanity is more than just food."
Broadcast History
Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Arts and Culture, October 3, 2007
Transcript
MUSIC
Radio Netherlands Worldwide presents "Arts & Culture: Blood Wedding in Haiti". I am Eric Beauchemin.
MUSIC
Haiti became the world?s first black republic two centuries ago. It used to be the wealthiest colony in the Caribbean. Haiti also had a rich cultural life, and musicians and singers would travel there regularly from France to entertain the white colonialists and the mulatto minority. But countless coups d??tat and decades of dictatorship and military rule have destroyed the nation?s economy and cultural traditions. Today, Haiti is one of the planet?s poorest and least stable countries.
MUSIC
CLIP
E.W. Art and performing things are the first victims?
L.W. ?under the dust of poverty is talent. 0?17?
Art and performing things are the first victims of poverty. It was my ideology to prove that under the dust of poverty is talent, talent that people are neve...
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