INFORMATION
Robert Raymond (Bobby) is the son of François Antoine Raymond and Andréa Raymond. He was born in Port-au-Prince on July 11. Bobby completed his primary education at Frère André School in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. At a very young age, he moved to New York. In a short period, Bobby earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in music from Hunter College (New York). He didn’t stop there; in 1992, Bobby obtained a master’s degree in Educational Science from Brooklyn College while actively performing with the band ZIN. In 2000, he earned another master’s degree in Education (Supervision and Administration) from Bank Street College of Education (New York).
Bobby is a devoted father and grandfather. He has two daughters and his wife: Kanema Raymond and Khristine Raymond. Today, Bobby has two granddaughters, who are Kanema’s daughters: Sanaa Merritt and Arianna Merritt. He celebrated many life milestones with his wife, Evans Lespinasse Raymond, a renowned singer who has made her mark on Haitian music with her beautiful voice on the album Mystik and another exclusive album recorded by Miss with the Colé Colé Band led by Alix Jacques (Dr. Lulux) on the composition «Compas Direct» and several other titles. Evans is one of the first Haitian women to record her voice on a project solely dedicated to Compas Direct music in the 1970s.
In 1992, Bobby was already pursuing a master’s degree at a public school in Brooklyn, a time when he had just joined ZIN. Despite facing many challenges in managing these two passions, people couldn’t easily see his struggles. He always makes an effort to make others feel comfortable. Bobby is a great joker and a very humble man. It is always a pleasure for everyone to have him around. He is very diligent and inspires a lot of respect. If you are someone who works within Bobby’s circle, you will see that you cannot argue with him; instead, go find out what problem is affecting you.
His grandfather, Félix Raymond, was a musician who mastered the drums and harmonica. Bobby was directly influenced by his father, François Raymond, who played guitar and accordion. François always encouraged Bobby to play music. Bobby fell in love with the bass guitar. We always say, “little fish follow the current, there’s no lying here.” In the same vein, one of Bobby’s daughters, Khristine Raymond, keeps the Raymond family flame burning high. Miss also began to play music, like her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. This lady chose the violin as her favorite instrument. We can safely say Khristine has surpassed her entire family musically because Miss is directing the Philharmonic Orchestra all around the globe. The Raymond family doesn’t stop there; Bobby has his granddaughters Sanaa, who plays piano, cello, and drums, and Arianna, who plays piano and bass like her grandfather. This makes five generations of musicians representing the Raymond family today. Let us wait to see what future blessings will bring for them.
Since Bobby was only about 16 years old, he spent a lot of recreational time in the yard with some elder musicians, such as the great musicians of the Raymond Sicot Orchestra and the Durozeau brothers’ orchestra, Kreutzer and Richard Durozeau (the father of Compas Direct). Just like Réginald Benjamin (System Band) and Mario De Volcy (Bossa Combo), Bobby Raymond attended the prestigious Raymond Sicot School.
At the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s, Bobby’s home at 1126 Rogers Ave (Brooklyn, NY) was a true podium where all kinds of foreign and Haitian musicians in the neighborhood would gather to play, listen, and experience all sorts of music. Some of them include: Kerby Baton (PNP), Ernst Vincent (System Band), Emmanuel Jean-Baptiste (Ti Manno), Gérard Daniel (Le Préfet de Brooklyn), Jean-Robert Castel, Daniel Mayala (Super Jazz des Jeunes), Mario Mayala (Skah-Shah), who is Daniel’s son, Ti Gousse, Ernst Marcelin (Tabou Combo), and Alix Ambroise (Buyu) who did not live too far away. During these times, Bobby shared the same apartment with his parents in 2R. After marrying his wife, Evans Lespinasse, he continued to live in the same building, but this time in apartment 1R, which was artistically well-decorated. Once you enter this apartment, you cannot forget the decoration in the middle of it—a beautiful, impressive tiled floor.
Bobby never forgot how much he regretted losing his life for the love he had for music. During a tour with the group Astros De New York that was supposed to take place in Martinique and Guadeloupe, Bobby fell seriously ill, so badly that he couldn’t travel. After these two countries, he couldn’t return to Haiti to receive Astros and their megahit “Bingo” sung by Ernst Letemps. In this group, there were some other musicians who would later become famous: Emmanuel Jean-Baptiste (Ti Manno) (Desede), Ronald Smith, Fritz Frédérique (Ti Mitou) (Desede), Erick Charlier (Manhattan). All the musicians left Bobby also sick in the hotel alone. He always says he never knows how, but he returned to New York after all those calamities.
The first time Bobby played with ZIN was to save a weekend that the group had scheduled while the jazz base, Gargy Jean-Charles, couldn’t be present. It was on a Wednesday when Kerby Baton sent me to check on Bobby to honor the gigs for the weekend. When I asked Bobby how much it would cost, he replied, “Give me the jazz materials to work so I can be ready by Friday. It’s not the money that matters at the moment, but saving the gigs for the jazz.” This would be the beginning of a beautiful familial and professional adventure with all the staff and ZIN musicians. After Bobby made his mark on ZIN’s album “Kanpe Sou Yon Bit,” he was going to be the director of a public school in New York. Thus, he asked Carrie Legagneur (Youyou) to come and hold the bass for him while he got accustomed to his job. To this day, Youyou is waiting for Bobby to return to his bass position in ZIN, riii.
Bobby Raymond had a great musical career, interpreting all kinds of musical forms on the planet. He accompanied and played with all kinds of nationalities in many countries. You could say Bobby, in music genres like Jazz, Blues, Pop, R&B, Compas Direct and all its derivatives, Calypso, Reggae, Salsa, Merenge, Rasin, he says: “I’m ready.” He accompanied Jermain Jackson in Africa during a tour where Bobby went to perform a gig with the group Phantoms (1991). Ansy Desrose trusted him a lot, and in all his performances, he had to honor them in foreign countries.
Speaking of Ansy Desrose, let me share an anecdote with you. In 1997, Bobby was in the middle of a big tour with his group ZIN. However, due to his work as a teacher and high school principal, he needed to return to New York while the tour was not yet finished. It was me, Bobby, who decided to go and drop him off at the airport because he had a very specific mission to accomplish as a person. Bobby told me to go find him at the hotel four hours before the flight. The next morning, while we were on the way, he told me that Ansy Desrose was sick and that he couldn’t leave Haiti without going to see and greet Ansy and his wife. Bobby said he didn’t feel right not to take steps to see Ansy. He would rather Ansy chose not to receive him, but he had to pass by anyway. I didn’t want to go into the house with Bobby because it was a personal meeting on a special occasion. I waited for him in the car outside. After a good 25 minutes, Bobby appeared before me with a joyful face that seemed to indicate the mission was accomplished. But as he got into the car telling me about his conversation with Ansy, I could immediately feel melancholy and regret in his voice. Bobby said to me, “Thank you very much, maestro, for accompanying me on this mission. Now, I’m going to New York with a lighter heart.”
Robert Raymond was a teacher and principal of a high school in New York. He retired from the New York State Department of Education at the Chancellor’s Office as a Senior Specialist in Education Programs. Despite his retirement, he continues to teach some courses at St. Johns University in Queens, New York, as a part-time professor. Currently, he travels a lot as a musician, performing every week in New York City and around the world.
Bobby was always single, yet a lively, joyful person spreading good taste in everything he cooked—finally a diploma. He brought high-quality musical knowledge to the group ZIN. Many fans and musicians would repeat, “ZIN is a blessed jazz band because it has one of the strongest Haitian bases technically and musically performing with him.” Bobby is a professional musician; he truly put his knowledge into service for the group. His presence inspired respect from other musicians in the community, fostering humility alongside all this man’s talent. Bobby is in a class of his own. It wasn’t without reason that they call ZIN “La force tranquille” (The Tranquil Force). It is a great honor for me to have spent good times in my life as a person, associating with this man: Robert (Bobby) Raymond.
The two albums «Lage M – Alan Cavé + Zin» along with «Manyen W’», «Yo Pou Zin», «Yon Lòt Fwa» by Sherly Desgrottes + Zin, «Sa Zin Gen Laa?», «I Love You» by Krys + Zin, «Amélie» by Patrick Apollon & Roméo Volcy are ZIN, up to «Kanpe Sou Yon Bit» by ZIN. Bobby recorded eight albums with ZIN musicians, either as a bassist, guitarist, percussionist, composer, or arranger. Robert Raymond, you know, is an accomplished musician.
NB: I gave Mario De Volcy a reading of this article about Bobby. He told me, “Théo, you told your Bobby in ZIN, but it’s not my Bobby.” The first thing I want to tell you is that from the time Bobby started playing music in the 1970s until 2022, Robert Raymond has surpassed.
