Yvon Louissaint grew up in Cameau lane, right in the heart of the lowland. Drunk, exhilarated by the mini jazz movement, he joined “Les Morphées Noires” in the middle of 1960. Shortly after, the musicians of Shupa Shupa called him and hired him as guitarist. He stayed there with Shupa Shupa until it collapsed.
After The Shupa Shupa, he kisses his guitar and walks his way to troubadour again. He gave serenades everywhere in the capital and with his guitar, he hosted private parties, sparkling with spirits, joyful and romantic. One evening, while Guy Durosier and his companions were hosting a private party, Yvon’s music, around the house where Guy and his disciples were showing off, created an incomparable seduction. On the other hand, Fitot Léandre, a guest of this evening invited him to come back. This is how Yvon got to know Guy and his group. Until after his introduction to Guy and his sequel, he offered to jam. What characterized this evening was not only the fact that a new star was going to be born but, an esprit de corps reigned there during this brief meeting.
In 1972, after André Toussaint, Carola Cuevas, Ansy Désrose, Guy presents to the general public of Cabane Choucoune, Yvon Louissaint, the new revelation of the Haitian song. That evening, we thought we even heard the heart of the Cup vibrate; Yvon was the object of many marks of esteem. Since then, it has been in the hearts and minds of an entire population.
The fallout from this meeting at Cabane Choucone was going to bear fruit because, when Guy Durosier left Haiti in 1973, the group ‘Les Frères Déjean’ made Yvon the very symbol of joy and hope; Yvon became a superb star.
With Les Frères Dejean, Yvon recorded, Sasa Ye Sa, an adaptation of What Is It That That by Henry Salvador by Guy Durosier, Bouki Ak Malis, Latibonit etc. His best performances bear the imprints of the Déjean Brothers. However, it was not easy to control Yvon. Alcohol, women, certain narcotics prevented him from meeting his responsibilities towards the orchestra. On the other hand, he was laid off by the head of the Déjean Brothers and was replaced by Harold Joseph.
In 1978 Macaya Records published Zin / Yvon Louissaint Et Les Antillais. On this LP, Yvon sings Bel Mari Pou Li by Dodof Legros, Zin, Mal Pensee and a famous pot-Pouri of boleros which greatly amazed Haitians in New York, the two neighboring states and the mother country.
In 1979, Macaya released another disc by Yvon that the company titled Se Sa. In this LP we note La Vie Musicien by Ibo Combo (Words by André Romain, adaptation of a foreign melody by Serge Simpson), then, Se Sa and Benefactor, two compositions by Yvon.
In 1982, Yvon showed a generous and candid impulse towards the Dejean Brothers by titling his new album ‘Yvon Louissaint’ Singer of the Dejean Brothers. This title probably translates much more than we imagine because he deeply loved this group. Printed under the Betami Music Production label, the producer chose the following musicians to accompany Yvon. They are: Jean Baptiste Edouard (piano), Claude Desgrottes (bass guitar), Ricardo Frank (accompaniment guitar), Harry Sylvain (drums), Raymond Nozil (drum), Jean Michel Ulcenat (tam tam), Lucien Serrant (Sax tenor) , Gerard Laurelus and Eric Mazarin (choir) and Yvon Louissaint (singer, solo guitar). Pa Gen Zanmi Anko, Kilè Poum Retounen Lakay, Jardin D’Eden, Haiti and Ecris moi are engraved on this disc (BTA 2834).
Born into a family of eleven children made up of Carlos, Serge, Frantz, Lionel, Yves, Prévilon, Ernst, Wilner and Emmanuel, his story is as sparkling as it is sad. Would she be an example of sad and painful reflections for his fans and other artists as he wishes?
Yvon Louissaint
He had just visited the clubs, Granada and Le Récif in a temperature estimated by meteorologists to be below zero degrees, when he lost consciousness in one of the streets of Brooklyn. He paid no attention to the intense cold that prevailed; he was too drunk to merge with the reality of that evening. Passers-by didn’t give a damn about him and none of them had the temptation to call 911 when he fell on the pavement. In their eyes, there is only a drunk who has drunk too much but, for us others; he is a star; our idol, despite everything. Yvon stayed too long in the snow, on the pavement, so that his two hands were frozen. On the other hand, nine of his rights were cut short by doctors when he was transported to the hospital (Brookyn Jewish Hospital) by two New York police officers who patrolled the area. All this happened on January 20, 1985. His resilience was so deep that even after surgery, he continued to play the guitar. However, he could not pluck the strings as he once did.
During one of his visits to Moman Kreyol’s studio, he told us his story and how some of his friends were fleeing from it. To ease his troubles he wrote the following song:
In late summer 1987, almost two years after his fingers were amputated, he received an invitation from Alfred Michel du Bossa Combo to celebrate with him at the Manoir Restaurant. That evening, he demonstrated a good musician and exhibited a little sarcasm and the joy of living. With Bossa, he interpreted Historia from an amor and a pot pouri which contains La maison sur le port and En la casa de Isabella.
In 1988, Michga Records printed their last album ”Yvon Louissaint Chante / Salut Temple Sacré. This time, he is accompanied on keyboards by Robert Charles Raymonvil (Charlot) while he sings and plays his guitar.
How often life has deceived me, he said in an interview. ‘I was coming out of the Manoir Restaurant and across the street, I saw two old friends conversing; I was delighted to meet them again. The joy in seeing them was so great that I committed the imprudence not to look well before crossing the street. So before I say a word, a car racing with another hit me and sent me a few meters up. Subsequently, I fell to the ground, hitting my head. I remained frozen, a little mute on the ground. I was drinking a bit, you have to admit, but I was not drunk. After this incident, I decided to return to a hospital for treatment. It was in 1990, after my stay in Miami ‘.
On November 18, 1991, Lionel Lamarre of the Star Forum, a Haitian television program in New York, visited him at the Kingsbrook Psychiatric Hospital in Brooklyn. That day, an interview was granted to him. It was a happy day of euphoria for him, a therapeutic day because he wanted to tell everything without sparing anyone.
Yvon declares when he joined Les Frères Déjean, the group played music of course, but not Konpa. His presence in the orchestra has a lot to do with their success. Because of being so well seen, he defended the musicians who had less influence than him, those whom the management called ‘hollow head’. He states that the funds raised for their benefits were not distributed adequately; the administration was lame. Sometimes he is appeased with a few glasses of drinks and a few cannabis cigarettes when he rises against this way of operating. His brother musicians, he adds, said quite unpleasant things about him. The case of Martinique for example where he slapped a Haitian woman who had come simply to see him in his hotel room was not explained impartially. He couldn’t understand or explain why he slapped the girl. But after the act, he said, he remained frozen, motionless in his seat without saying anything. He admits that sometimes he hears voices that communicate with him (auditory hallucinations). It was not until arriving at this hospital that he was diagnosed by doctors to have an infection called Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasmosis).
During the interview, Yvon revealed himself completely, he spared neither his brother musicians who ridiculed him nor the producers, nor his wife. In this following text, he paints the producers and the maestros. During his hospitalization, he learned to play the piano and composed songs with the titles of Haiti, Le Bienveillant, Pwodusè, Vérité row etc.
He reveals in the interview he had with Lionel Lamarre on November 18, 1991 for Star Forum that his problem was not only the infection caused by the parasite Toxoplasm Gondii but, he is also a carrier of the HIV which is associated with the development of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). However, he receives medication to fight the Toxoplasma and engages in another battle. He left Kingsbook Psychiatric Hospital in December 1991 and went to live in an apartment that the hospital had prepared for him. He also claimed that his parents are dead and that it is the hospital that ensures his survival. Four years later, on Wednesday November 3 at 8:58 p.m., Yvon breathed his last breath at the Coler Memorial hospital and on Sunday November 7, a well-deserved tribute was paid to him on Moman Kreyol. On the following Friday, November 12, his remains were exhibited at Frank Barone’s funeral home at avenue D and his funeral was performed on Saturday, November 13 at Saint Jérome church (corner of Newkirk avenue).
Yvon Louissaint, singer of the Déjean Brothers wanted to reconcile with himself by highlighting the mistakes of the past and the lessons he could learn from an era when he was hurting himself without realizing it. Those who drank, smoked cannabis cigarettes with him abandoned him and called him ‘dejwe’. His disappointments, his preferences, his misfortunes, he wanted to forget them, turn the pages that almost cost him his life several times. He knows that the eternal is great, he forgives his actions. He has faith in him and he sings these praises. Besides, God is the central theme of his last songs. I was very pleased with her critical lucidity when watching the interview. Let its history serve us as lessons.
