Born in Haiti and of Italian descent, ROBERT MARTINO, an aquarus, started playing music and particularly the guitar at the young age of fourteen. One of his first major live appearance was at “Cabane Choucoune” with the creator of COMPAS DIRECT Nemours Jean Baptiste. COMPAS DIRECT sometimes spelled “KOMPA” is the popular rhythm and music from Haiti.
ROBERT MARTINO is one of the main creator of “Mini JAZZ” a movement in Haitian music that started in the 1960’s with the worldwide emergence of THE BEATLES. This trend transformed KOMPA by reducing the traditional number of musicians to only seven or eight.
In 1965, ROBERT MARTINO started playing with “LES DIFFICILES” de Petion Ville of Henry Celestin, Jean Robert Herisse (Porky), Emmanuel Charles (Mama), Sony Louis (Ti Boeuf), Fredy Berenault, Paul Edme, Billy Degand, ect …. They became instant neighborhood sensation with hits such as: “Min Paulo”, “Ce La Vi”, “Composition / Espoir”, “Kenscoff”, “Les Ombres Du Temps”, ect ….
In 1972, ROBERT MARTINO joined the legendary group LES GYPSIES de Petion Ville. This band became notorious for its many classics such as “Patience”, “La Tulipe”, “A Cote”, “Courage”, “Toi et Moi”, “La Priye”, ect …. The band included such great musicians as Tico Pasquet, Reynold Nadere (Cincin), Max Badette. The group was an instant hit and played regularly at then famous night spot “Chez Maxime”. The band was also famous for its many great Carnival songs.
In 1977, ROBERT MARTINO took another turn when he became the lead guitarist for the famous group SCORPIO. He played alongside singers Olson Jean Louis and Gracia Jean Philippe “Ti Kit”. They became very popular and had hits such as “Map Mande Courage”, “Tande”, “Min Yayad La”, “Christianne”, “Opa Opa”. They played regularly at the “Caroussel Club”.
After moving to the United States in the 80’s, ROBERT MARTINO started the “New Generation” movement by creating in 1986 TOP VICE which became the first known band to play with a sequencer and drum machine. The group has hits such as: “Min Nou”, “Symphonie D’amou”, “Plezi Gaye”, “Fan’m Deyo”, “Min Aveg La”, ect….
ROBERT MARTINO introduced in KOMPA music guitar effects like chorus, delay, fith Dimension, distortion, tube-mouth and other sounds. To date, ROBERT MARTINO has recorded over fifty albums. He has performed at CARNEGIE HALL in New York, LE ZENITH in Paris, the BAYFRONT PARK in downtown Miami, au PALAIS DES CONGRES in Canada, in New Caledonia with his sons and more ….. He has performed all over the world in countries such as: France, Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guyana, The Dominican Republic, DOM-TOM, The Bahamas, Saint Martin, Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast, Canada, The U.S., The Turks and Caicos, ect…
ROBERT MARTINO has worked with many music giants such as: Celia Cruz, Claude Marcelin, Reynold Nadere, Ron Perez, Dadou & Tico Pasquest, Roberto and Reynaldo Martino, Alan Cave, Ralph Thamar, Stanley Toussaint, Cubano, Loubert Chancy, Shoubou, The Widmaer Family, Reginald Policard, Makarios Cesaire, Demer Seide, Fabrice Rouzier, Misty Jean, Eric Virgal, Orlane, Hoaraw, Kassav, Emeline Michelle, Ralph Conde, Tuco Bouzi, Henry Debs, Ronald Rubinel, Jocelyne Labylle, Christiane Valejo, John Doane, Hoja Seca, Shleu Shleu, Tabou Combo, Coupe Cloue, System Band, Skah Shah, Dieudonne Larose, Message, Jacques Sauveur Jean, Skandal, Zin, Lakol, Phantom, Nu-Look, T-Vice, Kreyol La, Hangout…
Known as the “LEGEND”, his favorite guitar players are: Carlos Santana, Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, Joe Satriani, Jimmy Page and Pat Matheny.
In 2007, ROBERT MARTINO released his latest solo album “OYE CHICA” that gathers yet some of his best work. Done in collaboration with long time partner Freddy, producers Ralph Conde & Jeff Wainwright, singers such as Misty Jean, Olivier Duret, Herly Jacques, ROBERT MARTINO is truly one of the great artist that Haiti has produced.
Today, ROBERT MARTINO still records and performs regularly to the joy of his many fans.
ATfter having learned his musical subjects on the job while working as an autodidact to hone his talent as a ” string-man ”, Robert emerged at a very young age as a licensed solo guitarist and a fertile composer with “Les Difficiles” by Pétion- City. At the controls of which he imposed himself as a co-leader; with his friend the singer Henri Célestin. During the rock & roll infatuated sixties. Having previously worked with this group to interpret local and overseas hits. Then, after getting rid of the saxophonist Jean Claude Labissière, Robert then set about orienting “Les Difficiles” towards native music. At the height of an exclusive signature, surrounded by a flourishing sound of a guitar rich in glissandos and at the same time so instilled with swing. It was by putting up with their all-out that the group suddenly took center stage. It must be said that it was at a time or after the break-up of the “Taboo” the strings groups were not very legion.
It was the tumultuous start of the seventies and Robert and “Les Difficiles” chose to be unstoppable this summer, which was the year of their meteoric rise. Men Polo, Tounen, Selavi… and boom, it’s time to go. During a performance of the group, Martino and Porky the bassist come to the invectives. It is the rupture. In fact, this moment looks like a scenario concocted by the Robert trio, his then fiancée Jessie Al-Khal and his future brother-in-law Pierrot; so that Robert can slip away to come and count and make gang together. In any case, with “Les Gypsies”, it was a rich page of ambient music, of a guitar providing harmony, melody, as much as in the art of shortcuts. Propelling a group which knew how to rally so many votes for more than one chandelier. While rewarding Successful albums: # 1: ” Haiti ”, # 2, ” Patience ”, # 3 ” Courage ”, # 4 ” The Tulip ”. The latter produced during their New York experience; to the conquest of the domain of “Taboo”, “Skah-Shah” etc.
ROBERT AND HIS GANG RETURN TO THE FOLD IN AN ATMOSPHERE MARKED BY END-OF-CYCLE JOLTS.
Following this New York hike which delighted the people there, Robert and his band returned to the fold in an atmosphere marked by end-of-cycle jolts. He then released the album: # 5 ” Pride ”, not quite in the game. It is the beginning of the end for the strings groups facing the wave of groups with copper armadas. At this point, Martino decides to step aside for a re-evaluation of the data. That is to say, move back to rebound better. This is what he administered by resurfacing with “Le Scorpio”, a group of new formula, endowed with horn-section in the manner of the West Indian groups which stormed the local show business. Apart from the wind section, a synthesizer keyboard is also incorporated. Which didn’t mean that Robert wasn’t always going to make them his own.
With the “Scorpio” Robert continued to occupy the center stage, as was the case with “Les Difficiles”, then, “Les Gypsies”. And the hits persisted under his signature, his leadership and his mastery. Still as an adaptive musician and referential guitarist, he continues to push his curiosity towards other parameters such as: rock, jazz, blues, reggae and other sounds of the 70s and 80s integrated with native parameters; in crossbreeding global music. Yet he was kicked out of the group by a core of claimants. Finally discouraged, he threw the apron away. Despite everything, he returns to save the furniture, just for the time of a carnival of which he has also made himself the ultimate provider. After the “Scorpio” debacle, he took a step back from show business.
In the mid-1980s, he moved to Florida where he again demonstrated his ability to bounce back. By exploring the formula of the “drum machine” with the “Top Vice”. Which momentarily becomes the star formation of the “Sunshine State”; the lead installer of konpa elektro. It is true that there was little creativity in the music of the group “darling of Miami”, which was mainly content to interpret the successes of others. But, the atmosphere was at its peak, and Robert had still been able to recharge his batteries in the energy of the new generation. However, without a hint of clarity of which he knew to be one of the ultimate gratifiers. In such a context his playing seemed dull and his guitar out of breath. Followed by the new wave, including his sons Roberto and Reynaldo who have followed in dad’s footsteps, by forming a group called “T-Vice”, as if to summon the old man that it was time to hand over the family business to the youngsters. Which could never make forget the father. Whose exclusive signature will always resonate within the confines of vibrations, of an epic proportion.
