Interesting story I wanted to share with you all. For those that haven't heard it already
CHOUCOUNE

Subject: The story of Choucoune Stolen Legacy: The ordeal of Choucoune

Louis J. Auguste, MD


For the past 500 years, Haiti has been part of the world's history. As a

member of the society of nations, Haiti and Haitians have made numerous,

worthy, but rarely heralded, contributions. Need we mention the bravery of

the future heroes of our Independence, who fought in Savannah under the

banner of the French Army to help defeat the English Colonial forces and

help free the United States of America?


Need we mention the foundation of the city of Chicago by Jean-Baptiste

Point du Sable, a Haitian born fur trader?


Need we mention the assistance provided to Simon Bolivar by Petion in the

form of safe haven when his life was threatened, monetary support,

tactical advice and even the provision of manpower to bolster his army?


Need we mention the generous contribution of all the Haitian teachers who

responded to the call of our ancestors' land in the days that followed the

mass ive movement of African decolonization in the 1970s, when all these

newly created nations were "dropped" by their former colonizers, "up a

creek with one paddle"?


The list goes on and on. However, the greatest contribution of all is an

intellectual one.


Indeed, Haiti is one of the most vibrant and productive nation within the

francophone community, when it comes to literary creation. Haitian

writers, such as Dany Laferriere, are often called upon to represent

Canada at the International Book Fairs in Paris. Novelists such as Jacques

Roumain have been translated in more than 20 languages and read all over

the world.


When it comes to music, the Haitian influence has also been enormous.

Throughout the history of the new world, it is undeniable that Haitian

rhythms and compositions have impacted on both Latin and Caribbean music,

particularly Cuban, Guadeloupean and Dominican, but this contribution has

seldom been acknowledged.

contin.

The astute student of our music will remember that among others, Guy

Durosier and Raoul Guillaume's song, "Ma Brune" has been translated into

Spanish as "Morena" and interpreted by many South American artists.

Certainly, it gives us a sense of pride to see how some of our musical

creations are appreciated abroad.


However, it is painful when one of our most celebrated meringue is

usurped, I would even say hijacked, without giving credit to its original

composer.


As a child growing up in Haiti, I rememb er being rocked to sleep by my

mother to the beautiful tune of Choucoune.


This slow meringue, perhaps more than any other, has been interpreted by

most Haitian choirs, orchestras, bands or ensemble. never thought that any

single Haitian would doubt that this song is ours, belongs to us and to

none other.


However, this tune has become better known with the lyrics of "Yellow

Bird" than those of "Choucoune".If you ask a Jamaican, he will have no

hesitation in answering that it is a Jamaican song.


Young Haitian Americans surveyed recently were not sure whether it was a

Jamaican song translated in Creole or a Haitian song translated in

English. Even the German-Haitian artist Cornelia Schutt, also known as Ti

Corn, in her CD "Caribbean Ballads" (1991-Gema), sings Yellow Bird and

lists it as "traditional".


My frustration growing, I went on the internet to look for the name of the

composer of "Choucoune". Both AskJeeves.com and Google had no match for

the question. I contacted numerous music stores in an attempt to procure a

copy of the scores of the Choucoune. No luck. I went on e-Bay, hoping to

be able to buy perhaps an old sheet music, with the scores of "Choucoune".

There again, no luck. I decided therefore to search "Yellow Bird". On the

first try on AskJeeves.com, there it was: Yellow Bird's music was composed

in the 1960s by Norman Luboff and the lyrics written by Alan and Marilyn

Keith Bergman.


It had become clea r to me that we were facing a case of "stolen legacy",

to use an _expression rendered popular by James Richardson, who described

how the glorious Egyptian tradition was falsely attributed to the Greeks

by the eurocentric scolars. Did this happen because we Haitians fail to

study our own history and to teach it to our children?


What is the true story of "Choucoune"?


Believe it or not, Choucoune was a real person. Her real name was Marie

Noel Belizaire. She was born in the Village of La-Plaine-du-Nord in the

year 1853.


Although her parents are not commonly known, it is reported that

Ms.Belizaire had two sisters. Unlike her sisters, she was strikingly

beautiful and she was given the nickname of Choucoune. She was

dark-skinned, but her long hair was straight, defining the type "marabou",

commonly used in the Haitian vernacular.

continu.

Before she could finish her elementary classes, she fell in love with a

young man, named Pierre Theodore. The two became involved in a common-law

marriage. To support her family, she started a small business, detailing

various articles of daily necessity.


Soon however, Choucoune realized that the young man was unfaithful.


She left the village and moved to Cap-Haitien, the capital of the Northern

Province of Haiti. She resided at 14, Simon Street (Rue Simon) in the

neighborhood of Petite-Guinee. She established a small restaurant near the

Chapel of St-Joseph, located on 19th Street (Rue 19).


On e of her customers may have been one Oswald Durand, famous poet in

those days in Cap-Haitien. He was 13 years older than Choucoune.

Nevertheless a romantic relationship was quick to start between the two.

They seemed to have enjoyed quite a few blissful moments. Those moments

unfortunately were short, because Oswald Durand was a known womanizer and

often described himself as "the gardener that waters all the flowers".


Choucoune was looking for a more stable relationship and moved on.


Shortly thereafter, Oswald Durand was thrown in jail for having criticized

some of the political leaders in Cap-Haitien. While sitting in his cell, a

bird alit on his window and Durand composed one of the most beautiful

Haitian poems, written in Creole. Its title was: Choucoune and the year

was 1883.


In it, the poet talks of Choucoune's beauty, of their happy moments and of

the pain of their separation, when Choucoune preferred a young French man

over him. Choucoune never returned to Durand, despite the fact that he

truly immortalized her. She kept looking for the perfect love that never

came. She fell on hard times in the later part of her life and returned to

her native village.


She became insane and had to beg for survival.


My mother who as a child, used to go to the celebration of Saint James in

La-Plaine-du-Nord told me that people would point to the fallen beauty,

whispering : "Here is Choucoune! Look at Choucoune!"


Choucoune=2 0 died in 1924.


Durand's poem was considered the best poem written in creole and 10 years

later, it attracted a young musician by the name of Michel Mauleart

Monton.


Mauleart was born in New Orleans, Louisiana of a Haitian father and an

American mother. His father's name was Milien Monton and he was a tailor.

For unknown reasons, he was raised in Haiti by his older sister, Odila

Monton, who owned a store on Rue du Magazin de l'Etat, in Port-au-Prince.

He took music lessons from Mr. Toureau Lechaud and learned how to play the

piano.


Under the spell of the rich tropical nature, the surreal and magical world

of Haitian religion and the classical European musical tradition, Mauleart

combined these influences to compose numerous pieces that were celebrated

in his days but that are not commonly known nowadays. They included: La

polka des tailleurs (The tailors polka), L'amour et l'argent(Love and

Money), P'tit Pierre(Little Peter), Les P'tits suye pye du jeudi (The

Thursdays' dance parties) and many others.


However, he is most famous for putting in music Oswald Durand's poem,

Choucoune. It was first performed in public in Port-au-Prince on May 14,

1893.


Choucoune was an instant success both in Haiti and abroad.


Later on, it was prominently featured during the festivities that marked

the celebration of the Bicentennial of Port-au-Prince, in 1949.


At that time, Haiti was the main tourist attraction of the Caribbean. The

n oted visitors of the island included celebrities like Marian Anderson,

Harry Belafonte, Elizabeth Taylor and many others. Who first fell in love

with the slow meringue of Choucoune? We will never know. Let's just say

that in the 1950s, a composer named Norman Luboff heard the song and

adapted the melody to new lyrics written by two songwriters, Alan and

Marilyn Keith Bergman.


The lyrics were also inspired from Durand's song and Ti Zwezo (little bird

in creole) became Yellow Bird. The song appeared on the Norman Luboff

Choir's Calypso Holiday LP album in 1957, described on the cover as a

"serenade of a lonesome lover to an equally lonesome bird."


The new version of the song gained quickly in popularity and became an

easy listening favorite across the United States. Many artists recorded it

on a dozen of singles and as the main title on albums by the Mills

Brothers, Roger Williams and Lawrence Welk. Today, the song is performed

by every steel band and is a favorite request of tourists on cruises or

vacationing in the Caribbean islands, without knowing that it all started

in 1883, in a Haitian jail. Next time, you hear Yellow Bird, think of

Choucoune and Oswald and tell every one proudly that they are singing a

Haitian song.

Different Interpretations

thanks lilhommie. i knew the song originated from Haiti but you've given additional information that i didn't know before.

Here's another thread we had a year ago on the same person.

http://www.haitixchange.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/388/

choucoune is back in the news again. it's the same article tihommie shared a year ago: http://www.zoelando.com/history/articles/events/1374-the-ordeal-of-yellow-bird

TiHomie - 01 August 2009 12:00 PM

contin.

On the first try on AskJeeves.com, there it was: Yellow Bird's music was composed in the 1960s by Norman Luboff and the lyrics written by Alan and Marilyn

Keith Bergman.

this is my favorite part. according to the videos below whites who went to haiti have been singing this song which was written and composed in the 1960s, prior to the 1960s. smfh.