Joe's Jazz with Dominique Fils-Aimé

Dominique Fils-Aimé. © Kevin Millet

03/12/2019

Music is often a reflection of the ups and downs of society, the mood of peoples, awareness. Dominique Fils-Aimé is the result of these protests that have shaken the planet over the decades and, ultimately, nourished his creative commitment. She has just released a new album, Stay Tuned! .

Stay tuned! is the second part of a trilogy that wants to alert and mobilize. Conscious of the excesses that the twenty-first century produces without really questioning, Dominique Fils-Aimé intends to use his natural poetry to recall the damage caused by obscurantism. Already in Nameless , the first echo of his artistic involvement, the tone was given.

Resilience seemed to be the watchword. Admired by the fight of her elders (Nina Simone, Etta James, Billie Holiday, Maya Angelou), Dominique Fils-Aimé is passionate about these sacrificed destinies which, in the end, sparked the burst of the black community there are 50 years. Is it an epidemic response to a disturbing resurgence of racist acts or a visceral need to challenge the established order? A Montrealer of Haitian descent, Dominique Fils-Aimé must have the rebellious spirit of her ancestors who rose up to demand the end of slavery and independence from their land in 1804.

If it is obvious that the young lady's convictions go beyond the simple historical narrative, one must be able to read between the melodic lines in order to appreciate the true value of this album full of very little romantic references. The title Magic Whistle , for example, deserves a scholarly reading.

He narrates the terrible hunt of the young Emmett Till, 14-year-old boy beaten to death on August 28, 1955 for allegedly hissing a white woman at the outlet of a grocery store in Money, Mississippi. This tragedy was one of the triggers of the African-American revolt initiated by Rosa Parks on December 1, 1955. That day, tired of having to comply with the Jim Crow laws, he was forced to give way to white travelers in the United States. Montgomery bus, the young seamstress decided to rebel. The civil rights movement was born strengthened by the verve of a vehement pastor, Martin Luther King.

Special lighting on historical events

To listen to Dominique Fils-Aimé's album supposes a minimum of knowledge or explanations. Certainly, it is pleasant to savor the intelligent melodies of this disc, but to be able to decipher the intention can only magnify its militant tone.

Let's take another example ... 9LRR recounts another major event of the African American epic. On September 4, 1957, nine black high school students advance in front of a school entrance in Little Rock, Arkansas. Since 1954, a federal law gives them access to public education, regardless of the color of their skin.

Against all odds, the governor Orval Faubus, fervent defender of the racial segregation, forbids the pupils to present themselves in class. Army intervention will be required by US President Dwight D. Eisenhower so that Black youth can attend classes escorted by soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division. Hear the names of these teenagers resonate at the end of the 9LRR song gives the thrill! The works of Dominique Fils-Aimé therefore deserve a particular light to grasp the sociological significance of a subtle activism.

In 2018, an unfortunate controversy had irritated the singer. What was called "the SLAV affair" was the breeding ground for an identity quest that resurfaced with splinters. A show in Montreal was to present the odyssey of the black people through gospel and spiritual songs. The only problem for its detractors was that the cast was composed only of white interpreters who, in fact, questioned the faithful reproduction of ancestral black heritage.

This very sensitive debate opposed two visions of a tragic human adventure. Artistic freedom was at the heart of these lively but useful exchanges. Dominique Fils-Aimé recognizes that this controversy made her think and even gave her the strength to design Stay Tuned! Half a century after the protest marches of Black Americans, the revolutionary momentum has not disappeared. Dominique Fils-Aimé feels it and expresses it with this delicate assurance which inscribes his repertoire in the constant struggle of the oppressed peoples across the planet.

Without applause

Attending concerts is also a civic experience. It is a musical journey that awakens our disobedience and seeks hope for a more just world, serene relationships and peaceful dialogues. For this, Dominique Fils-Aimé invites the spectators to hold their applause even if the emotion hugs them and pushes them to sometimes show their approval.

Entering this world of sound requires an attentive and enlightened openness. We look forward to discovering the third part of this epic that captivates us. So let's listen to this singular voice, but remain vigilant, as seems to us the relevant title of this album: Stay Tuned!

Dominique Fils-Aimé Stay Tuned! (Modulor Records) 2019
Official website / Facebook / Twitter / Instgram

By: Joe Farmer

Dominique Fils-Aimé

Canada - Jazz - album