Justin Elie, Chants de la Montagne #3, composition interprétée par Micheline Laudun Denis - Classiques de la Musique Haïtienne ."Justin Elie (1883-1931)
According to a column by W.E.B. Du Bois in the January, 1916 issue of Crisis, the magazine of the N. A. A. C. P., and reproduced in Africana Encyclopedia, the Haitian composer Justin Elie was born on September 1, 1883. An important source on Elie is Vodou Nation: Haitian Art Music And Cultural Nationalism, written by Michael Largey and published by The University of Chicago Press (2006):
Born in Cap Haïtien, Elie received his early education in Haiti, studying with pianist Ermine Faubert from 1889 to 1894 and enrolling briefly at the prestigious institution de Saint Louis de Gonzague in Port-au-Prince.
2 Paris Conservatory
Michael Largey writes that Justin Elie attended a prep school in France before studying at the Paris Conservatory:
In 1895, he traveled to France and enrolled at the Cours Masset, a preparatory school for the Paris Conservatory. After gaining admission to the Paris Conservatory in 1901, he studied with Antoine François Marmontel and Charles Wilfred Bériot for piano, Émile Pessard for harmony, and Paul Vital for composition (Dalencour 1983, Herissé n.d.).
3 Return to Haiti
Elie returned to Haiti in 1905, and performed actively with Haitian musicians including Ludovic Lamothe. From 1905 through 1908, the author writes, Elie toured the Haitian localities of St. Marc, Gonaïves, Port-au-Paix, Jacmel, Jérémie and Les Cayes, and Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic.
4 Caribbean Tour
The author describes the importance of touring on Elie's standing as a composer:
At the height of his career, Justin Elie (1883-1931) enjoyed the most prominent international reputation of all the Haitian composers; this reputation was fostered by his frequent trips abroad from his student days on.
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He undertook a concert tour in 1909 and 1910, featuring works by European composers, and visited Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Curaçao, Venezuela, and Cuba. Elie's concerts were especially well received in Jamaica.
5 Méringues Populaires
The author notes the political significance of Justin Elie's Méringues Populaires:
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"http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/elie.html
Source : https://raouldenisjr.bandcamp.com/track/chants-de-la-montagne-3-justin-elie