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Occide Jeanty  (1860-1936) Haitian Composer, Pianist & Music Director
Table of Contents   1 Father   2 Birth   3 Paris Conservatory   4 Music Director   5 Family   6 Haitian Masters   7 Works   8 Bibliography	Music of the Haitian Masters Invocation (5:00) Jean E. Saint-Eloi, Midi guitar Cover portrait Copyright Jean-Rene Jerome IFA Music Records 256 (1999)

1 Father
The classical guitarist Jean E. Saint-Eloi has recorded a CD entitled Music of the Haitian Masters, IFA Music Records 256 (1999).  The music was composed for piano, but is performed on Midi guitar.  Among the works on the CD is a piece written by Occide Jeanty for solo piano, Invocation
(5:00).  Jean E. Saint-Eloi writes in the liner notes:

In 1830, was born a great man Occilius Jeanty, Sr. mathematics, music composition, and teaching were his strength.  Among his musical works were some overtures, chanson creoles, and Haitian meringues.

2 Birth
Dominique-René de Lerma is Professor of Music at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin and has written about Black classical music for decades.  He has generously made his research entry on Occide Jeanty available to this Website.  It begins with the composer's birth in 1860:
                            

The son of Occilius Jeanty, he was born in Port-au-Prince. His musical education in his native town was at the École Polymaththique de Coupeaud, the Lycée Pétion, and L’École Centrale de la Musique (founded by his father)...

3 Paris Conservatory
Prof. De Lerma goes on to say that Occide Jeanty entered the Paris
Conservatory in 1881:        

His teachers in Paris included Arban (Jeanty’s principal instrument was the valve cornet), pianist Antoine-François Marmontel, and Douillon.

4 Music Director
We learn from the research entry that Occide Jeanty returned to Haiti in
1885 and took the position of music director to the President of Haiti, for
whom he wrote court music (musique du palais):

In 1885 he left Paris to become music director to President Lysius Felicité Salomen writing musique du palais in Port-au-Prince, where a street was later named for him, and a stamp issued in centennial tribute in 1960.

Jean E. Saint-Eloi writes in the liner notes that the Haitian meringue was developed to maturity by Occide Jeanty.  However, he says, the composer was most influential in court music:                    

Occide Jeanty, Jr's greatest influence was found in the musique du palais (court music), especially in his military marches.  Occide Jeanty elevated the  musique du palais to such an extent that his music was rated first in the Caribbean and fourth in the American continent.

5 Family
Prof. De Lerma next identifies Occide Jeanty's wife and daughter:

He was married to Lydia Robin. Their daughter, Lydia (born about 1910) was on the faculty of the Collège Louverture until her retirement in 1963, and served as Haiti’s ambassador to London for seven months in 1958.

Occide Jeanty passed away in 1936.

6 Haitian Masters
Several other prominent Haitian composers of classical music are named in the liner notes.  They include Justin Elie, Ludovic Lamothe and Solon Verret, whose works for solo piano round out the program of the CD and who have pages of their own at this Web site.  Saint-Eloi estimates that Haiti has produced about 60 classical composers. 

7 Works
Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma

1804; Haitian march, for band. Performances were not permitted during the United States occupation of Haiti (1915-1934).
Invocation
      CD: Ifa Music Records (1999; Music of the Haitian masters, vol. 1)
Les imprecations de Dessalines.
Les trompettes des anges.
Les vautours du 6 décembre.
Nos masques
Un choeur de nos heros.

8 Bibliography
Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma

Berger 1960
Spencer 1987
Southern, Eileen. “Jeanty, Occide (Fils)” in Biographical dictionary of Afro-       American and African musicians.  Westport: Greenwood Press, 1982,
       p201-202. (Greenwood encyclopedia of Black music).


 

This page was last updated on September 13, 2007