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Septent Live Papa Loko

Here is Septent Live with Papa Loko

Haiti's Orchestre Septentrional, begun in 1948, is the country's quintessential Haitian band. It has lasted, surviving Duvalier dictatorships, endless interim governments, foreign manipulation, 2010's overpowering earthquake, and a raging cholera plague. Whatever else Septen (as the band is also known) does, it has kept the Haitian spirit alive and thriving.

Gage Averill, musicologist at British Columbia University, says that despite ". . . the political swings and economic challenges . . . this orchestra . . . has carved out a distinct sound and approach to music making . . ." that transcends the shifting sands of time.

Septen has been well-celebrated in Haiti and its Diaspora. But now a documentary "When the Drum is Beating" is being shown on PBS, which will bring new fans into the fold.

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