Interview with Louis Leslie Marcelin "Sanba Zao" (Part 1 of 2)

Interview with Louis Leslie Marcelin, better known as Sanba Zao in the Haitian music community. In addition to his work as a musician, Marcelin and his wife Mireille run the Bazilo Ecole Communautaire, one of the first elementary schools in Haiti that re-opened following the earthquake of January 12, 2012. In this interview, Marcelin talks about his career as an influential mizik racine (roots music) artist and his work with the groups Group Sa, Foula Jazz, Djakata, as well as the legacy of his son’s group Sweet Djakata, a contemporary roots music group. He also traces the history of Haitian roots music, including the background and influences that shaped the sound following the end of the Jean-Claude Duvalier military dictatorship in 1986. The interview questions are in English and Marcelin speaks in Haitian Creole, with Jean-Philippe Guillaume translating.