By Gary Joseph
Dieudonne Larose (pictured left with the beautiful actress Nice Simon from the movie “I Love You Anne”) has been in the music business for some time, but few have learned about his talent as a writer. Last week, CSMS staff writer Gary Joseph sat down with him at his home in Boca Raton, Florida, to talk about his past accomplishments, his new book, and his latest projects. Larose is truly an important artist in the Haitian music industry.
Gary: It is a great privilege for me to have you featured in CSMS Magazine. Before we go further, tell us a little about your personal life or introduce yourself.
Larose: My personal life is kind of complicated because there are many things I always want to talk about. Well, I am here in the US living with my family. I am someone who wants to live a peaceful life. Wherever I am, I always try to create another world—a world of love, peace, friendliness, and fraternity. According to my philosophy, anyone who doesn’t cultivate those characteristics cannot be my friend, nor can they stay by my side.
Gary: Larose, how many children do you have? I am asking because you just said you are living here peacefully with your family.
Larose: Well, I have a great number of children. I have 15 children, and I’ve adopted 5 others.
Gary: Now, let’s talk about your beginnings in Haitian music. How did you start, and what attracted you to it?
Larose: Basically, music has attracted my attention since I was a little kid. I can still remember when my parents were home, dancing and listening to lots of music such as Salsa, Petro, Ibo, Congo, and Compas, etc. It took me a while to realize that my parents were artists. In fact, I was raised in a musical family atmosphere.
Gary: Larose, I deduce that the fact you are a superstar is not by chance. Art is in your soul.
Larose: Definitely, yes! The art is in my soul. Other than music, I have also been interested in other valuable things. For instance, I used to do masonry, carpentry, mechanics; I was a soccer goalkeeper; and I worked on a farm and practiced karate.
Gary: Larose, which band did you first officially start with?
Larose: The first band I joined was Africa Express. I was 17 years old.
Gary: Are there other bands you collaborated with?
Larose: There are plenty of them. For instance, I sang with Sugar Combo, which was my first professional musical experience. I was also with Dixie Band, and I spent a few years with DP Express. In 1987, due to political chaos in Haiti, I moved to Canada. Meanwhile, I joined a very well-known band called “Meridional des Cayes.” With Meridional, I recorded many successful, charming albums. Due to various criticisms, we converted Meridional into “Missile 727,” a band that multiplied its success from album to album with works like Misyon, Demokrasi, Rasamble, and Joli Minou, etc. In all, I completed about six albums with Missile 727.
Gary: I remember that Missile 727 captivated everyone with your wonderful hits. Rumors had it that Missile 727, with the album titled Mandela, earned a great deal of money—more than any other Haitian band had ever made. Is that true?
Larose: Yes, that is true.
Gary: These days, the public does not hear much from you. What have you been doing?
Larose: Actually, in conjunction with a Haitian businessman, I founded a new band in Miami called Excell Compas. I founded this band to show people that I am still able to do better and better, and that Larose has not changed. We have been playing around the Caribbean and the Antilles. Wherever we play, people are always happy and satisfied. We have a new CD on the market called Lanmou Fou. Additionally, I have been going to school for the last few years to become a sound engineer. As a matter of fact, I have just opened a recording studio to help youngsters who want to make a career in show business. Besides music, I wrote a book, which was just published in France in February 2005. My book is available in bookstores, or you can log on to the Internet and type in Dieudonne Larose.
Gary: What does this book contain? What is it called?
Larose: This book talks about my life in general, what human beings are worth on this earth, the importance that people attribute to money, and how I basically see others. The title of my book is Je Chante pour L’humanité, meaning in English, “I Sing for Humanity.”
Gary: Larose, if I asked you to select the 3 best Haitian bands in the Diaspora, which ones would you choose?
Larose: I would give credit to Tabou Combo Super Stars, Zenglen, and Zin.
Gary: Do you have anything else you’d like to say before we go?
Larose: Well, I thank you, Gary, for granting me the opportunity to express myself through CSMS Magazine. You have been doing a great job, and your questions were very pertinent. My message to everybody is that I want everyone to respect each other, live as brothers and sisters, and love one another.
Gary: Thank you again, Joseph Dieudonne Larose. I congratulate you for all the wonderful work you have done, and I wish you good luck.
