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​BélO (Haiti)

​BélO has been hailed as Haiti’s musical ambassador to the world. A socially conscious singer-songwriter with a sophisticated sound and winner of numerous awards, including the prestigious "Prix Radio France International Discoveries of 2006," BelO’s sound is a sublime mixture of Jazz, Worldbeat, Rock, Reggae and Afro- Haitian traditional rhythms known as “Ragganga”. With five albums already under his belt-“LAKOU TRANKIL” (2005) "REFERENCE" (2008), Haiti Debout (2011),  Natif Natal (2014) and Dizan (2016) -sung in his rich and colorful native language, Haitian Creole, BélO has established himself as a Haitian-International artist signpost. After the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, BélO 's primary focus was to create awareness for his country at various performances around the world. BélO 's third album "HAITI DEBOUT," (Haiti Stand-up -2011) was released under Radio France/France Info and distributed, globally, by Harmonia Mundi. During the " HAITI DEBOUT " tour, BélO has performed in Germany, Rome, Romania, France, South Korea, London, Canada and the U.S

BélO has always been very committed to the cause of the less fortunate, the education of children, respect for women, social solidarity and environmental protection, peace in Haiti and around the world. The earthquake, which devastated his country, gives more strength to his commitment and intensifies the messages he conveys in his songs.

“HAITI DEBOUT " is dedicated to Haiti and the strength of the Haitian people. With the third album, BélO took a step further into the roots sound exploring the Haitian "Rasin" rhythms and African flavors where we notice the presence of the talking drum and other similar percussions. During his travels, BélO met numerous musicians who wanted to share the love he has for his country by contributing a part of their culture to the album; hence Blick Bassy from Cameroun, Sael from Martinique, Thierry Fanfan from Guadeloupe, Amen Viana and Jean Baptiste Gbadoe from Togo, Harouna Samake and Prince from Mali, Patrick Ruffino from Benin, David Aubaille and Jean Lamoot from France and Gabriel Saeintz. Yet, the album would not be complete without his support system and Haitian entourage, and they are: Fabrice Rouzier, Andy Barrow, Harold St-Louis, Joel Widmaier, Valencia Laguerre, Carlomagno Araya, Jowee Omicil, Emmanuella Michel and Claude Saturne.

BélO showcased his talent at globalFEST (Jan 2012). globalFEST is one of the most dynamic global music platforms in North America. The same year, BélO was invited to participate at the Center Stage month tour (Oct-Nov 2012) in the U.S. Center Stage is a public diplomacy initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. During the Center Stage tour, BélO performed and conducted numerous seminars across America. 

BélO released “Natif Natal” (Global release date April 9, 2014) with a worldwide tour beginning in the United States. “Banm Nouvel”, single and music video, was the first release off “Natif Natal” in 2013.  Natif Natal, is a journey of emotional social struggles, love and the need to belong.

BélO's “Dizan” (10 years), his newest album, released on April 15, 2016. Dizan (10 years) comprises two discs with 11 identical organic acoustic tracks. The first disc revamps BélO’s hits in a solo version. The second disc is a vocal hybrid interpretation of the same tracks by a host of Haitian artists from different musical genres (Konpa, Rasin, Rap Kreyol, Reggae and Folk). The tracks are hand picked from four of the previous albums to create the Best of BélO, a total of 22 songs.
 
​​Award
•World Vision Goodwill Ambassador en Haiti 2018
•World Citizen Artist Winner 2014
•Ambassador de la Francophonie en Haiti (OIF) 2012
•City of North Adams Welcomes BélO –Mayor Richard Alcombright 2012 
•City of North Miami Florida proclaims Sept 30 as BélO day – by Mayor Pierre 2012 
•SACEM Caribbean song of the year Award 2010 for “Ti Jean” (2010)
•Winner RFI Discovered Music of the World 2006 (Nov 2006) 
•Itinerant Ambassador of Haitian Music (Library Georges Castrated Limbé) (Feb 2007)
•Celebrated Valentine's day with Female inmates @ Prison Civil de Petion Ville , Haiti
​every February 14 since 2012. (concert called “Femme à aimer”)


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USA
Millennium Stage / Kennedy Center for the Performing, D.C Raymond F Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, WPB, FL
Curtis M Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, FL University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Connecticut College, CT
Portland Ovations, Maine 
Bay Chamber Concerts Rockport, ME 
Stand Theater, Dorchester, MA 
Opera House at Boothbay Harbor, ME 
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, MA Roxbury Center for Arts at Hibernian Hall, MA Arts Theatre Raymond Kabbaz, LA 
SOBS, 
NYC Celebrate Brooklyn, 
Propect Park, Brooklyn, 
NY Moca Café, Miami, Fl 
Globalfest @ Webster Hall, 
NYC Chicago Folk & Roots Festival, 
Chicago La fete de la Marquette, Madison WI 
Damrosch Park Bandshell-Lincoln Center, 
NYC 44th Huntington Summer Festival, LI 
Joe's Pub, NYC 
New Jersey Performing Arts 
-Sound of the City, NJ 
Parc international, Lafayette, LA" 
French Institute Alliance Francaise de New York, NYC
Boothbay Region High School, ME
 Maine State Prison, Me 
Dual Language Arts Academy, Waterford, CT 
The Academy of Music, 
Northampton Artisphere, 
Virginia Memorial concert 
-NBC Omni Auditorium, FL 
Harman center for the arts-
The African Diaspora Inaugural Ball. D.C 
Highline Ballroom-Eye for Talent APAP Showcase, NYC Golden Gate High school auditorium Broward Community College, FL 
Tampa Bay Performing Art Center, FL 
Biscayne Park, FL 
Brooklyn College, NY 
Bayfront Park,FL 
North Miami Performing Art center, FL T
the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing, FL
Lycee Francais de New York
River to River Festival-NY
Louisiana International Festival
Artisphere
globalfest (Wester Hall)

Canada 
Festival Nuits d'Afrique Montreal 
Forum Mondial de la langue Francaise, Quebec 
Theatre Thelus, Montreal 
Park Jean Drapeau, Montreal 
La Citadelle, Quebec" 
Les Francofolies de Montreal

Caribbean
Design Caribbean Music Concert at the Hotel El Embajador, 
Santo Domingo, DO
Gran concieto Voce de Una Isa-Plaza de Espana 
Au Parc de Baie Mahault dans le cadre du Festival des Voix sacrees, Guadeloupe"
Au Grand Carbet du Parc Culture Aime Cesaire Martinique"'Atrium, Martinique"
Artchipel-Terre basse, Guadeloupe

Haiti Home town

Europe
University de Lyon, France 
La Bellevilloise, France 
Au Mandingue, Angouleme, FR 
Festival Musique Metisse, Angouleme, FR" 
Au Festival Kaloo Bang de St Denis, France 
Festival Sans Chaines, Pontarlier, FR" 
La Gazette FR 
Au Festival, Kaloo Bang de St Denis, FR 
Baise Sale, FR New Morning, FR 
Theatre de la Ville, FR 
Babel Med Music, FR 
Hotel de ville, FR 
Le Botanique, Bruxelle 
Theatre de Chatelet, FR 
Bercy, FR Opus café, FR 
Le Reservoir pour RFI, FR 
Festival Sakifo, Ile de la Reunion, FR 
Casa de Cultura, IASI, RO" 
CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum, London 
Africa Festival, Wurzburg, DE 
Auditorium Parco Della Musica,Rome, IT 
Paleo Festival, Switzerland, DE 
Le 13ieme Sommet de la francophonie en Suisse Congress Hall Dogan, Innsbruck, Austria, AT
Montreux Jazz Festival

South American
"Au Zephyr, GY" 
"Festival musique metisses, Salvodor Bahia Brazil 
La salle, GY
La Trastienda Club Mdeo. Montevideo – Uruguay
SESC Pompeia, São Paulo  Brazil
Festival del Bosque, Argentina  

Africa
Institut Francais de Dakar
Les jardins du centre culturel Francais d'Alger
CCF de Mali
C.C.F Bamako
"Stade M'bappe Lepe,Douala"
Senegal (Saint Louis)
Togo (Lome) RFI tour
Gana (Accra) RFI tour
"Niger (Niamey, zinder) RFI tour"
"Boukina fasso ( Bobo, Wagadougou) RFI tour"
Benin (Cotonou) RFI Tour
Algerie ( Alger) Institut Francais
Festival des Timitar Morocco

Asia
Fete de la Musique South Korea 
Parc Montmartre Seoul, South Korea 
Alliance Francaise, Daejon,
 KR" Festival de Hue, Vietnam


​

Biography-Chronologic

Bélo is an absolute music phenomenon in his native Haiti and in the French West Indies as well. His catchy fusion of reggae-soul and traditional rhythms has proved extremely popular in Africa, Europe and the U.S. And now, after snapping up RFI's 2006 "Découvertes" award, the promising young Haitian talent has his sights set on even greater things.

Murat Jean Belony - aka Bélo - was born in Croix-des-Bouquets, a city eight miles to the North-East of Haiti's capital, Port-Au-Prince, on 29 October 1979. In a country where music is omnipresent in daily life (Merengue, Konpas, Zouk and carnival-style Rara being just a few of the most widely listened-to style), Bélo soaked up various influences. He proved to be particularly gifted for singing at an early age.

At the College Blaise Pascal, where he completed part of his secondary education, the budding young singer spent his break time practicing popular Reggae and Raga hits. Bélo went on to develop a veritable passion for reggae, becoming a major fan of Jamaican dancehall/reggae star Buju Banton and Haitian singers such as Alan Cavé and Eddy François. Bélo started out playing bass, then moved on to acoustic guitar, which became his passport to the live circuit in Haiti.

With the support and encouragement of close friends and relatives, particularly his brother Charlot (who went on to become his manager), Bélo began an intensive series of concerts, building up solid live experience. In 1998, aged just 19, Bélo took to the stage to perform with the group Sokute at the Traditional Christmas Fair in Haiti. Fabrice Rouzier and guitarist Clément "Kéké" Bélizaire, from the group Mizik Mizik, spotted his vocal talent. Both were literally blown away by Bélo's extraordinary voice. Meanwhile, Jean Marc Appolon, a renowned producer in Haiti, encouraged Bélo to begin work on a debut album.

Bélo embarked upon various collaborations with other artists and went on to win a number of awards in Haiti. He began to make an increasing name for himself on the local music scene, his growing following of fans appreciating his catchy compositions, his socially committed lyrics and his simplicity. In 2000, he went into the studio with the group Sokute and provided guest vocals on "Krazy About Music" (a track on the group's album "Horizons").

2005 : debut album  Bélo went on to focus his attention on his own solo career, beginning work on his debut album, "Lakou Tranquil". The album, eagerly awaited by fans in Haiti and the French West Indies, was released in Haiti in August 2005. It featured a strong reggae flavor, impregnated with soul and Haitian "roots" influences. "Lakou Tranquil" took the airwaves by storm and radio and television stations were soon playing several tracks from it, notably "Match", "Dioré", "Lov pou Lov" and "Jasmine".  

The talented young singer, songwriter and composer attracted a major youth following, teenage music fans identifying with his powerful songs criticizing general living conditions in Haiti and calling for national unity. "Lakou Tranquil" led to Bélo being named Haiti's "Best Newcomer of the Year" in 2005 (votes coming in from Radio Métropole, Radio Ibo, the television station Télémax and Ticket Magazine). Thanks to his song "Tenza", Bélo was named one of the "twenty top Francophone artists" at the Radioffonies contest, organized by Francodiffusion and the International Francophonie Organisation (as part of the Francophone Festival in France).

In November 2006, Bélo emerged as the winner of RFI's "Découvertes" award ceremony, staged in Douala, Cameroon. The award spread his fame even further afield and when he returned to Haiti he was welcomed home as a national star. He had also earned himself a new nickname in Douala, his new Cameroonian friends dubbing him "Bélo Haiti"!

In January 2007, Bélo turned his attention to the live circuit, performing concerts across Haiti, the U.S., South America and Europe. After this, he put a great deal of time and energy into preparing his African tour which kicked off in May 2007 and took him to Bamako (Mali), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Niamey (Niger) and Accra (Ghana). Belo's tour of Africa ended with a grand finale in Senegal on 11 May - the day Bob Marley died and thus a day commemorated with various events in Senegal each year. Bélo took advantage of this calendar coincidence and used his concert to pay a personal tribute to the legendary "father of reggae." 

2008: "Référence" After assuring such a hectic live schedule worldwide, Bélo took time off from performing to work on material for a new album, entitled "Référence", which was released in the spring of 2008. He premièred songs from this new album to his Haitian fans first, performing a big concert at the Historic Sugar Cane Park, in Port-au-Prince, on 10 May 2008.

Many critics noted how the twelve tracks on "Référence" were far more accomplished on a musical level than Bélo's debut and there was no doubt that the Haitian singer's vocals were also much more assured this time round. Bélo extended his normal circle of musicians on his new album, too, working with the Argentine pianist Gabriel Saientz, the Costa Rican drummer Carlomagno Araya and the Hispanic/Venezuelan saxophonist Ed Callé. The American guitarist Andy Barrow and the renowned Cameroonian bassist and singer Richard Bona also put in guest appearances on "Référence."

Conscious of his new-found role as a musical spokesperson for his compatriots, Bélo tackled a number of hard-hitting themes on his new album on tracks such as "Mwen bouke" and "Timoun Yo", both songs on which he explored the destiny of Haiti's children. On another highly topical song, "Pap Negosye" (which he wrote during his trip to Africa), Bélo urged young people to use condoms instead of having unprotected sex. It was clear that Bélo had not only developed a new musical maturity, but his songwriting has come on in leaps and bounds, too.

Bélo performed in concert at the Opus Café, in Paris, on 20 June 2008 and appeared at the Fête de la Musique the following night, playing in the gardens of the Ministère de la coopération, in Paris.

2010: concerts to rebuild

Throughout 2009, Bélo gave a long series of concerts that took him to New York, Algiers, Pointe-à-Pitre, Angouleme, Quebec and Miami. On 12 January 2010, he was in Guadeloupe when a massive earthquake hit Haiti. He immediately launched himself into a non-stop tour to raise funds to rebuild his country. He played in Vietnam, the United States, France and Morocco, travelling the world to rally people around the dramatic situation on his island. His efforts included two dozen concerts whose profits went directly to the Red Cross in Haiti.
 

On 15 March 2010, he performed in New York with stars like Yannick Noah, Angélique Kidjo and Mika. Together they raised 45,000 dollars to rebuild Haiti’s Jacmel Film School. On 24 April 2010, Bélo received the Sacem Special Caribbean Award for his track "Ti Jean", interpreted in a duet with the Martinican singer, Saël, which is a call to send children to school to prevent them falling into the trap of violence. 
 

2011: "Haïti debout"

Bélo’s third album "Haïti debout" was released in May 2011. He looked to Europe for the production, calling on some Afro-Parisian musical friends including Cameroonian guitarist Blick Bassy, Malian percussionist “Prince” Koné, his compatriot Harouna Samake on the kamele n’goni, and Beninese bass player, Patrick Ruffino. The arrangements on this energetic cocktail of Creole reggae testify to the live experience gleaned by Bélo over the years. BélO 's "HAITI DEBOUT," (Haiti Stand-up) was released under Radio France/France Info and distributed, globally, by Harmonia Mundi. During the " HAITI DEBOUT " tour, BélO has performed in Germany, Rome, Romania, France, South Korea, London, Canada and the U.S
 

During the month of June 2011, Bélo took part in the Équation Musique tour initiated by the Institut Français and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie to promote emerging artists. His tour took him to Europe (Germany, Italy, UK, Romania, France, London) with two African singers, Wanlov the Kubolor (Ghana) and Winyo (Kenya). South Korea, Canada and the U.S.

BélO showcased his talent at globalFEST (Jan 2012). globalFEST is one of the most dynamic global music platforms in North America. The same year, BélO was invited to participate at the Center Stage month tour (Oct-Nov 2012) in the U.S. Center Stage is a public diplomacy initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. During the Center Stage tour, BélO performed and conducted numerous seminars across America. 

http://www.nefa.org/grantee/belo

2014: Natif Natal

BélO released a new album title “Natif Natal” (Global release date April 9, 2014) with a worldwide tour beginning in the United States. “Banm Nouvel”, single and music video, was the first release off “Natif Natal” in 2013.  Natif Natal, is a journey of emotional social struggles, love and the need to belong.

The social crusader is first a lyricist before a music composer, and it comes to no surprise that the first track “Detripay” (Gutted) depicts the world being pulled apart from the inside out revealing prostitution, human trafficking and rape. BélO’s poetic vision and his colorful Kreyol proverbs are put on full display in Natif Natal. A constant social spirit throughout the entire album sending a message of hope (Track 4 Pa Lage), holding on to love (Track 10 Abondans), and despite critical labels of society one should be able to accomplish its mission in life (Track 9 Pa Koute Yo). Natif Natal is dedicated to mankind and the dream of a world without boarders (Track 11 Citizen of World).

The album showcases upcoming local Haitian vocalist like Mandela (Track 4 Pa Lage) and Queen Bee (Track 10 Abondans), Haiti’s renown rapper BIC (Track 6 Kase Tibwa) and the celebrated Haitian roots artist Eddy Francois -former lead singer of Boukman Ekperyanse Grammy nominated group (Track 9 Pa Koute Yo). From different parts of the world numerous artists have contributed to this multi-inspirational album: Fabrice Rouzier, Clement Belizaire, Wesner St-Louis, Andy Barrow, Charleson Duverné, Hans Dominique (Bwagri), Harold St-Louis, Dony Felix, Johnson St Cyr, Kali, Carlomagno Araya, Ismael Vergara, Monica Frias, Alive for God (chorus group), and Alessandro Vivianni.