|
WHAT IS RARA? Raras have been described as everything from “vodou armies” to “underdog carnivals.” In the process of researching and interviewing for this documentary, practically everyone has had a different explanation of what rara is and where it comes from. In short, rara is an acoustic processional music from Haiti associated with vodou, carnival, and social protest movements. Rara’s have been known to head out walking for days or even weeks, and cover up to a hundred miles through the Haitian countryside. The most common story one hears from a “raraman” or a “fanatique” is how, as a child, they heard a rara passing, went out to see what was going on, and next thing they knew it was hours later and they had danced their way miles from home. There’s something unstoppable and irresistible about rara that is completely impossible to explain. Wesleyan University just launched an excellent research website organized by the rara scholar Elizabeth McAlister: http://rara.wesleyan.edu/ Rather than duplicate their efforts, this site will periodically post anecdotes and quotes from researching and interviewing for this documentary. Check back for more...
FEATURED LINKS Read Sasha Frere-Jones recent round table discussion in the NEW YORKER MAGAZINE about rara music, featuring Edwidge Danticat
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
