Carimi may be no more. That’s the cry sounding all over the internet and social media that has fans panicking, industry insiders feeling disheartened and bloggers like me in The Thinking Man posture. Last week, speculations began swirling on Twitter and Facebook that Carimi lead singer Micheal Guirand may have turned his back on the band. Last December, the singer had sent in a resignation letter to the public, only to return two weeks later to loud cheers from Carimi Nation. But this time around, speculations are running rampant that it may not just be singer Micheal throwing in the towel, but at least one other member as well.

It cannot end this way.

It just can’t.

First of all, the band will be celebrating its fifteen years of existence…why throw away fifteen years? Need I remind you again that fifteen years is like pre-K to high school and some college years?

And if Carimi stops now, what will it mean for Haitian music?

And if Carimi stops now, won’t this affect the morale of up-and-coming bands?

And if Carimi stops now, won’t members be haunted by what could have been for the rest of their lives?

And if Carimi stops now, what sort of role models will they be to other band members facing issues and problems?

Granted, it’s natural for fans to stomp their feet at the very idea that this band could possibly be disintegrating. The memories. The music.

A band existing for a decade and a half…well, that’s quite an accomplishment. When one considers all the sacrifices that have undoubtedly gone into the making this band, creating it, sustaining it over the years…and the mental and physical exhaustion that comes with traveling, logistics…well, it’s this band’s right to take a break, a pause if they need to…After all, there’s a time for everything right? But surely, there’s a way to take a rest without resorting to total annihilation of the band. Spreading out bookings…reducing the number of shows per year, and increasing asking price per gig so that the band can still maintain its revenue.

So, having a band for fifteen years is not easy. Sometimes, you might even get tired of doing the same thing over and over. But, if it’s all for the love of music, and if the love of music never gets evaporated in true musicians?

Maybe over the years of their existence, some of their priorities may have changed.

Even with these facts in mind, it can’t end this way.

No, it just can’t.

Carimi must go on. This band must move onward.

Whatever needs to be mended…let it be mended.

Whatever needs to be talked out…let it be talked out.

Let any adjustments that needs to be made be made.

Granted, adjustments not involving the exit of any of the members or personnel.

If Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and the rest of the Rolling Stone can make it, so can Carimi. And I know that these are two different industries that are being contrasted here, but the basic aspect of both is relationships and maintaining the love…and that’s all that’s needed. [Bible tone] Is there a wound among brothers that can’t be mended?

MikeyBear, you’re not going anywhere! Unless…it’s to go pick up your microphone, to start singing the first notes of “Baby I Miss You”.

Mr. Cave, you’re not going anywhere! Unless, it’s to cradle a mic to belt out the verses of “Fem Kado’w”

And Karlotitos, you’re DEFINITELY not going anywhere, unless it’s straight to that stage to pick up your keyboards and play.

Let Carimi continue. Then when it’s celebrating its 20th or 25th anniversary, we can have a talk about band members taking a break…

Until then, Carimi Nation onward!

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It’s your fave chick Kreyolicious again…this time counting down the best breakup songs.

But wait! Why a countdown like this? We should celebrate love, and not the rupture of love, no? Well, kreyolicious cheries, for one thing…pain is a part of human life (Thanks for nothing, Adam and Eve). For another, when you think about it…the most popular songs on the planet are about love, and breaking up probably comes in second as a topic. So, let’s stop debating and get started with this little countdown! Yay!

In order of most depressing…most heart-wrenching….

1. Band/Artist: Master Dji
Song: Wale Kite’m
Kreyolicious Breakup-Category: She goes, and you’ve lost your reason to live, and you have lost your identity! You fall into manic depression.
Kreyolicious Notes: This singer’s voice is so laden with pain, it almost felt as if he were mourning the death of several relationships, as opposed to just one. This song nearly drove me to tears. No joke. I would not listen to it on an empty stomach (Let’s face it, Kreyolicious timouns, when you’re already hungry, and you put on a sad song or a sad movie, the likelihood of you weeping and sobbing increases). This kreyolicious song captures the harrowing pain we feel in our hearts when the person we thought we were so totally in love with, and was in turn in love with us, leaves with no explanation…which in turns leaves us with feelings of anger, inadequacy and obsession. These type of breakups are hard to recover from, apparently.

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2. Band/Artist: Yanick Etienne
Break-Up Song: Miste Damou
Kreyolicious Break-up category: A break-up, but one that has a glint of silver lining…a reconciliation may be in progress.
Kreyolicious Notes: Not sure when this song was recorded. Early 90s perhaps? Early 2000s? But goodness, this lady sure has a lovely voice. Silent treatments, a tendency to forget all the great moments, lending a deaf ear to heartfelt apologies, and allowing personal pride to get into the way of reconciliation—are among some of the aspects of a breakup touched upon on this gorgeous ballad.

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3. Band/Artist: Joe Jack
Song: Fèm Dous
Kreyolicious Break-up category: The period during the breakup and the rebound girl hunting.
Kreyolicious Notes: Dude is looking for some “Ti doudou” (uptown sweetie) to make him “dous” (er…sexual favors no doubt), so that he can “bliye” (forget) all the “imilasyon” (mortification) he’s undergone at the hands of the previous women he’s been with. Oh, heck no. This means this guy is not looking for a new love. He’s looking for a temporary fill-in to soothe his ego. Oh! It’s all about him. But you’ve got to admit that this song treats the rebound syndrome—a major aspect of the stages of a breakup. The melody is salsaish…very ballroomesque.

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Kreyolicious Notes: Not sure when this song was recorded. Early 90s perhaps? Early 2000s? But goodness, this lady sure has a lovely voice. Silent treatments, a tendency to forget all the great moments, lending a deaf ear to apologies, and allowing personal pride to get into the way of reconciliation—are among some of the aspects of a breakup touched upon on this gorgeous ballad.

4. Artist/Band: Harmonik
Haitian breakup song: Mwen Bouke
Kreyolicious Break-Up: This is the breakup in the on-again, off-again relationship.
Kreyolicious Notes: We have quite a narrative in this song. He cheated. She found out somehow. They more or less made up, and have agreed to let bygones be bygones. But wait! Her heart is still tearing from his infidelity. He’s apologized over and over…’til he doesn’t know what to say anymore. He feels like she’s using his infidelity to torture him needlessly—taking “plezi” (sick pleasure) in making him . There’s a spoken monologue at the end of the song…she decided to break-up with him again, while he thought they were under good terms again. And she got with another man…Now this song, again, is about a reconciliation that should never have materialized in the first place. The
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5. Band/Artist: K-Zino
Haitian Breakup Song: Kè Mwen Kontan
Kreyolicious Break-up category: Denial, followed by an actual reconciliation.
Kreyolicious Notes: Aw, he’s begging for another chance. He can’t handle life without her. He’s waiting on that phone call. And out of nowhere, there’s a knock at the door…it’s her! One wonders what will happen the next time there’s some sort of separation again? And something tells me there will be another separation…and the narrator won’t be able to handle it.
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6. Band/Artist: Daan Junior
Haitian Breakup Song: Kite’m Ale
Kreyolicious Break-up category: The breakup that occurs when one party is fed up, and wants to jump ship before things totally deteriorate.
Kreyolicious Notes: A voluntary departure is what this song’s about. The narrator is tired of being stifled in this relationship, the emotional pressures, and the verbal abuse, and disrespect. Lawd, it’s too much to be borne. So…Out, he goes!

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7. Band/Artist: K-Dans
Haitian Breakup Song: Touman
Kreyolicious Break-up category: Break-up resulting from death.
Kreyolicious Notes: I clicked on this song out of curiosity. And it turns out, it’s just what my countdown needed. This song sounds less depressing than it should. Some great vocal work by the lead singer of this group. When a breakup happens because one of the parties departs in death, it’s emotionally devastating. One can say it’s probably the worst type of breakup. But as the singer points out in the lyrics, a love that dies lives on forever. Only thing is, the next woman will have to deal with a dead rival. And we all know how we tend to deify the dead sometimes. We forget about all their flaws, and remember only the good about them.

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8. Band/Artist: Zenglen
Haitian Breakup Song: Sincerely Yours
Kreyolicious Break-up category: Extreme denial post-breakup breakup
Kreyolicious Notes: Wow, dude is so obsessed, he’s literally playing for his girl’s new man to have cold feet. He’s hopeful, in a loving way, not thoroughly stalker-scary. Just a sincere-hearted man who realizes that he messed up when things were good, and that he’s not ready (nor will he ever be) to see his woman in another man’s arms.

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9. Band/Artist: Nu Look
Haitian Breakup Song: It Wasn’t Meant to Be
Kreyolicious Break-up category: The reflective break-up.
Kreyolicious Notes: In retrospect, this relationship should never have come into existence, the narrator contends in the lyrics. He isn’t bitter. Nor does he want to try again. Had she ever loved him, he muses. But he wants to make it clear that the lawn isn’t closely-cut or greener on the other side for the ex. Or, so he hopes.

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10. Band/Artist: Carimi
Haitian Breakup Song: Kita Nago
Kreyolicious Break-up category: The one-sided breakup!
Kreyolicious Notes: This song is really frightening. The playfulness of the production practically masks the sinister aspect of the lyrics. This is about a man who’s obsessed with a former flame. He promises to chases her in all corners of the earth to track her down. You guys, this is Witness…er Ex-Girlfriend Protection Program matter! Restraining order!

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This has been yet another Kreyolicious Playlist. Goodness knows, I just might have a Part II for this countdown. Do you have a favorite from this list? Or is your favorite not on this list? Sound off!

Carimi confirmed its breakup. Let’s say it one more time. The band Carimi has come to an end. Last night a press release that was distributed on social media confirmed what many fans and industry pundits and assorted Haitian music fans feared: After putting in work for fifteen years, the band was kaput.

On Tuesday morning of this week, Haiti-based host Carel Pedre announced that he would be interviewing the group’s manager, a businessman named Fito Farinen, on his morning radio show “Chokarella”. Over the course of the interview, the manager confirmed the breakup, all the while stating that he had not been able to get in touch with Micheal Guirand, the co-lead singer.

Meanwhile, the website Kompa Magazine had managed to get an interview with Carlo Vieux, one of the band’s lead singers and musicians. In the interview, the Carimi member reaffirmed his loyalty for his band, and conveyed that he doesn’t know what has led his bandmate to leave the band a second time.

Was the band anxious to give a formal statement? Did it feel pressured? After all, fans have been waiting to know certainties among all those rumors and speculations. It just seems from the statements made by the manager and of the lead singer that although a statement has been given…there just might be hope for the band.

All in all, it came across as…if tempers are given enough time to calm down…if emotions are given sufficient time to wane, something could be reached. This “something” could be…co-lead singer Micheal Guirand returning to Carimi…or members Carlo Vieux and Richard Cave coming to the conclusion that they can’t let things end this way, and that even with Micheal’s absence, they’d like to go on.

Maybe Micheal’s road has ended, but Carimi hasn’t as a band? But in past and present interviews, band members have emphasized the importance of Micheal’s role, and how indispensable he is. His signature voice is stamped all over the band’s brand and identity. So knowing this, more concrete steps should have been taken to assure his stability in the band upon his return. But to be fair, those measures were probably taken.

What gives? What really went wrong? What’s eating Micheal Guirand? What problems could these men—who are essentially brothers—have that can’t be solved, even with changing priorities, passage of time, etc?

Lawd.

Earlier this year, the band had shared photos in the studios, heightening fans expectations for an upcoming album. This music can’t go to waste. But if most of the album was done with the department member’s vocals! What a dilemma to be in!

Overall, though…

There’s this finality that’s lacking with this breakup. Did these members have sufficient time to come to this decision of breaking up? Could there still be hope? What if Micheal is planning to take a longer break and come back? What if a Micheal sound-alike is found by the other two members?

Let’s back-pedal a bit regarding the other lead singer. What if they make arrangements with Micheal to sing on occcassions with them as opposed to every performance? The two other members are very competent singers, and they can make do with the ballads and up-tempo songs.

But maybe all—or some—of these different scenarios were presented and discussed before the group decided that to disintegrate was the way to go.

Questioned by Kompa Magazine about going at it for a second time if Micheal returns, singer Carlo Vieux sounded leery. What if his bandmate returns only to leave again? But that can be taken care of with better risk management. Sign a contract—one of seven years to assure that CaRimi will make it past its 20th Anniversary, and the extra two years take care of business loose ends.

It’s easy to sit here and speculate, and offer suggestions after suggestions. We’re not privy to all the facts. And perhaps even Carimi members and personnel have not been able to get to the bottom of what’s wrong/what was wrong despite their best efforts.

So thank you to this band for making Haitian music known in places it may not have otherwise been known.

Remember when you started getting out of your American shell to become more Haitian? Did you name-drop Carimi (or T-Vice) in a conversation to impress your fellow Haitian-Americans about how “Haitian” you were? (*raises hand*). And was this even before you listened to any of their music or knew any of their songs?(*raises hand*)

There’s still a lot of their music that I don’t know, and haven’t listened to. Maybe this is the time to get to them.

At least all the members are alive and well. At least, none of them died…thank God.

It’s possible that Carimi can still go on. You never know. Again, there’s something about this announcement that’s not…I don’t know…final…

Save your Citizenship Certificate to Carimi Nation. You’ll need it to claim your rights when Carimi comes back hard!

It sounds like well-wishing, but it’s just a feeling…

Time will tell. This is your girl Kreyolicious signing off.

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