Middle School Classroom Chronicle

The Rara is a Haitian processional music that may be heard throughout the year. It is most associated with the season of Lent.  Originally connected to Haitian vodou practices developed by enslaved Africans, it has found a connection with the European season of Lent.  From villages high in the mountains, bands of musicians (drummers, horn players, and singers) make their way through various villages down towards the sea. There are rituals associated with the procession that remember ancestors and acknowledge the efforts of local community leaders to uphold the values of the society.  Largely, it is a walking party!

Many years ago, a Haitian master Drummer named Daniel Brevil visited our school and set a Rara composition on our graduating eighth graders for their final school presentation.  It instantly became a new tradition that is now over 10 years old.  Our children learn the various parts of the percussion ensemble as if they were in Haiti and - to their parents’ collective surprise - demonstrate mastery of this sound.