Jah Nissi Haiti is a Haitian reggae artist living in Canada. He has just released a new single entitled “How many more?” in which he denounces violence in Haiti and crimes, especially racist crimes, in the United States.
“I sing of the misery of my people, the despair of a great nation. In my music, one finds hope and one can dream of a better tomorrow”, said Jah Nissi Haiti. In his latest track, released last December and entitled “How many more”, the artist wonders about the number of people who will die because of the colour of their skin, because of the lure of gain.
The video clip that accompanies the song shows us images of recent news in Haiti, including hundreds of kidnappings that have become an easy means used by gangs to demand ransom. He recalls the kidnapping of young student Évelyne Sincère in Port-au-Prince last October, her body was found three days later under a pile of rubbish leaving the country in shock.
Many of the images in this video come from the United States, for example the murder of Georges Flyod by the police in May 2020, but before him there was the murder of Breonna Taylor in March 2020, Oscar Grant in 2009, Michael Brown in 2014, Eric Garner in 2014, Alton Sterling in 2016, and the list goes on, not forgetting the beating of Rodney King in 1991…
According to the singer who is inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, humanity is crying now, people are suffering, children are crying, and we are doing nothing.
Haitian reggaeman offers a good roots sound and wants to reach a wider audience with his music. He took a year to prepare this single. His universe has closely assimilated diverse influences such as Bob Marley, Alpha Blondy, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Morgan Heritage, Boukman Eksperyans, Eddy François, Midnite Nasio Fontaine and many others. Artists who really give him “the strength to fight for the lower class”, that is why he wants to follow in the footsteps of his models.
Originally from Port-au-Prince, Ernst Toussaint, also known as Jah Nissi Haïti, is a football enthusiast, his dream was to become a professional player and work alongside the top level. But alas! His parents did not see in him the new Lionel Messi and directed him towards other professional career paths.
During the 90’s, following a piece of advice from his father, he had the idea of taking music lessons with his little brother. Ernst learnt bass and guitar with one of the best Haitian bass players of the time, Moïse Thermitus. With him, the artist had a great revelation about his artistic potential and, very quickly, he will create his first band “Conquistadores” (Conquerors). After living in Venezuela, he stayed in the United States before settling in Canada.
“How many more?” is available on all download platforms.
