Richard Auguste Morse
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Richard Auguste Morse (born 1957) is a Puerto-Rican-born
Haitian-American Haitian Americans (; ; ) are a group of Americans of full or partial Haitian origin or descent. The largest population of Haitian citizens in the United States live in Little Haiti to the South Florida area. In addition, they have sizeable popu ...
musician and hotel manager currently residing in
Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince ( ; ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Haiti, most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 1,200,000 in 2022 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The me ...
, Haiti. Morse manages the
Hotel Oloffson The Hotel Oloffson is an inn in central Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Built in the late 19th century as a private home, it was turned into a hotel in 1935, and became known for the many artists and celebrities who stayed there. The hotel was the real-li ...
, and is the founder of a ''
mizik rasin , also known as Haitian roots music, is a musical style that began in Haiti in the 1970s, when musicians began combining elements of traditional Haitian Vodou ceremonial and folkloric music with various musical styles. The late 20th century ...
'' band,
RAM Ram, ram, or RAM most commonly refers to: * A male sheep * Random-access memory, computer memory * Ram Trucks, US, since 2009 ** List of vehicles named Dodge Ram, trucks and vans ** Ram Pickup, produced by Ram Trucks Ram, ram, or RAM may also ref ...
, named after his initials. Morse is married to the band's lead female vocalist, Lunise Morse, and has two children. Morse and his band are famous in Haiti for their political songs and performances critical of the
Raoul Cédras Joseph Raoul Cédras (born July 9, 1949) is a Haitian former military officer who was the '' de facto'' ruler of Haiti from 1991 to 1994. Cedras was the last military ruler of Haiti. Background A mulatto, Cédras was educated in the United St ...
military junta from 1991 to 1994. In the early 2000s, Morse has also criticized
Jean-Bertrand Aristide Jean-Bertrand Aristide (; born 15 July 1953) is a Haitian former Salesian priest and politician who became Haiti's first democratically elected president in 1991 before being deposed in a coup d'état. As a priest, he taught liberation theo ...
and
Fanmi Lavalas Fanmi Lavalas (; ''lavalas'' is Haitian Creole for 'avalanche' or 'flood' ) is a social-democratic political party in Haiti. Its leader is former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. It has been a powerful force in Haitian politics since 199 ...
through his music. Morse is a United States citizen. His cousin
Michel Martelly Michel Joseph Martelly (; born 12 February 1961) is a Haitian musician and politician who served as the 42nd president of Haiti from May 2011 until February 2016. On August 20, 2024, the United States sanctioned the former president for traffic ...
is a musician, right-wing Haitian politician and former
President of Haiti The president of Haiti (, ), officially called the president of the Republic of Haiti (, , ), is the head of state of Haiti. Executive power in Haiti is divided between the president and the government, which is headed by the prime minister of ...
. Richard Morse repeatedly expressed support for Martelly in the 2010 presidential elections in Haiti. By the end of 2012, he had distanced himself from the Martelly government.


Early life

Richard Auguste Morse was born in
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
in 1957. His father, Richard M. Morse, was an American academic sociologist and writer, and his mother, Emerante de Pradines (1918-2018), was a famous Haitian singer, as was his maternal grandfather,
Auguste de Pradines Auguste Linstant de Pradines, also known as August de Pradines, Ti Candio or Kandjo (10 September 1879 – October 1947) was an influential Haitian musician who largely created the archetype of the Haitian troubadour. Over nearly five decades, d ...
.ArtMedia Haiti (2001)
"Richard Morse"
. ''Spotlight @ ArtMedia Haiti''. Retrieved April 2, 2006.
The family did not stay in Puerto Rico for long, and Richard grew up in the town of
Woodbridge, Connecticut Woodbridge is a New England town, town in New Haven County, Connecticut, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, South Central Connecticut Planning Region. The ...
in the United States. Morse graduated from
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
in 1979 with a degree in
anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...
. While at Princeton Morse sang with a band, "The Groceries," which became sufficiently successful to play-off-campus. They played new wave and
punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
music with certain
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
musical style elements.Marx, Gary (2005)
"Lyrics of Love and Haiti"
. ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
''. November 8, 2005.


Move to Haiti

In 1985, Morse was dating a woman whose father strongly disapproved of his daughter dating a musician. Morse also had a falling out with his fellow band members in The Groceries over musical differences, and was struggling with the direction his life should take. A conversation with a French record producer persuaded Morse to start over and move to Port-au-Prince to better explore Haitian and Caribbean music. In 1987, he signed a 15-year lease to manage the
Hotel Oloffson The Hotel Oloffson is an inn in central Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Built in the late 19th century as a private home, it was turned into a hotel in 1935, and became known for the many artists and celebrities who stayed there. The hotel was the real-li ...
, then in near ruins and the inspiration for the fictional Hotel Trianon in
Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...
's famous 1966 novel '' The Comedians''.Greene, Graham (1966). ''The Comedians''. New York City: Penguin Classics; Reissue edition (November 5, 1991). . In restoring the hotel business, Morse hired a local folkloric dance troupe and slowly converted it into a band. Morse fell in love with one of the performers, Lunise, whom he married. RAM was formally created in 1990. Morse would become the songwriter and lead male vocalist, Lunise became the lead female vocalist, and the name of band, RAM, comes from Richard's initials. RAM was a ''rasin'' band. One of the most important musical movements that swept Haiti in the years following the exile of dictator
Jean-Claude Duvalier Jean-Claude Duvalier (; 3 July 19514 October 2014), nicknamed "Baby Doc" (, ), was a Haitian dictator who held the presidency of Haiti from 1971 until he was overthrown by a popular uprising in February 1986. He succeeded his father François ...
, ''mizik rasin'' combines elements of traditional ''vodou'' ceremonial and folkloric music with
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
. The ancient drum rhythms of former African slaves combined with the beat of American rock and roll was a perfect combination for the musical background of Morse. The Hotel Oloffson was also a perfect venue for rehearsals and performances. When not on tour elsewhere in the country, RAM began playing a regular performance every Thursday night at the hotel.


Political protest through music

Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the first elected president of Haiti after the exile of dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, was overthrown in a coup d'état in 1991. RAM and other ''rasin'' bands were strongly identified with Aristide and his political party, Lavalas. When other performers, such as
Boukman Eksperyans Boukman Eksperyans () is a '' mizik rasin'' band from the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Grammy nominated for their debut album '' Vodou Adjae''. The band derives its name from Dutty Boukman, a '' vodou'' priest who led a religious ceremony in 17 ...
and
Manno Charlemagne Joseph Emmanuel "Manno" Charlemagne (April 14, 1948 – December 10, 2017) was a Haitian political folk singer, songwriter and acoustic guitarist, political activist and politician. He recorded his political chansons in both French and in Creole. ...
, left the country in exile, Morse and his band chose to stay in Port-au-Prince. The music that Morse wrote and RAM performed was often laced with political messages critical of the military ''junta'' led by Raoul Cédras. Richard, Lunise, and other members of the band were threatened or harassed. In 1992, Morse adapted a traditional ''vodou'' folk song, "
Fèy "" is a traditional '' Vodou'' folk song in Haiti. In Haitian Creole, "" means "leaf", and the lyrics of the song describe a leaf falling from a tree. Like many traditional songs in ''Vodou'' folklore, the lyrics of "" can hold many meanings, bot ...
", to a ''rasin'' rhythm and instrumentation. Despite no overt references to the political situation, it was widely played on the radio and immediately taken up throughout the country as an unofficial anthem of support for Aristide. By the summer of 1992, playing or singing the song was
banned A ban is a formal or informal prohibition of something. Bans are formed for the prohibition of activities within a certain political territory. Some bans in commerce are referred to as embargoes. ''Ban'' is also used as a verb similar in meaning ...
under military authority, and Morse was subjected to death threats from the regime. In one particular instance, Morse was summoned before Evans François, the brother of Colonel
Michel François Joseph-Michel François (; 1957 – 2017) was a colonel in the Haitian army. As Haiti Chief of National Police he participated in the 1991 Haitian coup d'état, which overthrew Haiti's elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Former Haitian Pre ...
, who told Morse that any number of
assassins An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder. The origin of the term is the medieval Order of Assassins, a sect of Shia Islam 1090–1275 CE. Assassin, or variants, may also refer to: Fictional characters * Assassin, in the Japanese adult ...
would be willing to kill him for as little as fifty cents in payment.Shacochis, Bob (1999). ''The Immaculate Invasion''. New York City: Penguin Publishing. . p. 10. In September 1994, U.S. military troops arrived to oust the Cédras regime, and Morse and his band were finally able to release some of their music in their own albums. Over time, Morse, like many other Haitians, had become disillusioned with Aristide and his new political party, Fanmi Lavalas. In 1998, Manno Charlemagne, the newly elected Fanmi Lavalas mayor of Port-au-Prince, sent armed men to the Oloffson to dismantle the float on which RAM was scheduled to perform in the upcoming annual
Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...
. The mayor had taken offense to the lyrics of one of the band's songs, which he interpreted as an accusation of corruption.Wilson, Scott (2002)
"Political Notes Fill Carnival In Haiti"
''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', Feb 13, 2002, page A22.
In a compromise, the band was allowed to perform on a flatbed truck. However, the brakes on the truck were sabotaged vidence?and during the procession, the truck swerved into the crowd, killing eight and forcing the members of the band to flee for their lives.Swindle, Michael (2004)
"Who'll save Haiti now?"
''
Denver Post ''The Denver Post'' is a daily newspaper and website published in the Denver metropolitan area. it has an average print circulation of 57,265. In 2016, its website received roughly six million monthly unique visitors generating more than 13 mil ...
'', November 2004. Retrieved April 25, 2006.


Vodou

Since moving to Haiti in 1985, Morse has been involved in the ''vodou'' community. The music he writes and performs is inspired by traditional ''vodou'' folk music, and incorporates the '' petwo'' drums and ''rara'' horns used in ''vodou'' ceremonies. Eventually, Richard Morse became so involved in the ''vodou'' religion through his music that he was initiated as a ''
houngan Oungan (also written as ''houngan'') is the term for a male priest in Haitian Vodou (a female priest is known as a ''mambo''). The term is derived from Gbe languages (Fon, Ewe, Adja, Phla, Gen, Maxi and Gun). The word hounnongan means chief p ...
'', or ''vodou'' priest, in 2002. Describing a RAM concert, Morse explains, "Yes, you might see our dancers go into a trance. Some get possessed by the
loa , also called loa, are spirits in the African diaspora religions, African diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou and Dominican Vudú. They have also been incorporated into some revivalist forms of Louisiana Voodoo. Many of the lwa derive their iden ...
s, to the rhythm of the drums, but it's a natural state when it happens. You can't fake it."Davison, Phil (2004)
"Arts: Dance of the zombies"
''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', London, July 27, 2004. Retrieved Apr 25, 2006.


References

;Cited references ;General references *Shacochis, Bob (1999). ''The Immaculate Invasion''. New York City: Penguin Publishing yes baby. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Morse, Richard Auguste 1957 births Living people Haitian Vodou practitioners Puerto Rican people of Haitian descent 20th-century Haitian male singers Musicians from Port-au-Prince Princeton University alumni 20th-century Puerto Rican male singers 20th-century Puerto Rican singers