Michael Brun Explores the New Sounds of Haiti In His Debut Album 'Lokal'
The album features Mr Eazi, Adekunle Gold, Major Lazer, Arcade Fire and more.
Michael Brun is pushing the new sounds of Haiti.
Born in Port-au-Prince, the producer, DJ, and artist has been blending styles like konpa with electronic beat work to make some standout tracks that have taken him far: he collaborated with J Balvin on the Telemundo 2018 World Cup theme song, "Positivo," and joined him on the Vibras tour alongside Mr Eazi.
Brun is now releasing his 9-track debut album, Lokal, which features collaborations with contemporary Haitian artists and buzzing acts across the globe like Eddy François, BélO, Major Lazer, Win Butler & Regine Chassagne from Arcade Fire, and many more.
Read: Michael Brun Interview On How He's Pushing Haiti's Contemporary Sounds
Mr Eazi pops up for two tracks on the album: "Akwaaba Ayiti," a Haitian-inflected remix of him and Guiltybeatz' big tune, and "Pa Pale" alongside Baky and KANIS. Meanwhile, Adekunle Gold features on the smooth "Eda" with also features Haiti's BélO.
"Haiti... was made up of all these different regions of West Africa that came together and had to form a new language, Creole, and mix with indigenous people: the Taino people in Haiti, and the French and the Spanish and all these different mixes. It's just the melting pot of the world," Brun told us in a previous interview.
Playlist: Michael Brun's Zouk & Konpa Starter Kit
"When you hear the music and the rhythms, they're not that different from the Caribbean and Africa. Haiti is a central place and it's a story that I want people to know because it was very inspiring to me, and I hope that it inspires other people too."
Listen to Michael Brun's debut album, Lokal, below. It's available everywhere now.
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