23690: Morse:(reply and some rambling) Wyclef and music in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: OLOFFSONRAM@aol.com

 Having Wyclef back in town brings back memories. The last time he had a
 concert here was the year Lavalas made me take my carnival float apart at
 gun point. Three things I remember most vividly about Wyclef's concert in
 front of the mayor's office: 1)All the bands thought it was their big
 break and they were all going to be on MTV. 2)As soon as the show was
 over, everyone disappeared and people started saying <what happened to
 all the money?> 3) Manno Charlmagne, then mayor of Port-au-Prince, sang
 an interesting rendition of <get manman blanc!!>.

 Now there's a big difference between a <gig> and a <peace initiative>. If
 its a gig, there'll be a lot of press but as soon as the gig is over
 everyone leaves. If its really a peace initiative, we'll be seeing Wyclef
 around here for quite a while. Peace takes time. Peace takes nurturing.
 It takes thought. What are these gangs going to do when peace is
 established? Take their c,v,'s around to get work? Join the police? Go to
 school? Form bands? How are you going to satisfy their economic needs?
 What if some of them start getting arrested? I can't imagine the army
 being re-installed without parliamentary approval. What are they going to
 do in the meantime? Is Haiti really importing more weapons? You mean we
 don't have enough guns yet? Does anyone qualify for amnesty....Too
 much..I'm going to bed, we have a gig tomorrow.

Richard Morse