This month marks the 22nd year
anniversary of the passing of Antoine Rossini Jean Baptiste's
(best known as Ti Manno). He died on May 13th, 1985 in Queens
NY and was buried at Cavalry Cemetery... 17th section in Queens.
(Click here to view pictures of
his burial site)
It was the first week of May in 1985 after a long hiatus from
the Haitian music industry did rumors start spreading like wild
fire in New York that one of our musical legends by the stage
name of Ti-manno had died. During that hectic week, many radio
stations, and newspapers ran with the story until Ti-manno himself
finally made an emotional phone call to a New York radio station
announcing that he was alive but not doing well. More rumors started
to circulate as to what was the cause of the musician’s.
From rumors that he was poisoned, or somebody cast a voodoo spell
on him due to his socially conscience lyrics to AIDS.
After receiving the phone call, the members of the media, artists,
and fans launched a campaign called "Operasyon men Kontre"
which was one of Ti-manno's most popular songs geared toward Haitians
unity. The purpose of this campaign was for Haitian to unite and
help the ailing artist. "Operasyon men Kontre" set off
and raised well over $15,000 which was suppose to go toward Ti-Manno's
hospital care, however the artist never got the chance to leave
his hospital bed and died a couple of weeks later.
On May 18, 1985, right after his death, thousands flooded the
Eastern Parkway funeral hall in new York City where his viewing
was held. Many artists, family members, media personalities and
fans attended his viewing and funeral which was conducted by his
brother who was a priest, to pay their respect.
His Legacy
Best known as a member of D.P. Express which brought such hits
as David, a song which talks about and which is named after the
hurricane that swept Haiti in 1979, left many Haitian dead and
countless homeless. After obtaining popularity and success with
DP Express, Ti-Manno then went on to form his own band Gemini
All Stars.
Ti-manno was a visionary figure in Haitian music. He touched many
issues in his lyrics that were well ahead of his time and still
plagues the world today. From the lack of Unity among Haitian
patriots, immigration issues Haitians faced aboard to the AIDS
epidemic. He encouraged Haitians to unite and stop betraying their
own. In a song entitled Nan Danje, Ti-Manno unveiled the dangers
Haitians faced in foreign countries. He encouraged Haitians to
stay in Haiti and help rebuild the country. When the US Center
for Disease Control (CDC) announced that Haitians were part of
the 4Hs (Homosexuals, Heroin addicts, Hemophiliacs, and Haitians)
as most likely to have the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),
the virus believed to cause AIDS in the early 1980s, Ti-Manno
was the first artist to address the issue in the song entitled
SIDA. Ironically, In 1985, following many protest, Haitians were
taken off the CDC list, the same year he died.
Ti-manno is considered today as musical prophet. He possesses
exceptional powers of expression. Although some of Ti-manno's
visions were shorted lived, his legacy lives on today.
-Cheyna Pierre OpaMizik.com
(C)copyright 2007
