Mozayik's musical concept draws upon the rich legacy of traditional Afro-Haitian rhythms, blending them with the instrumentation, melodic/harmonic sensibilities and improvisation of jazz. Mozayik also cites Cuban and Brazilian jazz as sources of inspiration and the groups' original compositions show that the culture of Haiti has similar musical riches to offer.
The group draws from a diverse array of other influences; classical, jazz, gospel and funk are all part of the Mozayik sound. The members of Mozayik bring together multiple talents and years of performing and recording experience.
Mozayik's self-titled debut recording was released to rave reviews. Mozayik released their second CD, “Rhythmic Reflections,” in 2004. This dynamic recording featured such traditional Haitian folkoric drum rhythms as Nago (Sa te Bel) Mayi (Pen Mayi), Ibo (Mireille), Rara (Caravan & Moving On), Kontradans (African Queen), Kongo (Limye) and Petwo (The Journey). The beauty us newspapers and music magazines such as “The Haitian Times”, “Beat”, “Kompa Magazine”, and Haiti's “Le Nouvelliste.” The group was also featured on Public Radio International's “The World” program.
Mozayik's concept lies in the way these rhythmic motifs are utilized. Many projects seeking to fuse traditional/folkloric music with jazz seem to superimpose one structure or motif over the other, while Mozayik's approach is seamless.
“Haitian Creole Jazz”, features such traditional Haitian folkoric drum rhythms as Nago (Sa te Bel) Mayi (Pen Mayi), Ibo (Mireille), Rara (Caravan & Moving On), Kontradans (African Queen), Kongo (Limye) and Petwo (The Journey). Jazz lovers of all kinds are excited about Mozayik's sound, a blend of ancient and modern, grounded in tradition yet boldly moving forward.
