James Ridgeway

By James Ridgeway and Jean Jean-Pierre
NATURAL HISTORY, December 1998

EXCERPT:

For Frisner Augustin--known to all simply as Frisner--drumming is a livelihood, an art, and a religion. "I play from my soul," he says. "I play from my roots." Born in Haiti in 1948, Frisner grew up in a dirt-poor section on the south side of Port-au-Prince, close to the city's big cemetery. There, amid the graves, stands an imposing, dark stone cross. For many who frequent the burial grounds, this is not just a Christian symbol. It also represents Baron Samedi, keeper of the cemetery and commander of the Gede, the family of Vodou spirits associated with the cycle of life and death.