Issa El Saieh, Palestinian-Haitian Art Dealer and Musician
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Issa El Saieh was born in the year 1919 at Petit Goave in Haiti to Palestinian parents. He then began his music career in his 20s when he formed a band. Issa was the band leader of the ensemble which was active from the 40s to the 50s where they played around Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. Because of his undeniable talent and passion, he was keyed as a “maestro” by his colleagues and audience.
The Maestro Issa El Saieh was noted for his combination of traditional Haitian sounds to Cuban, African, and modern jazz melodies which were in perfect harmony, giving each musical form equal importance in every musical piece. Some of Issa’s popular songs are “Carelite”, “Fey Nan Bwa”, “Mesi Bondye”, “Ban'm Pa'm San Dous”, and “Jako”. All his songs reflected a blend of different cultures and sounds and highlighted the ambiance of Haiti.
Because of his contributions to both music and the arts in Haiti, Issa El Saieh was one of the few Haitian figures to be honored in the highly-prestigious Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 1998. Despite the Maestro’s untimely death last 2005; he remains to be one of Haiti’s pride and glory in the arts.
