"Fèy" is a traditional vodou folk song in Haïti

Haiti

Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

. In Kréyòl

Haitian Creole language

Haitian Creole language , often called simply Creole or Kreyòl, is a language spoken in Haiti by about twelve million people, which includes all Haitians in Haiti and via emigration, by about two to three million speakers residing in the Bahamas, Cuba, Canada, France, Cayman Islands, French...

, "fèy" means "leaf", and the lyrics of the song describe a leaf falling from a tree. Like many traditional songs in vodou folklore, the lyrics of "Fèy" can hold many meanings, both religious and political. At least two mizik rasin

Mizik rasin

Rasin is a musical movement that began in Haïti in 1987 when musicians began combining elements of traditional Haïtian vodou ceremonical and folkloric music with rock and roll. This style of modern music reaching back to the roots of vodou tradition came to be called mizik rasin in Kreyòl or...

bands in the 1990s sang adaptations of the traditional song. A version first performed by RAM

RAM (band)

RAM is a mizik rasin band based in the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The band derives its name from the initials of its founder, songwriter, and lead male vocalist, Richard A. Morse. The band's music has been described by Morse as "Vodou rock 'n' roots", and has been one of the prominent bands...

 in 1992

1992 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s....

 was banned

Censorship of music

Censorship of music is the practice of restricting free access to musical works. This censorship may stem from a wide variety of motivations, including moral, political, military or religious reasons. Censorship can range from the complete government-enforced legal prohibition of a musical work, to...

 throughout Haïti during the remaining years of the Raoul Cédras

Raoul Cédras

Raoul Cédras is a former military officer, and was de facto ruler of Haiti from 1991 to 1994.-Background:Cédras was educated in the United States and was a member of the US-trained Leopard Corps...

 military junta

Military dictatorship

A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....

.

Political history

In 1991

1991 in music

See also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year...

, a military junta headed by Raoul Cédras seized power in a coup d'etat

Coup d'état

A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...

, overthrowing the elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide

Jean-Bertrand Aristide

Jean-Bertrand Aristide is a Haitian former Catholic priest and politician who served as Haiti's first democratically elected president. A proponent of liberation theology, Aristide was appointed to a parish in Port-au-Prince in 1982 after completing his studies...

. RAM, a rasin

Mizik rasin

Rasin is a musical movement that began in Haïti in 1987 when musicians began combining elements of traditional Haïtian vodou ceremonical and folkloric music with rock and roll. This style of modern music reaching back to the roots of vodou tradition came to be called mizik rasin in Kreyòl or...

band in Port-au-Prince

Port-au-Prince

Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....

, which had run afoul of military authorities before, first performed "Fèy" at the 1992 Carnival

Carnival

Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...

 in Port-au-Prince, and then began to perform the song during their weekly concerts at the Hotel Oloffson

Hotel Oloffson

The Hotel Oloffson is an inn in central Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The main structure of the hotel is a 19th century Gothic gingerbread mansion set in a lush tropical garden. The mansion was built as a residence for the powerful Sam family, including two former presidents of Haiti...

. Despite no overt references to the political situation, a recording of the song was widely played on the radio and immediately taken up throughout the country as an unofficial anthem of support for Aristide. Playing or singing the song was soon banned under military authority, and RAM's leader, Richard A. Morse

Richard Auguste Morse

Richard Auguste Morse is a Puerto Rican-born Haitian-American musician and hotel manager currently residing in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Morse manages the Hotel Oloffson, and is the founder of a mizik rasin band, RAM, named after his initials. Morse is married to the band's lead female vocalist,...

, was subjected to death threats from the regime. In September, 1994, U.S. military troops arrived to oust the Cédras regime and restore Aristide to his presidency. "Fèy" was released on RAM's first album, Aïbobo, in 1996

1996 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact...

.

Lyrics

"Fèy" is a traditional Haïtian vodou folklore song, and as such the lyrics are in the public domain

Public domain

Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...

. The Kréyòl lyrics are as printed in the liner notes of RAM's first album, Aïbobo, and the English language

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 translation is by Bob Shacochis.

Kréyòl

Fèy yo gade mwen nan branch mwem,
yon move tan pase li voye'm jete.
Fèy yo gade mwen nan branch mwem,
yon move tan pase li voye'm jete.
Jou ou wè'm tonbe a, se pa jou a m'koule,
jou ou wè'm tonbe a, se pa jou a m'koule.
papa, le ya bezwen mwen
kote ya jwenn mwen.
Papa Bondye wo St. Nikola ye,
Papa bon Dye wo St. Nikola ye,
yon sèl piti gason m nan
yo fè'l kite peyi al'ale...

English

I'm a leaf.
Look at me on my branch.
A terrible storm came and knocked me off.
The day you see me fall is not the day I die.
And when they need me, where are they going to find me?
The good Lord, and St. Nicola,
I only have one son
And they made him leave the country.

Audio samples

Year	Band	Song Title	Album	Notes
1996 1996 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact...	RAM RAM (band) RAM is a mizik rasin band based in the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The band derives its name from the initials of its founder, songwriter, and lead male vocalist, Richard A. Morse. The band's music has been described by Morse as "Vodou rock 'n' roots", and has been one of the prominent bands...	"Fèy"	Aïbobo	Censored by Haïtian military, 1992-1994