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Photo courtesy of Val Jeanty
Trying to define Val Jeanty’s sound is challenging. Labels–however much we dislike them–help to make sense out of certain things. But what happens when the musical style known as ‘Afro-Electronica’ and Val Jeanty meet?
Imagine the Mona Lisa in liquid form–just pigmented oil. Imagine da Vinci trying to explain to someone exactly how the finished work would look. Now, think of ten thousand graffiti artists commissioned to give the Brooklyn Bridge a make-over. Try to describe what the end result would be. Unless you’ve heard Val perform, you won’t know what to expect. Even if you’ve heard her a dozen times, you still won’t know.
I doubt that Val could tell you precisely what she plans to do on stage. Every show is packed with surprises. However, one constant remains: She will blow you away. Val likes to say: “I’m a vessel. I let the inspiration come, you know. I let the spirits do whatever they want.” The spirits do show up, collide, and jostle for their proper place in the spotlight.
Val Jeanty’s sound blasts the perimeters of what you might consider avant garde. It’s chaos expertly controlled. You will react. How? You won’t know until you hear and see and touch and taste and smell the life that pulsates in a room when this lady takes the stage.
Val Inc performs worldwide, but you can find her in New York City–her hometown. When she’s not busy performing, take a moment to chat with her. Val is a talker whose conversations come in a mixture of English, Kreyòl, and French. She’s a natural-born teacher. Ask her anything–just not how to define her music.
Catch Val’s performance on August 4th at the Brooklyn Museum in collaboration with Haiti Cultural Exchange.
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