Frantz Casseus

Frantz Casseus is a Haitian-born guitarist whose work has embraced both classical and folk music, the latter principally in the form of the traditional music of his own country. Casseus, born of a prominent family in Port-au-Prince, was among the first guitarists on the island to step out in front with the instrument as a soloist, and he quickly carved a unique niche for himself in the musical landscape. He began playing concerts at age 23 and although his early work was steeped in formal classical music, in later years he began arranging and transforming the folk music of his country into suites in a classical idiom. Ironically, he was somewhat limited in that portion of his music that he could present, because he lacked access to a suitable singer. This changed when he crossed paths with Lolita Cuevas, the Puerto Rican-born/Haitian-raised vocalist, and the two began collaborating as interpreters at that point.