The Mystery of La Voix Laguerre

Searching for the singer responsible for an unshakable single...

An incomplete list of the tags attached to Haitian singer Fedia Laguerre’s single “Divizion” in various places on the Internet: “Compas.” “Vodou.” “Haitian funk.” “World Fusion.” “Afro Funk.” “Afro Disco.”

That narrows it down! “Divizion,” the single of Laguerre’s that’s the easiest to find, has traces of all of that. It’s one of those instant “pay attention” tracks – within seconds of hearing her poised and profoundly unflappable voice, you know this will go on repeat. Same goes for this one, which is apparently from the same era:

“Divizion” was recorded in 1981, during a creative period for the brisk Haitian dance style known as compas; it was revived in 2018 as the first single on Antangana Records. The label focuses on little-heard Afro-Caribbean gems that are sought out by DJs; most of its releases offer both the original and a tasteful remix. The “Divizion” one, by Voilaaa, adds a bit of contemporary low end, as well as percussion touches and sound processing while leaving the lead vocals intact. There’s also a fascinating “Added Parts” version that allows listeners curious about the DJ craft to hear exactly what Voilaaa brought to the track. More labels should provide this “check the DJ’s work” window.

I encountered Antangana awhile ago on Bandcamp, via Mizik La Ka Danse, its mind-bending compilation of modernized Latin/creole beguine from Guadeloupe. That led to Laguerre, and a mostly unsuccessful search for information about her. Incredibly, though she’s been recording for decades, I couldn’t find a wiki entry in the US or Haiti; while streaming services do offer a few of her vintage titles, they don’t provide any musician credits or bio information. Beloved in Haiti, she made an interesting record with the blind singer Joe Jack, and was apparently part of a cadre of socially-conscious female artists who opposed the autocratic Haitian leader François Duvalier.  At some point – it's unclear when – Laguerre stopped singing popular music in order to focus on gospel.

I reached out to Antangana and several artists who have cited Laguerre as an influence, and will share in the Notes whatever comes back. And, as ever, I invite readers to contribute any intel that might enhance understanding of this artist. A voice like this most definitely has a story behind it.