Antoine Rossini Jean-Baptiste, born Emmanuel Jean-Baptiste, and better known as Ti Manno was one of the most beloved and well known Haitian singer. His lyrics were avant-garde, he sang about the condition of the Haitian people, sexism, sexual harassment, power harassment, discrimination.

Ti Manno started playing music with small bands before joining the group “Les Diables du rythme de Saint-Marc”. In the 1970s he migrated to Boston and began playing with Ricot Mazarin for a band called Volo Volo de Boston, he left that band and later convinced by Arsene Appolon joined “Les Astros de New York”.

In 1978 he was the lead singer for DP Express one of the biggest and most popular Haitian band at the time. Ti Manno left DP Express in 1981 and formed his own group “Gemini All Stars” his group released five albums altogether.

Sadly in late 1983 he became very sick in New York with an untreatable illness. The Haitian community and music producers gathered together to raise money to try and save the superstar. “Operasyon men Kontre” set off and raised well over $15,000 toward Ti-Manno’s hospital care, however, that money never made it to his care. On May 13, 1985 the legendary Antoine Rossini Jean Baptiste aka Ti Manno died in St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center.

On May 18, 1985, right after the death of Ti Manno, thousands of fans flooded the Eastern Parkway funeral hall in New York City where his viewing was held. Many artists, family members, media personalities and fans attended his viewing and funeral at St. Matthew’s church Eastern Parkway, which was conducted by his brother who was a priest, to pay their respect. He is buried at Calvary Cemetery.

On May 13, 1985, in New York, a flame died out. This flame lived within Antoine Rossini Jean-Baptiste born Emmanuel Jean-Baptiste, and better known under the name of Ti Manno.

This artist (author / performer / composer) came to the world on the land of Haiti one day in June 1952.

From adolescence, parallel to his studies, he approaches music playing in different “mini jazz”, before being part of the Devils of the rhythm of St. Mark. It is with this group that he will fly to the United States then he will join the Volo-Volo Orchestra of Boston. A few years later, Volo-Volo will tour Haiti, but leave the country without their flagship performer.

Ti Manno moved to New York City in 1973 and later joined Astros.

In 1978, Ti Manno was forced to return to Haiti. the DP Express episode will begin shortly thereafter.

After two years spent in the DP Express and these two albums (David and D.P Express Vol.4), Ti Manno decided to found his own band: Gemini All Stars was created in 1981.

Around 1984, he returned to the United States with a failing health. Without news of him for a long time, a movement “operasyon chaché Ti Manno” is launched. We find its trace indeed, but it is not at best. During the following weeks, the action “operasyon men kontré” will be set up in order to raise funds for its treatment.

But, it’s already too late. His condition did not improve. The wind of death will carry his body on May 13, 1985.

Ti Manno spent his last days at St Luke Hospital in Manhattan. The funeral ceremony was held at St Matthew Church in Brooklyn.

It now rests at 17- Section 10- Plot 95, at Calvary Cemetery 49-42 Laurel Hill Blvd. Woodside, in Queens in New York.

Apostle of the protest, his music stood out from the stamp with rosewater at the time. It showed a boundless commitment to the cause of justice and freedom.
Antoine Rossini Jean Baptiste, better known by the sobriquet Ti Manno, remains indisputably one of the most legendary singers in the history of Haitian music. More than 20 years after his death, his name is still evoked with veneration and fascination by both the compass buffs and the knowledgeable musicologists who have never ceased to see him as an incomparable model, a visionary, a patriotic artist endowed with a talent and a charisma outstanding.

During his successful musical career, he had lent his mesmerizing voice to various groups including “Volo-Volo”, “Astros” of New York, “DP Express” before forming his own group, Gemini All Stars where he showed all the fullness of his genius. Many of his compositions were the fruit of his abundant imagination. They are above all lyric songs in which he expresses his state of mind on varied and deeply human themes, such as love, justice, freedom, malaise, exclusion, hope.

Apostle of the protest, his music stood out from the stamp with rosewater at the time. It showed a boundless commitment to the cause of justice and freedom. “Change man, change life”, these two sentences summarize the purpose of the fight that led Timanno in the difficult context of the Duvalier dictatorship. He made it his reason for living, his reason for being even. Through beautiful texts such as “Lajan”, “Exploitation” “Asamm”, “Nèg kont nèg”, “Fate of the third world”, “Maryaj interè”, “Korije …”, samba s’ insurgent against the politico-socio-cultural flaws that gangrenaient the society of his time while calling for a change of mentality for a regenerated HaitiIn “Exploitation”, song with how evocative title, Timanno denounced the exploitation of man by man. He pleaded for the disappearance of inequalities within our community while inviting the different layers of society to concord. “Equality, fwatenite, sesa u nou obsève / for the vil fè youn sèl ak lakanpay”. She also spoke out against the sexual harassment that women often experienced in the workplace. “Gen youn’ll be a patwon pa konesans yap cheche se pito youn moun pou satisfaction santiman yo / yo mande yo fè over time, over time tounen over all … Gade misè fanm ap pase poul travay o Bon Dye! mesye lanmou pa dwo rantre nan afe travay »A bitter reality still present today, unfortunately. And “nan danje” reveals a sharp explosion of indignation against the treatment inflicted on Haitian emigrants in the United States, in Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, the Bahamas, Bolivia, etc … They use the fact that Haiti is poor to isolate and humiliate us. “Yo pran misè peyi nou fèl sèvi de jouman / toupatou kote nou pase yo choute nou ak kout piye / ses te fém mal lóm gade ayisyen blan nan sevis imigwasyon tap fè chyen devore”. Countries, however, who should be more lenient towards our compatriots remembering the contribution of Haiti to their liberation or their independence. It should be noted that this text inspired two American anthropologists Nina Glick-Schiller and Georges Fouron in an article published in the American Ethnologist in 1990: “Ti manno and the emergence of a national identity”. Haiti is poor to isolate us and humiliate us. “Yo pran misè peyi nou fèl sèvi de jouman / toupatou kote nou pase yo choute nou ak kout piye / ses te fém mal lóm gade ayisyen blan nan sevis imigwasyon tap fè chyen devore”. Countries, however, who should be more lenient towards our compatriots remembering the contribution of Haiti to their liberation or their independence. It should be noted that this text inspired two American anthropologists Nina Glick-Schiller and Georges Fouron in an article published in the American Ethnologist in 1990: “Ti manno and the emergence of a national identity”. Haiti is poor to isolate us and humiliate us. “Yo pran misè peyi nou fèl sèvi de jouman / toupatou kote nou pase yo choute nou ak kout piye / ses te fém mal lóm gade ayisyen blan nan sevis imigwasyon tap fè chyen devore”.Countries, however, who should be more lenient towards our compatriots remembering the contribution of Haiti to their liberation or their independence. It should be noted that this text inspired two American anthropologists Nina Glick-Schiller and Georges Fouron in an article published in the American Ethnologist in 1990: “Ti manno and the emergence of a national identity”. Countries, however, who should be more lenient towards our compatriots remembering the contribution of Haiti to their liberation or their independence. It should be noted that this text inspired two American anthropologists Nina Glick-Schiller and Georges Fouron in an article published in the American Ethnologist in 1990: “Ti Manno and the emergence of a national identity”. Countries, however, who should be more lenient towards our compatriots remembering the contribution of Haiti to their liberation or their independence. It should be noted that this text inspired two American anthropologists Nina Glick-Schiller and Georges Fouron in an article published in the American Ethnologist in 1990: “Ti Manno and the emergence of a national identity”.
In this context, he warned Haitians fleeing the country on makeshift boats in search of a well-being to heaven where they were never welcome (Cantè).

It was through patriotism as much as by humanism that Ti Manno composed “AIDS” in defense of Haitians accused in a spirit of Haitianophobia of “carriers of AIDS”. And the text of Ansy Derose “FDA wanraje”, which pushed millions of Haitians to the streets of Brooklyn on April 20, 1990 to protest against discriminatory practices through the Food and Drug Administration, is for the same purpose .

The love of the homeland inspired Ti Manno “David”, a text of a lyricism touching at a time when Haiti was living under the threat of a devastating hurricane, David. To the Haitian youth he loved so much, he launched a vibrant call to turn her away from vices and easy success “ti jen jan kap etidye / fók nou pa dekouraje sèvo nou ki paspó nou lajan superffli …” (Lajan)

24 years after the finder’s eyes were extinguished on May 13, 1985 at St. Luke’s Hospital in Manhattan, he will always be remembered as an ardent apostle of the resistance, a conscientious awakener who Presented at the helm beside many others, as a prosecution witness in the trial of a disgusting, macoutised society, where the law of the strongest prevailed, and where theft and corruption were erected in value. He was singing aloud what the others whispered in a whisper. Spokesman of his generation, he climbed the catwalks to sing the sufferings and miseries of many of us, hoping that these songs could pave the way towards equality, justice and happiness for all. In this sense, the singer Ti Manno is immortal, because these texts fill the

 

SUPPORT TO TI MANNO

    One of the first milestones of this show (Moment Kreol) was the radiothon organized for Ti Manno on WLIB and the support it provided to the community, who listened with difficulty to the health bulletins of one of his favorite idols .

    It all started on Sunday, April 7th when Fritz Martial launched “Operation Chaché Manno.” After 15 minutes, the phone rang and a listener said he could put us in touch with Manno. Manno called us and he was given a 45-minute interview and gave us the green light to do everything in our power to find a cure. one of the songs of New York’s Accolade title ‘Adieu Supreme’ Marc 347. During the days following the interview of Ti Manno, a bank account bearing the name of ‘Moment Creole Ti Manno Care Fund% Fritz Martial WLIB was Afterwards, ‘Operation Manno’s Chase became Operation hands-on, title of one of Manno’s songs and his Gemini All Stars.

    After the interview, the Haitian community of New York was mobilized and a mix of ideas dominated the rest of the day. Antoine Brutus, Vénerable of the Haitian Masonic Center offered us the center as a meeting place and a tête à tête was set for Friday, April 12, 1985.

    They had come, they were all there, this Friday of April. Doctors, musicians, hairdressers, cordiers, men and women of letters, engineers, schoolchildren, college students, housewives and bankers. After a few minutes of debate, a committee whose purpose was to save Ti Manno’s life was created. This committee broke up into several branches.

• A press committee having as members Rene Audain of the show Sociology and culture, Kathy Jean Baptiste, the wife of Ti Manno, Raynald Louis of Haitian Perspectives and Gerard Janvier of Haiti Tomorrow.

• A recreation committee composed of Myriam Dorismé, Guy Gerald Victor, Isnard Douby of the System Band, Jean Claude Dorsainville of Accolade, Rodrigue Gauthier “Ti Crane” of the Skah Shah.

• A medical committee consisting of Dr. Raynald Altema, Dr. Jean Robert Romulus, Dr. Pierre and Guy Gerald Victor, representative of Moman Kreyol.

    During the press conference, Guy Victor told the audience that Ti Manno had been sick for almost a year. However, although he lost 30 kg, his health seemed to be better at the time of the conference. Guy also said that Ti Manno had an ulcer in the intestine and that five days in the hospital could reach $ 10,000.

    As the conference unfolded, Fritz Martial informed the audience that he was beginning to receive checks and the bank account was $ 452.50.Given the large sum the committee would need to save Ti Manno, the $ 452 .50 was nothing. So, to reach the financial goal, the artists decided to burn a disc from a song composed by Dadou Pasquet. They also decided to ask nightclub owners to charge their customers another dollar. This surplus would be deposited in the bank account intended to cover Ti Manno’s medical expenses. Boxes with the effigy of Ti Manno or his followers and friends could deposit their contributions were installed in several trading houses of New York,

    Admitted at St. Luke’s Hospital in Manhattan on Tuesday, April 16, a statement from the press committee said Ti Manno was suffering from a colon ulcer. After being critical, her health had stabilized and she was being treated with oral medication. This press release was like a gift dropped from the sky for its followers. But the joy of this gift would be ephemeral. A month later, Manno gave up. His funeral was sung at Saint Matthew’s Church, Brooklyn, May 17, 1985. In our own way, Manno had a national funeral in New York. Lest his remains be stolen, the New York police escorted Ti Manno’s body to Queens Boulevard Cemetery on Saturday, May 17, and the rest was notorious.

 

Les Diables du Rythme, Les Formidables de Saint Marc, Volo Volo, Les Astros de New York, D.P. Express, Gemini All Stars

Emmanuel “Ti Manno” Jean-Baptiste
BIRTH
1 Jun 1953
Gonaïves, Artibonite, Haiti
DEATH
13 May 1985 (aged 31)
Manhattan, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA
BURIAL
Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum
Woodside, Queens County, New York, USA
MEMORIAL ID
126756032