KANDELAB— A foundation built on a single conviction — that our songs are our memory.

Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Georges Vilson grew up in a family which valued Haitian culture and its musical traditions. His mother ignited his passion by immersing him in a magical world of music, replete with Creole lullabies and traditional, folk, classical, and religious hymns. Early on, she recognized his musical gift and nurtured his vocal and musical talents. At the tender age of 7, he was asked to perform a Christmas standard, Gloria In Excelsis Deo, at a local radio station. He later joined the choir Etwal Karayib, conducted by his older brother Jean Vilson, which exposed young Georges to a full repertoire of Haitian folk and Vodou songs as well as traditional dances. It is in this environment that he learned to play the conga drums and dance to Haiti's ancestral rhythms: kongo, petwo, ibo, yanvalou, djoumba, mayi, and many more.

Georges' involvement with the choir introduced him to other likeminded groups such as Club Lanbi in Carrefour. Performing and promoting Haitian folk and Vodou traditions was not without risks under Papa Doc Duvalier's oppressive regime. Most youth groups engaged in raising awareness and appreciation for traditional music were considered subversive and accused of having communist allegiances. Sadly, many young people were killed or forced to leave the country for Europe and North America under these circumstances.

When Georges migrated to the US in the late 1970s, his friends, impressed with his powerful and expressive voice, encouraged him to perform for a larger audience. The critical acclaim that followed secured for him a very prestigious honor: in 1985, he was chosen to represent Haiti at the 12th Annual Youth Festival in Moscow, USSR. His interpretation of Haiti's musical traditions to an international audience was a life-altering experience, and he returned home with the resolve that music would play a central role in his life.

He pursued his dream by matriculating at the City College of New York's prestigious Music Performance Program, where he earned a BFA in music performance. He continued to follow his avocation by touring with musicians of diverse styles. Eager to focus once again on Haitian music, Georges co-founded Pyebef, a band which explored and deepened the public's appreciation for music strongly rooted in African and Caribbean traditions. Pyebef burst onto the Haitian musical scene with both popular and critical acclaim, performing Rasin, Konpa-Rasin, and Soukous, touring major Haitian enclaves in Massachusetts, Florida, and New York before eventually dissolving.

Georges went on to join the New York Board of Education, where he taught choral music and directed steel bands as well as more traditional ensembles. He then earned a Master's Degree in Education from Brooklyn College. Today, after more than 20 years of classroom experience, he teaches choral music exclusively.

Georges' love and passion for traditional Haitian music has never faltered. For over a decade, he has painstakingly collected Vodou songs and lyrics offered by friends and acquaintances. While archiving scores of recordings, it became apparent to him that a critical element of musical conservation was missing: in spite of the hundreds — if not thousands — of recorded pieces of Vodou and other traditional rhythms, books of scores or musical notations memorializing Haiti's music for posterity were exceedingly rare. That unswerving desire to preserve Haiti's musical traditions compelled him to undertake this unique and ambitious project. He is currently the Executive Director of the Kandelab Foundation Inc., a nonprofit whose mission is to record and preserve Haiti's oral traditions.

By combining his formal musical training with his deep understanding of Haiti's traditional music in all its nuances, Georges Vilson is poised to offer a lasting gift to Haiti — an offering to the ancestors to whom he gives all honors.