The country of Haiti introduced an an entire set of stamps for their favorite son, classical music composer Occide Jeanty. It is somewhat unusual for a country to dedicate a whole series of stamps to a single composer, another example you can read about was the 1942 set dedicated to the composer Gioachino Rossini from Italy. Interestingly, Haiti issued three commemorative stamps of different denominations and also two air mail stamps as a part of the same set.
Each stamp features a portrait of Jeanty. There are really two designs, each of which depicts the same portrait of Jeanty. Two of the stamps picture him in front of an official building, while the other two have a background of musical notation. The two designs appear in different color combinations on the four stamps.
The musical notation is from the “1804” Marche Militaire. The piece commemorates the Haitian Independence which culminated in 1804 after many years of revolt by the island’s mostly enslaved population.
Scott #’s HT 467 and HT 468
The country of Haiti occupies the western (almost half) of the island of Hispaniola next to the Dominican Republic. Haiti won independence from France in 1804 after the only successful slave revolt in the western hemisphere. In 1881, Haiti issued it first postage stamps and there have been a whole series of stamps dedicated to important citizens of the country. Read more about the postal history of Haiti here.
Occide Jeanty
Scott #’s HT C166 and HT C167
Occide Jeanty (1860-1936) was born in Port-au-Prince and grew up in a musical household. His father taught music at a local school and also was the director of Military Music Corps at the National Palace. Occide studied the trumpet and won a prestigious scholarship to study at the Paris Conservatory with the famed Jean-Baptiste Arban. He also studied piano and music composition in Paris. In 1885, he returned to Haiti where he became the music director for the President.
Jeanty composed a number of military marches, patriotic songs, and funeral marches that were used at ceremonies burying Haiti’s dignitaries. Jeanty also wrote popular dance songs including polkas and meringues. In 1915, Jeanty was serving in the Haitian military when the United States occupied the country. He stepped down a year later – though it is unclear why. He was reinstated in 1922. You can read much more about this important and often overlooked black classical musician and composer here.
Here is a taste of Jeanty’s jaunty music. Enjoy.
