Student releases trilingual CD

by Emily Meyer

Daily Lobo

Musician Jacob Michael Decimus merges his Haitian roots with Western flavor on his debut album Love is a Mystery.

The UNM student moved to New Mexico in 1999.

He said because he hasn't been in the United States for long, he didn't want to deal with the hassle of a record label.

"I did it myself under my own production company," he said.

He also thought it would be too difficult to find a label interested in his style of music.

"So far it is working," he said.

Love is a Mystery mixes a laid-back Caribbean feel with influences from Western genres, including pop, rock, salsa and jazz.

"I think this music would be viewed as an innovation of Haitian music," Decimus said. "Haitian music has a lot of beats, a lot of percussion."

Most of the tracks feature acoustic and electric guitar, both played by Decimus, who also wrote the lyrics. Also included on the CD is percussionist Andre G. Leavell, bassist Robert Benjamin and keyboardist Roger Baker.

Decimus's music transmits through many cultures, said Jonathan Delk, an audience member who attended a release party for the CD.

"His style was very identifiable," he said. "The guitar sound was characteristic of the Caribbean. You can hear the influence through the music."

The album is primarily written in French and English, with the exception of one Creole song.

"Creole is the predominant language in Haiti, especially in the countryside," said Decimus, who grew up in Jacmel, Haiti.

Haiti has struggled with severe poverty, AIDS, political strife and riots.

Decimus said his music isn't about politics - he'd rather send the message of love.

The track "Where Are We Going," written in Creole, wasn't supposed to be on the album, Decimus said. But after events in Haiti in February, he decided to include the song.

"It doesn't have anything really political in it," he said. "It's just a sense of appreciation for where I'm from and the Creole language in general."

Decimus doesn't plan to make music his career, but understands the difficulty of creating music that can be packaged and sold to the masses.

"If anyone wants to be involved in music, it is a time-consuming effort, and you need to have a goal," he said.

He said he also learned a lot about advertising while preparing for his record release party.

"It was a learning experience," he said.

Decimus is not certain when his next concert will be.

"In December I will be in Haiti promoting my CD in Jacmel and Port-au-Prince and probably also Canada," he said.

Love is a Mystery can be purchased at Hastings, Borders and Natural Sound.