The Delicious Haitian Voodoo Jazz of Monvelyno Alexis at the Van Dyke

​Using Voodoo connotations might rile the wrong feathers.

But the bottom line is Monvelyno Alexis studied the nuances of Voodoo rhythms in his native Haiti after taking up the guitar at the age of 18.

That he'd already fiddled with wind instruments like the clarinet, flute, and trumpet are beside the point. The spirit got ahold of him in his late teens via the six-stringer.

Tomorrow night at the Van Dyke Cafe, we'll be in for a rare treat from a musician who has delved into the cultural and religious aspects of his environment and soul to come clean, barely broken by a layer of water to bare the pulse of his picking fingers.



In Kreyòl it might be "Cordes & Peaux/Kod ak Po." But in essence, it is "Skins and Strings." And that is all that will bring us into accord with the good night.

Monvelyno Alexis, presented by KCC Productions and Backyard Movement. Friday, May 6. Van Dyke Café, 846 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach. The show starts at at 9 p.m. Call 305-534-3600 or visit thevandykecafe.com.