Many of us in the course of our life know someone whose friendship brought us fun and pleasure. In my case, it was a very talented soccer player and guitarist. I have wondered many times whether he could have been just like Julio Iglesias. The latter was a goal keeper who became one of the most famous Latin singers. Fritz Léandre, aka Frito Léandre, was a very outgoing young man who loved football and music. He was living in Port-au-Prince where he was playing soccer for Racing Football Team. But, when he would come to Cap-Haïtien, our hometown, everybody in the neighborhood, specially the girls, knew that the nights under the moonlight would echo the joy of his warm voice with the “Rancheras” of Javier Solis or some hits from Jon Lucien, his favorite singer.
I would be standing there, as a teenager, among his cousins and friends, listening and focusing on his playing. It always seemed like music made him free. His premature death has anguished many. However, he has remained alive in my mind since music also makes me free.
He is the inspiration of my piece entitled “Vals Matinal”
Vals Matinal–An Memwa Frito Léandre
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