Guyanese speak a lot on the defects of the local music industry, which are in most cases true. But one cannot turn a blind eye to those Guyanese, be it by birth or parentage, who are making their mark, and at the same time, proudly showcasing and owning their connections to Guyana.

A perfect example is Haitian Producer, Michael Brun who has grown into a global sensation with his unique productions.

His singular production style fuses traditional Haitian and Caribbean rhythms with modern pop and electronic beats. Tracks like ‘Gaya’, ‘Wherever I Go’ and ‘Bayo’ have earned millions of plays on Spotify, while catching the ears of tastemakers like Diplo.

Brun has collaborated with artists including Alicia Keys, Mr Eazi, Maxwell, One Republic, Calvin Harris and Tiesto. He has performed at major festivals including Coachella and Electric Daisy Carnival, co-founded the Haitian Heat playlist, launched his own non-profit festival in Haiti, and by committing himself to showcasing his country’s rich cultural heritage, he became a flag bearer for a new generation of Haitians. He also serves as the face of the Emmy winning Beatmaking Lab project.
Though Brun is Haitian by birth, his mother us Guyanese and during his growing years, he spent most of his summertime vacations in Guyana. So proud is he of his Guyanese lineage, Brun displays both the Haiti and Guyana flags.

In a recent local radio interview, the 28-year-old said that all the beauty of the world comes through the Caribbean, as such, more has to be done to showcase it internationally, especially Guyana.

He spoke about a recent album he produced, ‘LOKAL’, which highlights the beautiful sounds and culture of Haiti, and he collaborated with international artists to elevate it. The album is now an online sensation as people are visually experiencing the beauty and culture of Haiti. It is a production of like manner, Brun wishes to execute in Guyana.

“I’ve been doing this for about 10 years, ‘repping’ both countries. I started off as an EDM DJ and Producer, but then I realised along the way, a lot of what I was doing was just trying to be like the biggest Swedish DJ, the biggest German DJ or the biggest DJ from the UK. I didn’t want to be just the tenth best in that genre. I wanted to do something unique and different to stand out,” he said. “So I explored my culture and my background, did my research in Haiti, and that just expanded me as a person and expanded my music. I really want to uplift cultures that people don’t really pay attention to, and try to do the same for where I’m from. So I can’t wait to come to Guyana to do some stuff.”

Because it was his uniqueness that caused his career to catapult, and because his uniqueness was locally inspired, Brun advises all local talent who may want to get into the international level, to “just have to look around you to find the inspiration. Everything is right in front of you, you don’t have to go places.”

He said that one of his missions in the future is to learn all about his Guyanese history and culture and incorporate it in what he does.
“One of my missions in life is making sure that everything that I’m doing elevates the culture. Anything I can do to learn about my own history and all the amazing stuff that has been happening in the country, that’s exactly what I want to be doing right now,” he said. “Growing up, I spent the winter and school year in Haiti, and I would spend summers in Guyana. So because I’m a mixture of English, French and Creole, my experiences in both countries were so beautiful and important to who I am today,” Brun said.

Sharing brief personal history with the viewers and listeners on the interview, he said that his initial career choice was to be a paediatrician. But because his dad had a band in Haiti and his mom played the piano and the violin, he indispensably inherited the love and passion for music.

As such, in the middle of his medical career, with the help of his supportive parents, he was able to pursue his current career, which took off speedily because of his skill set and the connections with the right people in the industry.