BIOGRAPHY: JOSEPH "FANFAN" LOUIS
Internationally acclaimed and dynamic Haitian entertainer Joseph Frantz Louis, founder of Le Fan Productions, LLC, performs and composes jazz, reggae, Haitian folk songs, intertwined with Brazilian and African rhythms, for a global sound that is like none other. For over twenty five years, Joseph has been among the most beloved instrumentalists in the Washington Metropolitan area, His passion for music began at a young age, playing the drums then moving on to the bass guitar. A strict upbringing forced him to hide his talents, but his fervor for music never strayed. He formed the band Boukman Eksperyans, before moving to the United States to further his music training and pursue a professional career as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter.
Throughout his career Joseph has maintained the middle ground between jazz and classical guitar with great style and grace. As lead guitarist for the Washington D.C. based soca group, Image Band for over twelve years, Joseph traveled and performed with many of the industries major soca and reggae artists from the United States and Canada, all the way to the U.S. Virgin Islands. He was awarded a certificate of appreciation by the Smithsonian in recognition for his exceptional contribution and participation to the diffusion of knowledge about folk life traditions. He was nominated for Best Guitarist in the Greater Washington Metropolitan area by the WAMA Association in 1991. He has performed for countless music festivals and concerts throughout the United States, Canada, and the West Indies, and even an official Inaugural Ball for President Bill Clinton.
On his latest compilation, Between a Rock and a Heartbreak, he has redefined his own unique and diverse take on musical rhythms, beats, and sound.
