BélO

reggae, rasin, twoubadou

BélO, the stage name of Jean Bélony Murat, is one of the major voices of a generation that lets chanson, rasin, twoubadou, reggae, ragga, and soul speak together. From Croix-des-Bouquets, he chose guitar as a central instrument and developed a sound he often frames as ragganga: a blend where reggae and Haitian rhythms do not compete, but serve the same message. From the beginning, his music rests on a clear idea: Haiti is a root, but a root does not mean closure.

His first album, 'Lakou Trankil', appeared in 2005 and became an important step for conscious Haitian song. When he won the Prix Découvertes RFI in 2006 in Douala, he entered the international stage as a Haitian artist able to speak to Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and the diaspora without abandoning home. Albums such as 'Référence', 'Haïti Debout', and 'Natif Natal' continue that line: modern, open music still tied to Haiti.

'Lakou Trankil', 'Kote Moun Yo', 'Istwa Dwol', 'Pa Lage Sa', 'Vann Dlo', 'Timoun Yo', 'Deblozay', 'Drapo m Nan', 'Banm Nouvèl Ou', 'Wozo', and 'Ayiti Bel' show an artist who believes music can make people dance, think, and care for one another. He does not make engaged music as a lecture; he shapes it like a gentle conversation where daily life, country, children, love, the desire for change, and hope enter naturally.

BélO matters because he shows another model of the international Haitian artist: not scandal, not the large kompa machine, but a singer-guitarist using melody, Creole, and social conscience to make Haiti travel. He bridges modern rasin, chanson, Haitian reggae, and new-generation twoubadou.

Direct sources from 2025–26 show that line continuing: on 'Married Man' from the Afrospirit album, BélO wrote the music and lyrics and played guitar, with Manito Nation producing the recording. For 'Drapom Nan II' in 2026, he assembled twelve Haitian voices for a tribute to the flag, history, and unity, and co-wrote its music and lyrics with Ali Louissaint for BélOmusic.

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