Wesli
Born in 1980 to a family of seven children in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wesli (Wesley Louissaint) built his first guitar at the age of eight by stringing an old oil can with nylon fishing line. From these humble beginnings, he has gone on to become one of Haiti’s most inspiring and celebrated musical ambassadors. Wesli has earned acclaim across the globe for his appealing music, energizing live performances and charming personality. In 2019, his accomplishments were officially honored when he won the Juno Award (the Canadian equivalent of the GRAMMY) for World Music Album of the Year.
The sounds of Wesli’s childhood–from Evangelical gospel to reggae, Afrobeat, funk and, of course, the diverse roots music of Haiti–continually influence his compositions, which blend traditional Haitian rhythms and lyrics with a wide range styles. Based in Montreal since the early 2000s, Wesli explores a variety of genres while keeping his musical identity firmly anchored in his roots and Haitian cultural heritage.
Wesli’s musical adventure began at a young age when he sang alongside his mother in the gospel choir of the local church. His father, Henri Louissaint, was a well-known banjo and percussion player of twoubadou, a popular Haitian folk music style. Inspired by his parents, Wesli began playing the guitar as his primary instrument along with banjo and a wide range of traditional percussion. Growing up in a poor household, Wesli was often told that he had to be seven times better than anyone else to make it out of poverty. After experiencing the joyful, passionate music played around him as a child, both by his parents and his broader community, he dreamed of becoming a professional musician. He likes to say, “music chose me to share its spirit.”
Since moving to Canada, the versatile singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer has accompanied the greatest Caribbean artists and several big names in African music during their stays in Montreal. He opened for Tiken Jah Fakoly and Magic System at the Olympia in Montreal, as well as for Alpha Blondy at the Metropolis to sold-out crowds. Since 2008, Wesli and his group have regularly performed on more than 50 major festival stages in Canada, in addition to touring the entire world, always offering captivating performances.
The many prestigious awards he has earned since 2016 are the results of his immense talent: The Hagood Hardy SOCAN Award (2016); the Dynasty World Music Award (2017); the JUNO award for World Music Album of the Year (2019), as well as the Felix for the World Music Best Recording Award at ADISQ in the same year. For Wesli, winning the JUNO award proved to him that the musical and cultural value he brings to the world had been accepted and welcomed, a message he hopes other young Haitian musicians will see as a sign that they too can inspire change with their craft. In 2020, he also won the Coup de Coeur Académie Charles-Cros Prize (France, 2020), the Best World Music song from the American Independent Music Awards, as well as the title of Best World Music Artist at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
The first volume of this epic work, Tradisyon, which focuses on Haitian roots, acoustic and traditional styles, was released on CD worldwide on October 21, 2022. Overflowing with 19 songs, the album explores traditional chants from the voodoo religion, explosive carnival rara rhythms and lilting, folksy twoubadou songs. Tradisyon will be followed a few months later by Tradisyon, Pt. 2, a stunning exploration of new directions in Haitian music, blending traditional genres with electronic music, Afrobeat, soul, funk, hip-hop and more to create a rich, festive and uniquely engaging sound.
In 2023, Wesli’s album Tradisyon Vol. 1 received a JUNO nomination for Global Music Album of the Year as well as a CMFA nomination for Global Roots Album of the Year.