A “Zetwal” Has Faded, and My Sky Loses Its Blue.

By Jean Venel Casséus The news of the passing of evangelical singer Élie Pierre, this May 13, 2025, shocks me. Whether one is aware of it or not, death is an unavoidable appointment, and yet, it always shocks and will continue to shock. Élie's journey to eternity leaves an immense void in the sky of Haitian Christian music. A “Zetwal” has gone out, and an entire section of our sonic and spiritual memory falters. My own sky has lost some of its blue. But fortunately, there are voices that never die. They inhabit the soul, radiate deep within hearts, and become, over time, spiritual benchmarks. Élie Pierre was exactly that. I wouldn't be a great music lover without Zetwal, the group within which Élie shone brightly. This mythical group defined the golden era of Christian music in Haiti. “Zetwal” on stage meant blessed moments, warm chords, captivating refrains, and sighs of hope. Between Alabanza and Zetwal, my heart was torn. But my affection leaned towards the latter, so much did the human and artistic proximity with some of its members, like Woodler Alezy and Moïse Temitis, bind me to their path. It was through Moïse that I had the privilege of meeting Élie Pierre. From “Zetwal” to “Revelasyon”, I followed him like a true groupie, drinking in each of his interpretations like living water. I love voices that are prayers, precisely and simply. Élie Pierre was that transcendental voice that pierced through walls, doubts, and pains. He was a messenger with a vibrant timbre, an instrument in the hands of the Most High. He had that rare ability to melt the hardest hearts, to raise souls in adoration, to remind us that God is greater than our wounds. Today, he is no more. At least, not here on earth. His body returns to the earth, but his soul, we have no doubt, now sings in the heavens. And his voice will remain with us in our memories, in our recordings, in our worship services where it will still resonate through generations. Élie Pierre has left us, but he has left us with a mission: to keep alive the light he sowed, this faith in music that soothes, gathers, and uplifts. Thank you, Élie Pierre, for the beauty, the faith, the commitment. You were a gift. May your time among us remain a call to authenticity, to sincere praise, to greatness of soul. Rest in peace, eternal “Zetwal”. May 14, 2025