Beken, 54, lost his
right leg at age 12 in a car accident. The quake destroyed
his home, pushing him and his wife and three children into a
squalid tent camp in Pétionville.
“I should be in Miami living off the proceeds of my
records,” said Beken,
born here 54 years ago as Jean-Prosper Dauphin
before adopting his stage name (pronounced Beck-ENN).
“Instead I’m living in the filth of this place,” he said,
summing up a predicament unbeknown to many who revere his
songs. Jean-Prosper Dauphin,
who sings songs about despair and redemption that resonate
deeply with Haitians, especially in its recent times of
tragedy. Beken,
who lost his right leg at a young age in a car accident,
sings in Haiti’s troubadour tradition, and plays a guitar,
connecting with his audience in songs of lament, humor and
sometimes politics.
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