When Music Becomes a Force for Hope

The Baille Tourible community band gives young people a space to learn, play together, cooperate, and become leaders in music as well as in life.

When our cofounder Régine Chassagne came to perform with Arcade Fire in the early years of KANPE, music resonated in Baille Tourible like never before. The children, fascinated by the instruments and powerful sounds, and accustomed to seeing youth from Hinche perform, asked themselves: what if we had our own band?

Moved by their enthusiasm, Régine purchased the first instruments and sent them to Baille Tourible. Soon after, local youth Jean Germain Duvelsaint, known as “Maestro,”  agreed to train the children and organize the group. “At first, many doubted, but the children showed that passion and discipline can move mountains,” he recalls.

Founded in 2014 with 15 young members, the band now counts around 60 participants each year. Guided by KANPE and local mentors, these youth—who previously had limited access to structured activities—become musicians, role models, and ambassadors for their community. Each rehearsal is a lesson in discipline, teamwork, and confidence. Older students mentor the younger ones, and girls take on leadership roles that were rarely accessible to them before.

The band signs contracts to perform at events, manages its own bank account, and finances collective projects such as goat farming or environmental initiatives. It also participates in activities at the experimental farm and reforestation efforts, perfectly illustrating the synergy between music, leadership, and sustainable development that defines KANPE’s holistic approach.

Today, Anderson Paul, a former student, has become a maestro himself, passing on his knowledge to the next generation and ensuring the continuity of the project. When the band parades through the village during celebrations, it transforms the atmosphere. And in a region with few opportunities, these young musicians remind everyone that talent is everywhere—it just needs opportunity and space to flourish.

The Baille Tourible marching band provides a space for young people to play together, cooperate, and grow as leaders in music and in life. It is not just a music group—it is a place where confidence, leadership, and hope are built for an entire community.