Always aware that freedom and culture go hand in hand, this ten-member band sing in the sporadically outlawed creole tongue and blend African religious motifs and street slang into a wild, syncretic celebration of Haitian voodoo culture. To sing out so boldly in Haiti, however, is to invite repression; although the band's "Wet Chenn" (Remove the Chains) won first place in a 1989 musical contest, their 1992 entry was banned. In an environment torn apart with military unrest and governmental crackdowns, Boukman Eksperyans are regarded as a radical threat. Thus, their 1990 song, "Kem Pa Sote" was banned from Haitian airwaves. 1991's Vodou Adjae was the first Boukman Eksperyans album released in the U.S.; subsequent offerings include 1992's Kalfou Dangare, 1995's Libete/Freedom (Let's Take It!) and 1999's Live at Red Rocks. Kanaval Rasin-Vodou Adja followed in mid-2000. ~ Leon Jackson