There are three important characters in Dévieux’s “Piano-Bar, Eva, Daniel, and Christian. Eva’s character plays the most important role pertaining to music as a source to aid in retention of valued cultural customs. Eva drunk on the music at the piano-bar is encouraged to break away from a domineering patriarchal custom and stand her ground to become an independent woman, navigating toward her dream of teaching children. She also uses the piano-bar as a social tool to help her in acculturating well into her new home in Canada. Eva is described as, the embodiment of “the spirit that gave birth to the dynamic Caribbean communities in exile” (Dévieux, xxvi). I feel that this is an exemplar way of describing how adaptable Eva is, yet also very strong, like a tree with deep roots that easily sways in the wind. Eva does not need to drink alcohol, “the alcohol is in that music, in that song, in that voice . . .” (Dévieux, 74). Eva is annoyed at how the other patrons talk over her music, the music that is a valued…show more content… He has the unique ability to actualize the sound of his cultural music, able to manipulate the tempo, tone, quality, and range, of sounds that he is familiar hearing, and adapt them into popular music. This musical ability is exactly what was needed to help transform Haitians in Canada from a marginalized, “visible” immigrant, into an accepted and valued addition to the community. Simply because of the popularity of the music he can produce at the piano-bar. Christian is like the hand that twists the kaleidoscope, forming ever changing patterns. In addition, he helps shape the younger generation produce music, because when he is not at the piano-bar, or composing his own music while it is raining, he is giving lessons to the community. However, every story needs an
