By: Jaury Mendela Jean-Enard
At the heart of every Haitian love story is Compas music. And at the core of every Haitian argument is soccer (foutbòl). Combining the love of music and the passion of soccer, Alix Timmer captured the heart of nearly every Haitian in the diaspora with his shop MaxiSound Music Hall.
In 1994, Timmer opened Maxi Sound Music Hall in the heart of Miami and the Haitian diaspora. Branded as a record shop and soccer lounge, Maxi Sound garnered the attention of nearly every Haitian celebrity and local favorites. The store is laid out in three parts: the entrance, soccer lounge in the back, and Timmer’s office in the middle.
The entrance is equipped with the most popular and timeless hit records such as Nu Look’s Encyclopédie (2009) and System Band’s Kotem Ye La (1995). The walls are decorated with vintage pictures of your favorite iconic celebrities and soccer players. His office is decorated with pictures of musicians and athletes with whom he rubs shoulders regularly. Finally, the back is relatively empty of decorations but always lively with arguments on what team and/or player is better. Having a staffed photographer at the shop, the comraderies and pleasantries are immortalized in every shot.
Timmer grew up in Port-au-Prince. He recalls going to watch founder of Compas music, Nemours Jean-Baptiste, play at Rue des Casernes.
“I was around 16 or 17 years old and when I got out of school, I would go watch him play and I’d wonder what it’d be like to be around him,” Timmer said nostalgically.
After immigrating to the U.S., Timmer lived in New York from 1970 to 1992. During that time he worked with renowned record producer and composer Fred Paul of Mini Records. Paul produced records for some of Haiti’s most respected bands, including Tropicana d’Haïti (one of Haiti’s longest running bands). Tropicana went on to enjoy international success and still performs today. Timmer credits Paul for his inspiration in the music business. In the 90s, Paul was the first person to bring Kasav and Coupé Cloué to perform in New York.
In 1992, Timmer moved to Miami with Paul to open a second Mini Records shop. The move was ideal for Timmer whose wife and kids were already living in Miami. In the Sunshine State, he rekindled relationships with old friends from Haiti with whom he played soccer. Among these people are Gabriel Fleury, Haitian national soccer player and Ernst Jean-Baptiste, soccer legend. They would later play in the Latin Cup and won five championships.
In 1994, a couple years after he moved to Miami, he combined his love of music and sports into Maxi SoundMusic Hall. The name was a spinoff from Paul who would from time to time use the name MaxiSon (son creole for sound), but forbade him to use that name. With over 200,000 Haitians in the Miami diaspora, Timmer’s combination of Compas music and soccer proved to be a winning ticket. The three part shop was quickly making the rounds as a must-visit stop in the diaspora.
Like a pilgrimage, people came in droves to the music hall. They came to socialize, eat, inquire about music and soccer, and mostly to buy their favorite records. MaxiSound quickly became a Haitian favorite. It was like a barbershop feeling on steroids, except it was frequented by men and women alike. Word quickly spread. Celebrities like Gracia Delva (turned politician), Gazman, Billy Salvador (owner of Violette-Miami soccer team), Pipo and Michel Martelly, aka Sweet Mickey (former president of Haiti) all were frequently spotted at the music hall. President Martelly even visited Maxi Sound during his time in office.
“A great part of my success is due to the support I received from others who were more established in the music business,” said Timmer. “Marc Records, Geromino Records and Joubert Charles of Nouvelle Generation of Flatbush, New York supported my idea and even donated tens of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise to help launch my business.”
Shortly afterward, Timmer would reinvent his already successful business by branding it as a ticket master. In addition to CDs, Maxi Sound Music Hall then sold tickets to South Florida’s most exclusive parties and events. Timmer also began promoting and organizing his own successful parties.
His biggest success would come in 2005 when he organized the 50th anniversary celebration of Compas Direct music. The celebration was attended by Nemours Jean-Baptiste’s wife Marie-Félicité, his daughter Yvrose, and his son Yves-Nemours. Held at Marabou Café, South Florida’s finest music enthusiasts numbered over 600 and partied until 4:00 am. White and red dress code was strictly enforced, evoking the full spirit of Nemours Jean-Baptiste among his fans. These were the official colors of Mr. Jean-Baptiste, calling them the colors of innocence and victory in his song Rouge et Blanc (Les Trois Dangers, 1965)
“It was one of the strongest emotions I’ve ever felt,” Timmer explained. “It was a celebration for a legend whom I grew up watching. I got to honor his family for what they’ve done for Haitian music and culture. The event was MC’d by my good friend and Compas Direct connoisseur Lucner Plaisir who passed away few months ago.”
Today, although Timmer is retired from MaxiSound, he remains as busy as that first day. After nearly two decades in business, he sold the record shop to a friend in 2013. He would later open another shop in neighboring Broward County where he receives guests for tours and stories of the Haitian music industry. He lends his expertise as stage manager for various events. He is also the manager for System Band and Freddy from Top Vice.
Timmer also started a new chapter in his life as an actor. He speaks about his acting career with the same excitement that comes with starting a new journey.
“I starred in Deux Frères Intelligent Volume 1 and 2,” he said jubilantly.
The third volume is currently in production and scheduled for release soon.