Frisner Augustin

Haitian master drummer (born on March 1, 1948 at Port-au-Prince, Haiti; died February 28, 2012 at Port-au-Prince, Haiti). He was a major performer, teacher and composer of Haitian Vodou drumming. He migrated to New York in the early 70ies and later became the artistic director of La Troupe Makandal, an ensemble he led until his death. Augustin was the first and only citizen of Haiti to win a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in the United States, where he resided for forty years.