Carlo Vieux, the eloquence of silence
I was at the Accor Arena in Bercy when CaRiMi returned to the stage in 2022. The show had an unfortunate ending, but it remains the most beautiful concert I have seen to date (after Kassav's 40th anniversary, of course). It took me over a year to get over the emotional shock and to listen to CaRiMi's music again, but I made up for it with Mickaël Guirand’s and Richard Cavé's solo projects. I wondered why Carlo hadn't released anything, and now we have the answer.
On November 7th 2025, a new documentary entitled “The Loudest Silence – The Story of Carlo Vieux” was released online. Written by Serge Turnier and directed by Kevin D. Noisette KN Visuals Media, it
recounts this suspended moment: nine years away from the spotlight, nine years to rebuild himself after the end of a fraternal and artistic adventure. Through previously unseen archive footage and testimonies from Richard Cavé, Mickael Guirand, JPerry, Shabba, Carel Pedre, Tina Ly, Fito Farinen, and many others, the film explores what remains when the music stops: the truth of a man, his wounds, and his rebirth.
I didn't watch the documentary right away because online content from Caribbean artists rarely reflects positive branding and storytelling (#isaidwhatisaid). But YouTube kept suggesting the video to me. I clicked on it, and what a pleasant surprise to find an inspiring testimony and valuable lessons to be learned!
Technology may evolve and the industry may change, but the fundamentals for achieving success remain the same. Artists from Guadeloupe and Martinique are desperately searching for ways to survive in today's music industry without ever returning to the fundamentals to give direction to their careers. Kassav’, through its career as a group and its solo members, Pierre-Edouard Décimus and Jocelyne Béroard, through their books “Pou Zòt” [read my review] and “Loin de l’Amer” [read my review], have shared with us their experience of rising to success during the second half of the 20th century. Carlo, and by extension the members of CaRiMi, give us a glimpse into the reality of life as a Caribbean artist achieving success with Caribbean music in the 21st century’s first quarter. Whereas Kassav' primarily conveyed what happens in the spotlight, Carlo tells us more about what happens when the lights go out. From carefree days to sacrifices and doubts, how can you forge your own path without losing your voice?
In this story of highs and lows, I find the principles that Kassav' followed: creating with intention, embodying an art form that expresses self-love, in order to express love for others, and being unapologetically Caribbean. Beyond the representation of Haiti’s strong cultural identity, here are the five lessons I would take away if I were an artist.
#1 Protect your passion
Music is part of Carlo's identity, but his connection to it goes beyond financial gain. Whether on stage or in private settings, he just loves making music. As a man in his 40’s, his intentions are certainly no longer those of the 12- or 13-year-old boy who was learning to play the piano, nor those of the 20-year-old young man adored on stage, BUT making music is still a source of joy for him. Carlo has built his life around his passion. He doesn’t make music out of obligation because of financial issues or a lack of other means of survival.
#2 Experiment your music style
The participants in the documentary describe CaRiMi's beginnings in the early 2000s. The trio was seen as a “boy band”... I didn't quite understand what kind of boy band they were referring to. Were they manufactured groups like N'Sync and the Backstreet Boys, or were they bands of musicians with similar beginnings, like Coldplay? According to the documentary, they didn't arrive with a formula that had already been tested and approved by a record label. Like Kassav', their artistic development took place over several years as they sought to find CaRiMi's musical identity. They drew inspiration from the konpa groups that preceded them, but they took the time to discover who they were.
#3 Know how to build your circle
Spending time together does not automatically mean you can work together. Matrixed by the mentality of “yo, my bro” and “yo la fanmi,” our artists struggle to build a support system to achieve their goals. This documentary reminds us of the fragile balance between friendship and professional relationships. Choosing your colleagues wisely is as important as choosing your friends wisely. Just because you're close doesn't mean you have to excuse a lack of professionalism. Just because you're not close doesn't mean you can't have a fulfilling professional relationship. As long as work ethic and shared values are respected, all the conditions are in place for things to go well.
#4 Take care of your mental health
Their struggle to find the right work/life balance led to the breakup. In the breakup segment, the word “depression” was mentioned once or twice with examples of certain members' behavior, but without any emotion attached to it. Their distress was real, but not heard. Richard Cavé attributes their communication problems to the Haitian mentality of “keep going no matter what”. Listening to your needs, putting yourself first—each of them had to learn to do this in their own way and at their own pace. Building a fulfilling private life requires an investment of time and energy that is often underestimated among our artists. Sometimes, music has to take a back seat.
#5 Have your own criteria for success
I've said it countless times in my audio series “Myths about Caribbean artists.” Everyone must have their own definition of success. It's not about blindly checking off the criteria for success dictated by the industry (streams, interviews, big concerts) or fantasized by the public (cars, houses, jewelry). It's about knowing what you want, why you want it, establishing a strategy, and executing that strategy. That's Carlo's conclusion. It doesn't matter if the public will support this project because he made the album he wanted, when he wanted, and how he wanted. He rose to the challenge he set for himself. Self-validation is more important than external validation.
In the end
So that's what I take away from the documentary. We could talk about the media training lesson, the financial management lesson, or even the lesson on the importance of mastering many languages. I would nuance what was said about how to connect with audiences today, because building Caribbean fan culture will be the challenge of the coming years... but let's save that topic for another day.
In any case, this documentary illustrates the fruits of patience while inspiring entrepreneurship. At the time of writing, it has over 30,000 views. The album is off to a good start in the charts. Carlo shows us that silence is sometimes necessary to be heard more clearly.
What did you take away from this documentary?