Gérard Daniel, also known as Préfet de Brooklyn, was born in Port-au Prince, Haiti on July 26th, 1956, to a Dominican father, Gérard Daniel Sr. and a Haitian mother, Miralda Daniel. He is the father of Jay Anthony Daniel and the only (order) brother of Gracia Daniel.

While living and growing up in Haiti, he attended Lycée Toussaint Louverture. As a young boy, Gérard was sent to the power plant, where he learned to play the clarinet. During his schooling, he eventually met saxophonist, Jean Robert Damas who let him experiment with his instrument. He never looked back from this moment forward; some would say the rest is history.

Gérard was a proclaimed saxophonist, father, and inspiration to many other artists. At a young age, his love for music led him play with Les Pashas in the late 1960s and join Les Shelberts in 1973. At the age of sixteen, he joined the 3rd generation of Les Shleu Shleu and later this generation would form the band known as Djet-X. This was the emergence of Gérard’s fame, predominately in New York and the West Indies. However, his music was beloved by people everywhere around the world.

In 1980, he produced music with Mario Mayala and the duo became GM Connection, creating an album entitled “You And I.” Many proclaimed him as one of the best saxophonists of all time, competing with the likes of Carmin Bichotte, Jean Robert Damas, and Tony Moïse. Loved by Haitians and respected by Martiniquans and Guadeloupeans, Gérard Daniel’s outreach was unparalleled.

For many people, Gérard was spearheading the movement as a Haitian-Dominican musician in the 1970s, an era where musical evolution was at its peak. Gérard produced unique, distinct sounds that gained fame in all foreign countries. It was a heart-wrenching day for many when he passed away on January 8th, 2018. While he isn’t physically with us, his legacy continues to live on and touch people daily. He made groundbreaking strides in music history that will never be forgotten.