Simone Duvalier imperious bearing, Haitians referred to her as "Mama Doc". She was, like her husband, reported to be a Vodou expert. She cultivated the image of a benefactor; dispensing charity to inhabitants of "Cite Simone", a planned settlement named for her that is known today as Cité Soleil, one of the most miserable slums in Latin America. Simone Duvalier's influence reached its peak after the death of her husband on 21 April 1971, when her nineteen-year-old son Jean-Claude Duvalier succeeded his father as Haiti's "President for Life". Simone Duvalier retained the title of First Lady, and relished the power it conferred.
Jean-Claude Casadesus Jean-Claude Casadesus Jean-Claude Casadesus (born Jean-Claude Probst) is a French conductor. Casadesus was born in Paris on 7 December 1935, the son of actress Gisèle Casadesus and her husband Lucien Pascal. He began his career as a percussionist before studying composition and conducting with Pierre Dervaux and Pierre Boulez. In 1969 he was hired as assistant conductor at the Paris Opéra and the Opéra-Comique. In 1971 he co-founded the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire with Pierre Dervaux, and acted as Dervaux's deputy there until 1976. In 1976 he became principal conductor of the Orchestre national de Lille, performing