In 1998, Manno Charlemagne, the newly elected Fanmi Lavalas mayor of Port-au-Prince, sent armed men to the Oloffson to dismantle the float on which RAM was scheduled to perform in the upcoming annual Carnival. The mayor had taken offense to the lyrics of one of the band's songs, which he interpreted as an accusation of corruption. In a compromise, the band was allowed to perform on a flatbed truck. However, the brakes on the truck were sabotaged [evidence?] and during the procession, the truck swerved into the crowd, killing eight and forcing the members of the band to flee for their lives. Since moving to Haiti in 1985, Morse has been involved in the "vodou" community. The music he writes and performs is inspired by traditional "vodou" folk music, and incorporates the "petwo" drums and "rara" horns used in "vodou" ceremonies. Eventually, Richard Morse became so involved in the "vodou" religion through his music that he was initiated as a "houngan", or "vodou" priest, in 2002. Describing a RAM concert, Morse explains, "Yes, you might see our dancers go into a trance. Some get possessed by the loas, to the rhythm of the drums, but it's a natural state when it happens. You can't fake it."