Courtesy of PapJazz
Why Jazz Lovers Should Travel To Haiti For This Unique Musical Experience
A trumpeter at the Catts Pressoir Music School during PapJazz.
Haiti might be off the beaten path, but it's home to one of the most unique music festival experiences around. Into its 12th edition, the annual Port-au-Prince International Jazz Festival, also known as PapJazz, is back and better than ever this January 2018.The event is opening the world to seeing the country's special culture and the genre of jazz music in a new light. From after hours jam sessions at some of the best local restaurants in the capital city to hit Haitian-born DJ, Michael Brun, dropping a dance influenced set, expect an unexpected combination of sounds to come together. Instead of planning for your usual festivals, dare to go somewhere different. To get a deeper understanding of what attendees can look forward to, I spoke with the foundation's manager, Milena Sandler, who made it clear why this is a can't miss adventure.Isis Briones: What was the inspiration behind the PapJazz? Milena Sandler: "It came naturally to musician and President of the Haiti Jazz Foundation, Joel Widmaier. From a jazz background through his dad, the late Herby Widmaeier — who has been a promoter of jazz in Haiti through his radio shows — he wanted to do something that would honor the legendary genre in his country. Joel has also taken part in many festivals around the world and knew what it took to put one together on an international level."IB: It's remarkable that the festival also includes a mentorship program for native artists. Can you elaborate on its mission and how it came about? MS: "Since the first edition back in 2007, artists have always been asked to offer workshops geared towards aspiring, young musicians — free of charge. There is no jazz education and very few music schools in Haiti, so this is an opportunity for them to learn from professionals from all over the world.Today we can pride ourselves in having participated in the creation of new generation jazz musicians. Moreover, we recently started a school program, where we will give free jazz, harmony, composition, and music appreciation classes. We also plan to obtain grants that will improve the students' equipment and provide seminars for them"IB: EDM was also incorporated in the lineup through Michael Brun and given the influence dance music has on the festival scene, do you foresee the different genres blending on a larger scale? MS: "Our challenge and objective since the start has been to attract a larger crowd to this jazz festival, including a public not familiar with it. Plus, the Haitian music is very diverse and the inclusion of all kinds of music is what's made us successful.However, we still plan to focus the majority of the lineup on jazz musicians and at the end of the day, Michael is a great illustration of this. We didn't pick just any DJ, Michael includes his Haitian jazz roots into his sound. He will be closing out the festival this year showcasing the perfect example of diversity."
Courtesy of PapJazzAn inside look into PapJazz.
IB: Beyond revolutionizing people's perspective on jazz, what are some stereotypical misconceptions about Haiti that you feel the festival is helping change? MS: "The first thing that comes to mind is that in Haiti great things can happen. We offer events that meets international standards in terms of organization logistics, sound quality, comfort, and of course, security. Yes, there's a lot of poverty, but at the same time, the Haitian people have a real 'Joie de Vivre' that you can feel through their smiles and faith for a better tomorrow. Attending PapJazz does something to you, anyone who goes come back with a new outlook on Haiti and a better understanding of what the country could become.IB: 12 years is also a long time to be hosting a worldwide event, what would you say about this year makes things even better than the last? Can you point out some highlights festival goers shouldn't miss? MS: "We strive to bring better lineups each year, which is no easy task. Jazz musician fees can be quite expensive and it's important to remember that the festival is a nonprofit with most shows being free. Luckily, this year, we are proud to include two Grammy Award winners and thanks to the participation of foreign embassies, we were able to have artists from 12 countries.In this edition, we also made a commitment to make the event a tourist destination, in which we created various packages that allow for the possibility to explore the country, the kindness of its people, its rich culture, and beautiful beaches on a higher level. We know it will be an unforgettable experience."By Isis Briones for Forbes.com| November 20, 2017
My Happy Place: Wyclef Jean Reveals His Hidden Paradise In Haiti
In My Happy Place, we talk to some of our favorite people about their emotional connection with an unforgettable destination.
Wyclef Jean is one the biggest musical names to ever come out of the island nation of Haiti. His star first rose as a member of the famed hip-hop group the Fugees and continued to climb as Jean pursued a career as a solo artist, collaborating with everyone from Shakira to Young Thug. A three-time Grammy award recipient, Jean has never forgotten his home country of Haiti and regularly extols his love for the country through his music. Mic caught up with Jean at an October benefit for VH1’s Save the Music Foundation, which is dedicated to bringing instrumental education to U.S. public schools.For Jean, there’s one place in Haiti that he can’t forget. "It’s like a magical river. It’s called Saut d’Eau," he said. Saut d’Eau is the name of a town and 100-foot waterfall about 60 miles north of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
Saut d’Eau -- or Sodo in Creole -- is a place where natural beauty and Haiti’s rich history meet. The towering waterfall was created by an earthquake in the mid-1800s. According to local lore, shortly after a man saw the Virgin Mary appear near the waterfall. Saut d’Eau became a sacred site, and now, as Jean explains, "they have great ceremonies" every year.
The annual festival at Saut d’Eau occurs in mid-July, when Haitians, tourists and members of the diaspora travel to the waterfall to take part in the festivities. Attendees bathe in the water, hoping it will rid them of sicknesses or bring them good fortune. Both the Virgin Mary and her Vodou analog, the Haitian spirit Erzulie Dantor, are associated with the waterfall.Vodou -- more commonly spelled as "voodoo"-- is a key part of Haitian culture, and stems from its colonial history. When French colonizers made African slaves in plantation colonies like Haiti practice Catholicism, many combined the religion with indigenous African gods, giving birth to Vodou. That’s why Vodou spirits, like Erzulie are often so similar to Catholic religious figures like the Virgin Mary.
Music is woven into the yearly Saut d’Eau festivities. "You go out there, a lot of music is played," Jean said. "The style of the music is called rara. Rara is the roots." During the festival, rara musicians lead a procession from a church in Saut d’Eau to the waterfall. The main instrument used in rara is a bamboo or metal cylinder called a vaksen, which is accompanied by drums and other percussion instruments.
Rara is also played during Easter and Haiti’s equivalent of Mardi Gras, Carnival, which happens every year in the weeks leading up to Lent.
Jean hasn’t always had such a rosy relationship with his home country. After a catastrophic earthquake upended Haiti in 2010, his charity Yéle was accused of overspending on travel and luxury office expenses, as well as not fully paying its contractors. Jean responded to criticism in 2010 saying, "I never would ever take money for my personal pocket when it comes to Yéle," and that he has "always been committed to the people of Haiti."
Despite being roiled by the Yéle controversy, Jean remains dedicated to uplifting his country, and he released a song named "Lady Haiti" in February 2017. For Jean, the synesthetic combination of music, nature and religious ceremonies make the Saut d’Eau waterfall and festivities one of the most treasured pieces of Haiti. And at the end of the day, it sums up what Jean loves so much about his native home: "You chill. You meditate. You enjoy nature."By: Benjamin Moe for Mic.com | November 6, 2017
Haitian artist Didier William conveys current events, life in homeland through painting
Artist Didier William visited the college Monday to discuss his career and present several of his works to students. William, who is currently the Chair of the Masters and Fine Arts Program at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, was born in Haiti and moved to Boston, Mass. at six years old.Several of the pieces William presented focus on his own gender and sexuality, his Haitian heritage and the nation’s history and military. During the talk, William presented his painting “His Life Depends on Spotted Lies” and said his inspiration for the piece came from the Trayvon Martin case, in which unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin was killed by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, an act for which Zimmerman was acquitted.William said that his art comes from a small idea that expands and that he wants his artwork to reflect how difficult the process is. William is interested in a painting’s ability to “amaze and offend,” he said.William said his painting “Erzuile Toujours Konnen” focuses on his life in Haiti. His piece “This Pig is Heavy” focuses on an outbreak of swine flu that occurred in his homeland of Haiti. William also said that his painting “I Remember When I Was A Little Girl” is meant to tell a story about life in poverty.In his time as an artist, William has also taught at numerous prestigious schools, including Yale University. William shows his work in galleries and is currently based in Philadelphia, Pa.The paintings William presented to audience members included “Tumble,” “Sanitizing Sanity,” “Keyhole,” “I Remember When I Was A Little Girl” and several more. William also presented his most recent work titled “Camouflage.”William discussed his artistic background with the audience, explaining that as a young man he took numerous art classes. William started out as a sculptor and spent his time in graduate school digging through material. After a hesitant start, he ended up being successful in his craft, he explained.Many of William’s paintings also focus on the use of space and color, frequently including eyes. According to William, he has been inspired by artists like Robert Colescott, Helen Frankenthaler, Sigmar Polke, Carroll Dunham, Belkis Ayón and Azil Politik. He said that print has changed the way he has thought about painting. William explained that he didn’t choose to be an artist, but that art found him and he was always compelled to make art.According to art professor Nestor Gil, he invited William to the college for a variety of reasons, saying that William is an artist from whom “we can learn a great deal.” Gil knows William from collaborative work at the Experimental Printmaking Institute at Lafayette.“[William] treats themes and subjects that are current and urgent in our culture and society,” Gil said.William will exhibit his work in Miami this December and will return to the college in January to show his work in a collaborative effort called “Swarm” with Professor Gil. “Swarm” will be on display in the Grossman Gallery.By Anthony Orlando | October 20, 217
Pièce De Résistance: Haitian Artist’s Work Explores Life
With eyes wide open to gaze with wonder at life’s ebb and flow, Monnin’s curiosity is boundless. In her soul, she believes life is endlessly fascinating and worth documenting through ethereal kinetic sculptures she calls L’Ange or angels, made of raku-glazed pottery, pearls and crystals strung on wires, and other sculptures, installations and colorful paintings that explore Haitian culture, faith and life in the island nation.
Monnin is one of the best-known contemporary female artists in Haiti, and her artwork has been exhibited in one-woman shows and exhibitions at art centers, museums and galleries around the world.Now her work is being featured at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. “Birth of the Hummingbird and Other Marvels” opened Friday with a reception and gallery talk by the artist.
“I like going with the flow of life, and I never do anything by half-measure. Even as a child, I liked putting things together, and I loved to go to the hardware store. Take me to a clothing store, and I don’t know what to do. I feel my femininity, and I will fight for it, but I prefer tools over shoes,” Monnin says, laughing.
She has been described as “a prominent member of the newest school of Haitian artists, a group of sophisticated young moderns who are hip and well-traveled, and are energized by the ethos of Haiti, but present it in a contemporary manner,” according to one gallery description.
Born in Port-au-Prince in 1974, Monnin grew up in Geneva, Switzerland with her mother and spent school breaks and summers in Haiti. Her father, Michel, owns the noted Galerie Monnin.
She studied art education, including painting, printmaking and sculpture in Geneva, and returned to Haiti to live in the 1990s. Recently, she moved to Paris.Her artwork is informed by considerable research, composed through personal reflection and guided by experience and instinct. “The Birth of the Hummingbird and Other Marvels” brings together different aspects of her work, according to the WCA, and features installations, paintings, drawings, mobiles and sculptures.
“I don’t believe in borders between different art forms. It’s sometimes sad to think that people put art on one side, music on the other, architecture over here, but it is all art, and if we all hold hands, we can fit the puzzle together,” Monnin explains.
The artist also is participating in the annual Haitian Art Society Conference, hosted by the WCA now through Thursday. The event features special presentations, exhibition gallery talks and tours of museums, art centers and private collections in the Cedar Valley, Dubuque, Davenport, Milwaukee and Chicago.
As the repository for the world’s largest and most significant public collection of Haitian art, “it’s important to celebrate and show how we’re interpreting the works and paying respect to the artists and work,” says curator Chawne Paige.
This is the second time the international conference has taken place in Waterloo.
The Monnin exhibition will continue through Jan. 8 in the Forsberg Riverside Galleries. Pieces by additional Haitian artists represented in the WCA collection are on display in other gallery spaces.
Have You Met Local Haitian American Artist Angie B.?
“Let your passion be your guide,” was the biggest takeaway from an inspiring conversation with Haitian-American artist, Angie B. This amazing, multi talented artist has fearlessly combined her love of art and design into a multitude of mediums - paper, canvas and even t-shirts. She's an artistic force to be reckoned with.Angie B. is a Long Island native who grew up driven by creativity in all forms. From pencil to photography, there weren’t many forms of media that she hasn't explored. While earning her visual arts degree at Fordham University, she discovered her love for both the classical and abstract arts. She mused at how line and form had the power to create lasting connections and emotions.Currently, Angie continues to build her body of work and experiment with various mediums including ink, paint, wood, and various canvas. She also works as a graphic designer.
Haitiville: What drives/motivates you?Angie B: My primary motivation is the drive to always be better than I was yesterday.Haitiville: How has your culture influenced your work?Angie B: One thing that always stands out to me about my culture is the vibrancy in the art, the nation, and the people. I try to reflect a colorful and vibrant feel to a lot of my pieces.
Haitiville: What does growing up Haitian mean to you?Angie B: To me, growing up Haitian means pride, richness in culture, family, laughing, community, tradition, and resiliency.
Haitiville: Who are your artistic idols? Who do you look up to?Angie B: I’m a fan of Da Vinci, Picasso, Gaugain, Jackson Pollock, Frida Kahlo, and many other figurative and abstract artists. There are so many amazing artists past and present that have effectively transferred their emotions onto canvas. It is easy to become inspired by them all.
Haitiville: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?Angie B: Art wise, I actually have no real idea and I don’t mind that. [It] helps keep my mind free to create my art based on my current emotions. I’ll definitely continue to aggressively build up my portfolio and see where it takes me. The next few years are my blank canvas, creating as the days come. That’s the most exciting thing to me.Haitiville: Tell us about your upcoming November 4th event?Angie B: Oh, it's my first solo art show. Super excited.Angie B., we can't wait to see what the future holds for you. Wishing you the very best!!Interested in seeing more of Angie B.’s artistic talents and learning more about her art show? Visit her beautiful INSTAGRAM account. Her t-shirt designs can be found at hypd. Apparel.
Haitian artist, Zoey Dollaz drops 'M'ap Boule' EP
Zoey Dollaz, the Haitian artist and Freebandz signee unleashed his EP M'ap Boule.The new EP's title is for “I'm Chillin" but technically means "I'm Burning". The EP's title and cover art couldn't be more fitting, Zoey is on FIRE!!!. Executive produced by Future (who also appears on two songs) and featuring the likes of Chris Brown, Casey Veggies, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and other hip-hop top dogs, M'ap Boule is already generating buzz online, and deservedly so.Through seven tracks, the EP explores trap, R&B, reggae and even Asian-tinged sounds, ruminating on love and success in 2017. Take "Post & Delete," the Chris Brown-featuring track on which Dollaz muses, "Shawty got all in her feelings, told her I ain't with the Instagram/ Little mama when we chillin'/ I ain't down with the filmin'/ No Snapchat or no Periscope/ You can do that shit but not by me though." A new version of Dollaz's 2016 hit "Bad Tings," featuring new verses from Future and Tory Lanez, is sure to be another standout.M'ap Boule comes right on the heels of the Miami rapper's mixtape Nobody's Safe, which dropped in May. Now, he's hitting the road with Future for select stops on his labelmate's HNDRXX Tour, alongside other big names like Ty Dolla $ign, Post Malone and Lil Yachty.Stream M'ap Boule in full below, and look out for more from this up-and-comer.
source: Billboard.comby