kiskeácity #LOF1804: carnival

Showing posts with label carnival. Show all posts

3/3/17

Legacy of 1804 | Haiti News & Blog Review | Kanaval & Presidents #LOF1804

This Friday night at 9PM, join me and co-host Hugues Girard as we go over the week's news about Haiti and Haitians.

Topics: Kanaval expenses in Haiti, Sweet Micky's not so "PG" outburst in Okay against two prominent journalists and what it means for Jovenel Moïse | Café Philo discussion on mining in Haiti | Rape survivor Cynthia Verna's outburst on the arrest of a 60-year-old for the rape of an 11-year-old | The arrest of an American missionary for pedophilia.

Listen live or archived at the player below or at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pancaribbean/2017/03/04/legacy-of-1804-haiti-news-blog-review-kanaval-and-presidents-lof1804 or listen at 714-242-6119.

(For those reading this via email part of this post may not be visible via email. See the full post and post-show notes at kiskeacity.com.)

POST-SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

Minute 1-30: Reminiscing on Rene Preval and Thierra Gardere's lives.

Minutes 30-40: Clips and highlights of GwetoDe swearing-in ceremony on February 25th.

Minute 40-End: Clip and commentary of Martelly at Kanaval Okay; Discussion of Cynthia Verna triggered on Facebook Live; Discussion of Arkansas missionary Daniel Pye jailed in the US for child sex tourism in Haiti; Discussion of mining in Haiti.

Legacy of 1804 with Zack Ethéart #LOF1804

Join me and Hans Roy tonight at 9PM as we interview Zachary Etheart, a Columbia University student who wrote the following article about the policing of black students on the Columbia University campus at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests.

http://features.columbiaspectator.com/eye/2014/11/06/studying-while-black/

Zack Etheart is a writer and a student in his fourth and final year as an undergraduate at Columbia University. He has interned at The New York Times Magazine, Harper's Magazine, and Interview Magazine, as well as on the creative team at eyewear start-up Warby Parker. He covers art and politics, and is especially interested in film, fiction, radical activism, and fashion. He is majoring in race and ethnicity studies, and is planning to graduate in May 2015.

Listen live at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/belize/2015/02/14/legacy-of-1804-with-zachary-ethart-lof1804 or 646-716-8541.

Update: Show audio

Check Out Current Events Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Belize Abroad Radio on BlogTalkRadio

Kiskeácity Daily | Instagram | @kiskeacity| Facebook | Tumblr

8/31/13

Phoenix Refined: Representing Haitians on the Parkway #LaborDay2013

Date: Aug 30, 2013 12:42 PM

Good Morning,
I hope all is well & prosperous. My name is Kimberly Charles & I am pleased to inform you about my organization Phoenix Refined NYC's 1st Costumed Haitian Mas Band.

On September 1st Phoenix Refined will be partnering with LaCaye Restaurant, Changing Gears Ent. & Zing Experience To Present a Labor Day Celebration In the Posh Fort Greene Neighborhood. LaCaye Is Located at 35 Lafayette Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11217.
The events are set to begin at 9pm Sunday September 1st with a Performance By Zing Experience. The night will be filled with acoustic vibrations & creole savors. We will be echoing the energy of the annual "J'Ouvert" pre-party celebrations.

http://fortgreene.patch.com/groups/events/p/labor-day-bash-with-zing-experience-at-la-caye

Then on Monday September 2nd, 2013 we will be premiering our 2nd debut on Eastern Parkway for the West Indian American Day Carnival where we will be presenting our theme THANKFUL: An Ode To The Haitian Ancestry!!! Where we'll be reveling in the Ancestral Spirit. We will be located at Rockaway Parkway & Winthrop

Phoenix Refined brought the 1st Annual Haitian Masquerade Camp to New York City for The West Indian American Day Carnival to rejuvenate the numerous aspects of the Haitian Heritage by Teaching Culture through the Art of Masquerading. Our purpose with the Haitian Masquerade Camp is to use it as a platform to enlighten others about the rich legacy of Haiti through Cultural Affairs like Live Events, Conferences, Fashion Shows, Music, Art programs and more. This will therefore empower the Haitian Community & Teach cultural empathy and awareness through out the Caribbean Diaspora. Although the movement began in this manner it doesn’t just end there “We’re more than just a Masquerade Camp; We’re Haitian Cultural Ambassadors To The World!!!”

This Haitian Masquerade Camp was brought to life because of the lack of Haitian Representation in the Caribbean Community. We are the missing link to restoring our countries rich culture and history in New York City. Phoenix Refined believes in giving back to the community and so with that we are collaborating for our 2nd year with It Takes a Community to Raise a Child, a nonprofit learning facility, which addresses the students’, individual needs so that he or she may develop physically, spiritually, intellectually, socially, and morally; ITAC believes in educating the whole child. We play a role in the cultural education of these children and in the near future we hope to branch out further.

Since The creation of Phoenix Refined we have been blessed to work with many non for profit organizations and expose others to the Haitian Culture. We have worked with inner city Schools Like Mott Hall Bridges Academy in conjunction with a group called Passport to the City +NoMadness Travel Tribe, Capra Care, New York Cities Haitian Consulate, Fabrice Armand’s Haiti Cherie Pride, Love & Commitment, The National Haitian Student Alliance, C2C’s Hope & A Future Benefit Concert, LaCaye Restaurant at BAMs Dance Africa Festival and Many More. Our Vision & Our Goal Is To Produce Proud Haitians & Haitian-Americans who are Proactive, Invovled & Aware Of Their Rich Culture. With Phoenix Refined The Proof is in the Pudding come & see for yourself.

With Phoenix Refined we are creating an environment where we bring the camaraderie back into the Haitian Culture and the Caribbean Diaspora as a whole.

Phoenix Refined Premiered Last Year As NYC's 1st Haitian Masquerade Camp & This Month Makes It Makes A Year That We've Not Only Displayed Our Haitian CULTURE On The Streets of BROOKLYN For The West Indian American Day Carnival But We Have Also Been Blessed To Work With The Kids, The Community, Our Elected Officials & Expose Countless Amounts of People from All Over The WORLD To The HEART, The JOY & The PRIDE of HAITIAN CULTURE!!! We Don't Just Sell Costumes for Kanaval In NYC... We Create The CREOLE EXPERIENCE!!!

http://youtu.be/HNsvglwjFXM

If you are interested in Volunteering, Donating or Partnering up with Phoenix Refined with please feel free to email Team Phoenix Refined via Bus. Line 646.926.0379 or Email PhoenixRefined@gmail.com

Stay Connected With Us!

Email: PhoenixRefined@gmail.com
Facebook| facebook.com/PhoenixRefined
Follow Us On Instagram| PhoenixRefined
Follow Us On Twitter| twitter.com/PhoenixRefined
Check Out Our Interview On BCAT’s TV Neworks: With MarieAnge Daniels Beyond FocusTV http://youtu.be/Pt1bi-U5tCg

Kiskeácity Daily | HaitianBloggers.Collected | @kiskeacity| Facebook

12/4/11

kiskeácity daily is out ! Commented edition for Saturday, Dec. 03, 2011 #Haiti #Blogs

VIEW FULL PAPER

From the blogs

Tande reviews the haitian-authored book Refonder Haiti? (FR)

Caracas-based Balanced Melting Pot celebrates the holidays.

Ekspoze which I usually quote on politics, weighs in on controversial statements by Kreyòl La singer Ti-Joe Zenny. Also in music, www.culture509.com announces a duet between Haitian singer Jean Jean Roosevelt and Guadeloupean songstress Krysstal as well as Oprah Winfrey's upcoming visit to record a show (FR).

The Haiti Cultural Exchange blog offers accounts of the latest An n' Pale Café Conversation with Haiti-based author Evelyne Trouillot.

Rapadoo Observateur reports on growing solidarity with Haiti in Latin-American and other countries towards ending the UN military presence.

The Haitian Queen provides updates on Trinidad & Tobago carnival 2012.

MNI Alive's list of Caribbean superfoods includes coconut and its oil, a multi-purpose health and nutrition elixir I have coincidentally been experimenting with. Excellent skin and hair moisturizer, dental hygiene aid and cooking oil!

In the News

Haitian tourism minister at Miami arts festival and end to arms embargo. (Haiti Libre)

11/6/11

kiskeácity daily is out ! Commented edition for Sunday, Nov. 06, 2011 #Haiti #Bélizaire

9/6/11

kiskeácity daily is out ! Edition of Tuesday, Sep. 06, 2011 #Haiti #MINUSTAH

kiskeácity daily is out ! Edition of Monday, Sep. 05, 2011

I did not publish commented editions of kiskeacity daily last week.

To all those who read only from the blog, note that you can subscribe directly to the uncommented edition at Paper.Li by clicking on the subscribe button. All of last week's kiskeacity daily's can be found in the archives there at the top left. Also, if you follow me on Twitter (@kiskeacity), you'll get notified when the daily uncommented edition comes out. Here's the step-by-step how-to slides how:

For now, here is Monday's edition:

VIEW FULL PAPER

Highlights:

NGO disgrace in Haiti continues as Martelly condemns the rape of a 19 year-old by UN "peacekeepers" and Oxfam fires 6 non-Haitian staff member for unspecified misconduct.

Gary Conille officially designated as Prime Minister.

Haiti-based blog www.culture509.com relishes in Haiti's 6-0 soccer-football victory against the Virgin Islands team which propels the team one step closer to the2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Picture by www.culture509.com

Tune in tomorrow for updates on today's West Indian Day parade on Eastern Parkway.

Enter your Email

8/7/11

kiskeácity daily is out ! Edition of Sunday, Aug. 07, 2011

VIEW FULL PAPER

Haiti - Letter from ex-presidential candidate Dr. Bijou to Martelly with specific recommendations on education at the eve of the back to school season. (Does she see signs that Martelly will not be able to deliver on his promises on education?)

Caribbean - All from www.mnialive.com: DeVry institute just purchased a medical school in the Caribbean. Scholarship fund for Caribbean filmmakers. Rihanna criticized by African-American blogs for her dancing at Bajan carnival. (Have they seen Beyoncé's videos lately? Or even Rihanna's own morbid Disturbia video? Is it okay ONLY when heavily commodified? Puh-leeze. What about the fact that cropover and the dancing that goes along with it is a long-standing cultural tradition in her native Barbados, the point well made in www.mnialive.com's article?)

From the blogs - Just added a haiti-based blog on culture www.culture509.com and a Haiti-based blog by a Haitian repatriate Pale Avè'm... Talk to Me to my aggregator of Haitian blogs http://haitianbloggers.collected.info/. Two articles from www.culture509.com are posted in the newsletter, one on Azor and one on Clarens Fortuné, both of whom are Haitian cultural vectors who recently passed away. Funny article from Global Voices on a Zambian site.

Enter your Email

7/24/11

kiskeácity daily is out ! Edition of Sunday, Jul. 24, 2011

1/31/11

Tweets of the Day 1/30/11

Pre-Carnival and Sunday musings

Jacmel Sursum Corda

Krik? Krak!

Hillary rankontre ak Grann @mirlandemanigat, Tèt Kale @Presidentmicky, Célestin ak Préval.

5/11/08

A New Calypso Tribute to Barack

As seen on my friend Lolo's blog IES OUI KANE, there appears to be yet another calypso anthem to Barack. This new one is by Mac Lean Emmanuel and Stanley Humphreys from the group King Short Shirt and it's not so subtly titled Barack We Love You:

Recall Barack the Magnificent by the Mighty Sparrow which Mighty played as early as last year's West Indian Day parade on Eastern Parkway.

The Mighty Sparrow - Barack the Magnificent

3/1/07

Carnaval in Ouanaminthe, on the Haiti/DR Border

Marie-Christine from the Contempororary Stationary blog (one of my favorite readers) left this picture and message on the Carnival Here, Carnaval There, Carnaval Everywhere post and I thought I'd share:

Carnaval is long gone in Haiti and elsewhere. But I thought it would be nice to take a quick peek on how folks celebrate it outside of Port-au-Prince. Below is the link to a picture of the carnaval celebration in Ouanaminthe (my father's home town and where my brother lives now). Ounaminthe is in the département du nord d'est (North Eastern part of Haiti) and right at the border with the Dominican Republic.

Oh and yes, I've just added her blog to the Haitian diaspora blogroll to the right of the home page.

Technorati Tags: ouanaminthe, carnaval, dominican republic, republica domnicana, république dominicaine

2/27/07

Masquerade Ball March 3 to Benefit Haiti-Based Fokal

My sister Laurette is part of GEMS, a women's group. They are organizing a wonderful Masquerade Ball this weekend March 3rd to benefit Haiti-based organization Fokal. Here is the official invite. Should answer all your questions about Fokal and GEMS.

Oh and in case you're not big on gowns or costumes, not to worry. I already asked and she said I could come in my cocktail dress. See you there!

On Saturday, March 3, 2007,
please join us for a Masquerade Ball.

Location: Adria Hotel and Conference Center
221-17 Northern Boulevard, Bayside, NY

Starting at 9PM

Contact: (201) 270-6345 or simplyGEMS2004@yahoo.com

This GEMS event will not only allow us to introduce ourselves to the community, but to continue our mission, by benefiting FOKAL.

Members:
Laurette Backer
Rose-Vony Duroseau
Nadja Giglio-Joseph
Farah Lamarre
Michele Lamarre
Jackie Prosper-St. Fort
Aster Tekabe
Kherlyn Veillard-Marcel
Cassandre Lamarre Williams
Tickets: $75.00/per person
(includes mask, cocktail hour, dinner, and wine)
_______________________________________________
ABOUT GEMS
GEMS was established in 2004 by an enthusiastic group of women who felt a need to create a place in which women of diverse yet familiar backgrounds could come together to create a support structure that would encourage the exchange of ideas; promote self-sufficiency by way of lucrative investments and business ventures; and implement programs and scholarships that will impact the well-being of our community for years to come.

ABOUT FOKAL
FOKAL, Fondasyon Konesans Ak Libete/Fondation Connaissance et Liberte, is an independent foundation in Haiti supported by the Open Society Institute, and other international and local organizations.

It provides a range of educational, human development and economic activities to local communities and community civil society organization in the country. It has become the leading independent organization shaping the future of Haiti.

Technorati Tags: fokal, gems

2/22/07

Carnaval Here, Carnaval There, Carnival Everywhere

Trinidad

Georgia's pictures of the last hours of the trini bacchanal.

Brazil/Lusosphere

Lusosphere: Reporting Carnival, Jose Murilo Junior's roundup at Global Voices of what local bloggers are saying about carnival in Brazil.

Martinique

Pictures of Miss Carnaval 2007 and more by Amandine.

Guyane

Walking, dancing Mother Natures by Photoblog de la Guyane.

Guadeloupe

Carnaval Beignet recipe (FR).

Haiti

Just in case you haven't been reading this blog in the past couple of days: the whole enchilada.

Photo by CaribbeanFreePhoto

Technorati Tags: brazil, carnaval

2/21/07

Goodbye Carnival 2007, Goodbye Tiga

The last time I saw Tiga (a.k.a. Jean-Claude Garoute) was 4-5 years ago in Haiti. As usual he was preaching and pontificating about art and the value of his various methods and schools. He was surrounded by the mill of children, women and disciples I had always known him to attract. I myself had been one of his students 10 years earlier as a teenager. Every saturday morning for several years, I traipsed up to Kaytiga near Place Boyer and --first as a student and later as an assistant -- attended one of his "artistic rotation" workshops for children. The method almost always disappointed parents eager to see their children draw or paint classically because Tiga was not about what he called "joli-joli" or nice figurative painting. Instead, he favored a complete sensory rotation in which children freely moved around from drumming to paint to clay and created what they fancied. The point was that Tiga believed in creative freedom and limitless expression.

When I saw him that last time, I can't say I was excited to hear the spiel all over again 10 years after leaving Haiti but it was unbelievable to see how his energy for life, art and the propagation of his teachings had stayed intact. The man was unstoppable!

And why wouldn't he be? All of his life had been spent creating safe havens of artistic expression and of daring bohemianism even under--and indeed despite-- the repressive Papa Doc years. The first institution he created was Poto Mitan in downtown Port-au-Prince in the 1950s I believe where he welcomed all and in particular groomed a whole generation of future modern Haitian painters including Philippe Dodard, Edouard Duval Carrié and Occénad. (It later became Kaytiga and survived to his death last December and through many different addresses.) And while he did Poto Mitan in the capital he also paired up with Maud Guerdes Robard to do the same in Soisson-La-Montagne, a rural area near Port-au-Prince but with farmer pupils -- a setting quite similar to his native Jérémie where he spent the first 6 years of his life. Basically, wherever he was -- in Haiti or abroad during his many travels -- Tiga spent his life bringing people of all walks of life together in spaces that invariably ended up being reminiscent of the Lakou, the unit of Haitian rural life.

I was shocked to find out about Tiga's death in January, one month after the fact. Death was so incompatible with the way he lived his life. It was in passing conversation with my mom who was then visiting. In many ways my mother Eddie Calvin Backer and Tiga are of the same ilk. People who spent their lives passing on knowledge and teaching people of all social classes, whether art as in Tiga's case or French, literacy and teacher training as in my mom's case. And just like one receives their mother's advice often begrudgingly only to find out later just how valuable and vital it was, I often received Tiga's teachings begrudgingly. Only to find out today as I mingle with Haitian-Americans full of questions about Haiti how lucky I was to have taken in his philosophy, that unique mix of Haitian artistic and folkloric sensibility laced with eclectic modernism.

What consoles me though is that in his lifetime, Tiga's very quality of almost never shutting up ensured that he did not only impact me but really a whole country. From the "post-naive" St-Soleil school of rural Haitian painters now known the world over to the modern school of the more cosmopolitan Port-au-Prince crop he mentored, many many more beyond me had the chance to take in his energy and spirit of expressive and artistic freedom.

So it made complete and total sense to me to find out that this year's Carnival was not only dedicated to him but also took on one of his favorite symbols, the sun, as a theme: "Solèy Leve" (Risen Sun). The sun was always present in his concepts. Saint-Soleil (Saintly sun) was the name of the painting school he made possible in Soissons La Montagne. Soley Brile (Burnt Sun) was the name of the technique he often used in his own paintings (using what I believe was a combination of ink and acid). And though my memory stops there, I'm sure any number of his other students can come up with any number of other solar references in his speech and ideas.

Now it's time for his former pupils to continue his work and legacy by firstly making sure that we document it for other young people in Haiti and elsewhere. Thank God we have blogs and the internet. It would be nice if all his former students took it upon themselves to use free online publishing of all sorts to make sure we or future generations don't forget his incredible spirit.

For more on Tiga's life and work check out Arnold Antonin's video documentary Tiga-Haiti: Rêve, Possession, Création, Folie.

Other Links:

Miami Herald Article on Tiga's Life

Top Photo: Tiga courtesy of Haiticarnival.org

Middle Photo: "La Ronde" by Dieuseul Paul in the Saint-Soleil style courtesy of artactif.com.

Bottom Photo: Painting by Tiga using the Solèy Brile technique.

Technorati Tags: jean-claude garoute, tiga, saint-soleil, soleil brulé, solèy brile, poto mitan, kaytiga, carnaval, solèy leve

2/20/07

A Fat Tuesday For Haitian Tourism?

Two yeas ago at the Caribbean Studies Association conference held in Santo-Domingo, I found out that more is being done by the Haitian diaspora in Cuba and the United States to preserve certain Haitian cultural forms than is being done in Haiti.

This year's carnival, the last day of which --Mardi Gras [Fat Tuesday]-- is today, may be a long awaited departure from that trend. According to the Miami Herald, this year the Haitian government went all out and invested $2 million in the Carnival in order to encourage Haitian diaspora tourism in Haiti. Judging from the exponential growth in hits to this blog since I started blogging about Carnival three days ago, I guess the government is right that Haitians abroad are starved for any and all Haitian culture they can find. It seems that in the case of Haiti, the web is providing diasporans a way to stay in touch with their country. Hopefully, all the live online carnival (I know of at least 4 websites which were broadcasting), regained security, colorful costumes and the official website will indeed help bring more "dyaspora" home next year.

The Miami Herald quotes the tourism Minister as saying:

''We are making the statement that there is not a problem of insecurity in Haiti. Yes, there is insecurity in certain areas, but not in the entire country,'' said Tourism Minister Patrick Delatour. ``This is not a country either at war or one coming out of civil war.''

That's all good and this statement was long overdue. Here's my question to the Haitian government though, why can't it secure the country the same way it did during the 3 "fat"days of carnival all year long?

Photo: Haiti Carnival Official Website.

Technorati: carnaval - mardi gras

2/18/07

More Carnaval (Jacmel Mas Videos)

Today is Carnaval Day 1.

Check out this wonderful podcast by Public International Radio which samples previews of rootsy Haitian carnival songs! Offers gossip on Sweet Mickey's fake retirement of last year (he is back this year anyway) and lots of well curated tidbits on Haitian culture and musical genres.

Also, more video. This time, excerpts of two band a pye i.e "mas" from January pre-carnival festivities in Jacmel. (Again, email and blog reader viewers, please come to the site.)

Watch Port-au-Prince Carnival live at sakapfet.com.

Update 2/19: You can also watch the carnival live at http://www.belradio.com/.

Technorati Tags: carnaval, jacmel

2/17/07

Carnaval Is Here!

Carnival kicked off in Haiti today, one day earlier than usual so that the festivities will be for 4 instead of the usual 3 days!
There's tons of goodies on YouTube but I curated Kreyòl La's 2007 carnival song for you because they are featured in today's early kickoff on the Champ-de-Mars. Enjoy! NYC will hopefully get to hear it on the parkway on Labor day.

You can also watch the festivities live at Sakapfet.com starting Sunday Feb. 18 and check out Karlito's excellent preview of this year's festivities.

Update 2/18: Note that the official carnival site features all 24 carnival songs.

Update 2 on 2/18: Looks like Archivex Haiti is aggregating Carnival blogs and news. Sadly, no RSS or Atom feed!

Technorati Tags: carnaval, kreyol la, carnival

1/31/07

Carnival Kickoff & Digicel Soccer Cup in the Tropics

My latest Global Voices post is about carnival kickoff in the French Caribbean Overseas Departments (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyane). The post features 3 video clips of Guadeloupean mas bands Mas a Kle and Akiyo that I'm sure you'll want to see.

What's going on in Haiti on that front? Not sure. Bloggers have been preoccupied with other things but I'm sure there has been some sort of kickoff there too. (Update: HaitiXchange has just the answer to this question. Apparently, pre-carnaval festivities in Port-au-Prince have been attracting about as many people as carnival itself due to regained security.)

Not to mention, Kiskeyans are probably too busy celebrating the Caribbean Digicel Soccer Cup Championship title, subject of another post on GV and for which you can see soccerfabulous pictures here.

Photo by Alex DeCarvalho

Technorati: Digicel- Mas A Kle - Akiyo

9/8/06

Haiti Video Game+ A Father's House+ West Indian Parade

Ayiti Cost of Life Socially Conscious Video Game

Not all agree that video/virtual reality games are a tasteful way of raising awareness on hot button issues (cf controversy on Darfur is Dying virtual reality game). That said, Gary Dauphin explains that a video game is being designed that will challenge players with the day-to-day task of making ends meet for a poor person in Haiti.

My Father's House

While you're at Gary (aka ebogjohnson.com)'s blog, notice this slideshow of his father's house before it sold in 2003. (The blog post about the slideshow is here.) All well and good, you're thinking. Yes, except if you also read this other post of his months ago where he explained a thing or two about his father's philosophy on economy, aesthetics, throwing things away (or not) and fixing things endlessly. (This set of habits should sound familiar to some of those hailing from Western Hispaniola --okay fancy way of saying Haiti--or places like it. It does to me. Ha!)

New York West Indian Day Parade

Yes I attended, yes I have footage. No the footage is not ready to post because I plan to use it as an exercise in learning to use YouTube. Yes, there are other sites you can visit that have lots and lots of pictures, namely this page at sakapfet.com.

ayiti cost of life - gary dauphin
- west indian parade - brooklyn - haiti - caribbean

Have a comment? Please post it by clicking Comments below.
To send this post to a friend, click on the envelope icon below.

Pages