Her name is Melly B—B as in Bosschaart, and Melly as in Mélina, and when you hear her sing a note, you’re certain you’ve heard a voice like hers before—but yet there is this other feeling that indicates that you haven’t. Or if you have—well—know that this Melly B’s musical style is not factory mahogany—but the pure type—the type that importers give top money for.

Bosschaart was born in Haiti to a Dutch father and a Haitian mother (the two met while the future Mrs. Bosschaart was vacationing in Europe, and after marrying, they settled in Haiti). Her music mirrors her background: soulful with European inflections.

Her songs are rarely upbeat, and will leave most listeners pensive. A lover’s lamentation about still holding on to a flame after a man’s heartless desertion, the song “Miles Away” has Melly B doing all sorts of vocal acrobatics, reminiscent of the throaty vocals of Joan Armatrading—the 60s and 70s singer-songwriter—and 90s singer Jewel, Pieces of You era.

Miss Bosschaart gives all that she has in the song “Ayiti”. It’s almost as if she felt that the more she gave of herself to the song, somehow…the more Haiti would get some energy towards some sort of transformation. Her style is formulated so that she can touch as many people as she can. A song like “I Don’t Wanna Cry” is so country, you can almost picture cowboy-hatted gents and flower-hat wearing dames dancing to it. “Adieu” is a French-language song and towards the middle, there is an unexpected rap verse.

Q & A

Kreyolicious: How would you describe your style?
I don’t like to limit myself to one specific style, but I would say that my style is a mixture of urban, afro-beat, and soul.

Kreyolicious: Do you remember your first performance ever?
To be honest, I don’t remember my first performance, but I do remember my first performance in front of a really large audience, which was in Haiti. I remember being so nervous before I got on stage, but once I started singing it felt like all the noise and everyone one around me was gone, it was just me and that microphone. After the performance I thought to myself, I wish I could do this every day.

Kreyolicious: That song “I Don’t Wanna Cry” has some serious country music inflections in it. Are you a fan of country music?
I am a fan of any type of music. For me, the important thing is that a song can move me, make me feel a certain type of emotion. But to be honest, the only music that I haven’t developed a real appreciation for—yet—is heavy metal.

Kreyolicious: You were born in Haiti. At which point, did you move to Canada?
After having lived in Holland for a while, my parents had decided that it would be a good idea for me to go to Haiti, where my mother was living at the time. But after a few months in Haiti my parents were worried about my safety due to all the kidnappings and problems in the country at the time. At that point, an opportunity for me to attend a really good school in Vancouver Island came up—and since they had a really impressive arts program—the decision was quickly made. I think I was 15 when I moved to Canada.

Kreyolicious: And somehow you ended up in Holland?
After I finished high school, I knew I wanted to continue my studies in Europe. Since Holland was a place where I lived before, and my father was there to help me, it just felt like I was just going back to my second home.

Kreyolicious: You studied audio engineering and actually have a degree in Audio Production. How important do you think it is for a woman artist to have a part in the behind-the-scenes process of her music?
Often women artists don’t have an understanding of what happens behind the scenes of their music. For me at least, it was important to learn all that, because now I can be effective in telling another engineer or a producer what I want, or why something is not working for a specific track. In my studies I also had to learn the business side of music, so now I don’t ever have to sign a contract—for example—without having some type of understanding, and having to rely on someone else to tell me wether it’s right or not. I also did not want to just be “the voice”. I want to help others with their careers and produce, and own a studio.

Kreyolicious: How do your parents feel about music being such a big part of your life?
I think I am lucky, because my parents have always supported my choices. I think also because the arts have always played a big role in their lives. I remember as a young girl watching my mother in her dance classes—which I think is how I started with dance. My father is also an artist. He designs unique furniture with a combination of materials, and [does] sculptures. They never doubted my abilities, and are still doing all they can so that I can live my dreams.

Kreyolicious: What artists do you find inspiring?
Some artists that have inspired me are: Lauryn Hill, Nneka, Nina Simone, Tracy Chapman—just to name a few.

Kreyolicious: Haiti obviously inspired your song “Ayiti”. Did the beat and lyrics come easily?
Haiti has always had a dear place in my heart, even after being away for so long. I wrote the song “Ayiti” when I was in Canada. I remember sitting in front of the piano in the music room of my school, feeling a bit sad because I was missing some aspects of my life of when I lived in Haiti. As I started to improvise, the words just came to me easily, because I knew exactly what I wanted to say. That was also the first song I ever wrote in Creole. At the time, I didn’t have much audio knowledge, but I felt like I did the best I could with the resources I had. The feedback I had from this song really encouraged me to continue on this path.

Kreyolicious: And the song “Adieu”?
I think I took a bit of a chance with “Adieu”, because it was the personal experience of someone I knew at the time. The beat production was made by a schoolmate of mine at the time, Shervin Naimi, I had the idea but did not know how to execute it, which is when I asked for his help.

Kreyolicious: That song “Bring Me Back to Life” is not the cookie cutter love song.
“Bring Me Back to Life” is about a woman desperately trying to hold on and get the love that she needs from a man who is afraid of commitment. I think this is a story that many women can relate to. It is a story that I have lived, and dealt with it in the best way I knew how, wrote a song. After taking a small “break” from my own music to do my studies, I wanted my new song to be something that many could relate to, and something I could truly show emotion, so I chose to share something personal. I am quite happy with this song, I feel that it is more mature than my previous work and shows more experience. The song is written and produced by me.

Kreyolicious: What’s life like in Amsterdam?
I really enjoy living in Amsterdam. It is such a diverse and open minded place. Till today I am always amazed by the beauty of the architecture and the cute little streets. I think anyone who has the opportunity should visit.

Kreyolicious: Is there a big community of Haitians there?
I don’t think there is a big Haitian community here, I have never met another Haitian since I have been here.

Kreyolicious: Most female artists would like their songs to speak for themselves, but then, sometimes the labels that package their music, or even other powers that be, often craft this image for them, that is often far from who they are—but that some deem necessary in order to sell the music.
For me, being myself is really important. I am still young. Everyday I learn something new about myself—which is why I think my music and my look is constantly changing. I don’t want to be put in a box and to be told who I am suppose to be. Yes, I would love to be able to sell lots of music and live from that, but not if that is costing me who I am, and my dignity. Individuality should be celebrated. If everyone looks and sounds a certain way, then to me that is boring.

Kreyolicious: In most of your songs, there is this recurring melancholy. What is the most painful things that has happened to you so far?
I think my parent’s divorce was really hard for me, because I was really young and never really understood it. It was also from that point that a lot of the moving around started, So I was often the new girl, and often had to say goodbye to people I started to care about. But I do understand it now and I love my parents. I think given the circumstances and sometimes the distance, they have done more than a good job raising me.

Kreyolicious: You lived in Haiti up until you were a teen, but have been bouncing everywhere from Canada to Guadeloupe. Has it been easy calling somewhere other than Haiti home?
At this point, I don’t really know where to call home. Even when I visit Haiti now, I feel like a stranger. But for now, I have my own place in Amsterdam, and is where I am slowly building my adult life. I’m not sure where I will end up next, but to me my family is my home.

MELLY B ON TWITTER | MELLY B ON FACEBOOK | MELLY B’S WEBSITE

Tifany Sejour, professionally known as Tifane, has an arresting voice. This fact is more than clear in her debut album Anprent, originally released in the mid 2000s, which / has had the chance to.

The freshness the singer beings to Haitian music can only be compared to a seacoast breeze in the middle of lake of fire and sulfur-hot summer, or a drop of water in the middle of an isolated mine. The lyrics on the 10-song album are thoughtful, poetry-filled, and they rocked (the 11th track “Mèsi”, an interlude barely at two minutes long, still showed off Tifane’s assets as an immensely gifted vocalist). “Se Kòmsi”[It’s as If]—a soft-core ballad, captured the fragility of love, and had a twin version—an uptempo reggae-filled remix with an artist called BelO as her duet partner.

And then there is “Avè’w” [With You], a romantic ballad whose sexiness is practically understated. As if to prove that her music isn’t merely about sugary ballads and love songs, Tifane also throws in a fast number, “Ou Enève m” [You Piss me Off], a very militant track, with her voice down to a snarl. Indeed, the singer’s debut Anprent is filled with many musical treasures, and songwriting, and the biggest treasure of all was Tifane’s chocolatey soprano.

But what would Tifane do for a comeback? Her most supportive and ardent fans have no doubt wondered if she could sustain the hardcore creativity that had made Anprent a musical event. Would Tifane’s second album be a step forward? They all have their answer with the album Sous la Peau [Under the Skin].

First and foremost, Sous la Peau is not a step backwards. It heralds a more mature Tifane, lyrically and musically, while maintaining the style that most have come to expect from her. There seems to have been a conscious plan to repeat the style of at least some of the tracks from the previous album. The zouk-inflected “Souke Sa” [Shake That] is too much like “Sekrè a” [The Secret] from the Anprent album to have an identity of its own. “Vin Montre’m” [Come Show Me] is a much better track, for those who might be looking for something uptempo. It’s more than a dance track, however; it preaches self-love, acceptance, and self-discovery: “Apran fè tèt ou plezi” (Learn to make yourself happy), Tifane recommends or rather commands.

One of the album’s best track “Si w te La” [If You Were Here] doesn’t start out too promising, in the first few seconds (“Maestro”…), but thankfully it was just a few seconds of autotune. The song features starlet Talie in the background, as well as some rapping “Si ou te la/M’tap chache afeksyon/M tap monte lesyèl pa do…Si w te la mwen pa tap santi m byen konsa/Si w te la” (If you were here/I would be searching for some affection/I’d be climbing heavens backwards/…If you were here, I wouldn’t be feeling so good/If you were here). Well, good riddance! This is a feminist, self-empowerment track as there ever was. How often does the female species puts up with miserable relationships, and sorrowful situations just to show a façade to the rest of the world? But how much better it is to love oneself, at the cost of society’s disapproval? The relationship that needs mending or breaking does not necessarily have to be the relationship with a significant other. It can also be the relationship one has with oneself. For as Tifane sings: “Mwen pra l viv pou mwen/Mwen pa p mizerab pou-ou” (I’m going to live to please myself/I’m not going to make myself miserable for your sake). In another verse, she sings: “Li lè pou m renmen tèt mwen. Mwen pra l okipe de mwen” (It’s time for me to love myself/I’m going to finally take care of myself).

Placed alongside “Si w te La”, and “Mwen Merite Lanmou”, “Regle Zafè’w” reinforces Tifane’s stance of self-love, self-acceptance and self-determination: “Pa tande pyès moun ki di’w kanpe la pitit/Pèson pa ka regle zafè’w pi byen pase…Pa bliye kale je’w” (Don’t listen to no one who tells you, you can’t go further/No one can take care of your business better than you can/Don’t forget to keep your eyes open).

“Hello” differs strongly from the rest of the songs on the album, and sets itself apart immediately. It’s saxophone-heavy, and it’s more traditionally konpa, and eschews the world afro-beat that has become Tifane’s trademark. “W ap pale m de li” [You’re Telling Me About Him] has this ballroom feel; the Spanish guitar strings really sets it off.

Sous la Peau introduces fans to a Tifane, the same as always, but an enhanced Tifane. Now, hear from the songbird herself.

Q & A

The album Anprent introduced you as a musical artist. What can you tell us about your new album Sous la Peau?

Considering all I’ve been through since Anprent and all the experiences I’ve had, I think Sous la Peau is a demonstration of my maturity and my evolution in music as a song writer and singer. Sous la Peau is a little bit more live because of all the musicians who participated.

Who did you work with?

I was fortunate to work with some people I’ve been supported by since the beginning like Fabrice Rouzier, Joel Widmaier, Makarios Cesaire, MikaBen, Lòlò and Manzè from Boukman Eksperyans, and Eric Virgal. There are others I met along the way like Nantalie Indongo—also known as Imablackgirl—from the band Nomadic Massive, Harius Joseph from Zèklè, Hansito Mercier Jr., with Loulou from Kreyol la and Eric Pimentel with Dany Gonzales from Orlando.

How long did it take for you to assemble the songs?

It feels like I’ve been working on it for ten years because things were going very slowly. But, in total, I can say it took me two years—almost three—to work on this album.

In your song, “Avè-w”, from your debut album, you sung about the joys of love. You recently married. Is love everything you thought it would be?

I married a very special and entertaining man. I mean really entertaining! [Laughter] We have a very special and rare kind of love because we both prayed about us so I can say that I am blessed. It’s a better than what I had planned for myself, but that’s how God blesses. I enjoy the married life. I’m an international singer, traveling all the time—but I’m still a wife. We share the chores in the house. I do most of the cooking, but I don’t mow the lawn. That’s all him! [Laughter]

As a career woman for such a long time, do you think that a woman has to marry and have a family to feel fulfilled?

I think it depends on the woman. For many of us—career and business women—the goal is to rise to the top, but that’s only one side of who we are. The other side, is the woman in us, and for most, it’s all good to be at the top of your game, but it can get pretty lonely. Again, it depends on the person. If a woman is completely satisfied with being successful and single, it should be respected. Me, I’m too lovable and affectionate for that type of life. I may enjoy the benefits of fame but it can’t keep me warm at night or wipe my tears and make me feel special.

You’ve said in past interviews that your favorite Haitian female artists were Princess Georgie from the group Zin and Emeline Michel. Have you meet either of them? Any collaborations in view?

What I really said was that I admired Georgie’s way [of] impos[ing] herself in the business instead of just being eye candy on stage because that’s how women are usually used in Haitian bands. They get two songs on the album and sing back up. I grew up listening to Emeline and my admiration for her comes from her audacity to go the other way and not sing konpa. I met her before I became Tifane and I told her she’d hear about me some day. We’ve performed together plenty times, but no collabos yet.

How do you handle your fame?

Naturally, I’m very down to earth. I take every big contracts or anytime I’m surrounded by fans for autographs as special moments. It can get scary and dangerous. I’ve had my hair pulled from my scalp, my clothes almost ripped, I’ve been groped, and my car completely covered with fans, I’ve signed autographs on faces, backs, necks, and some guys gave me their boxers to sign. The most uncomfortable situation is being stared at when I’m at the beach. I keep my private life private and all that doesn’t go up my head at all.

Do you ever worry about people using you?

I’ve had that happened before, sometimes I let it fly because it’s obvious that the person is just trying to show people that they know me but on anything big that I won’t tolerate, I either tell them off or I just keep my distance. I try to be one step ahead. I hate when people try use me for money.

Have you lost friends since you’ve become famous?

No, not one. I’m not the type who forgets her friends or ignores them. I may not be as available as I used to [be], but I do my best to stay in touch. So far, I’m still friends with everyone I grew up with.

Older and wiser, what do you wish you had done differently when you first got on the musical scene?

I wish I had an image consultant when I first started. I’ve worn a lot of gorgeous Haitian designer clothes, but some made me look so much older than I was. I also wish I’d put my foot down more often when I was offered too little for some shows. I guess back then, the artist side dominated the business side of me. I’ve learned so much and I still don’t regret anything that happened, good and bad.

Do you ever imagine a time when performing and recording will not interest you anymore?

Oh noooo, not yet. I don’t know when or if that day will come, but I know that if I stop performing, it will be for a much greater cause, something revolutionary even or maybe it will be because I found so much more happiness in my personal life than the star life. Trust me, it’s not easy being Tifane—let alone being a female solo artist in the H[aitian]M[usic]I[industry].

Now, in view of all this technology that’s being introduced every nanosecond, is it your feeling that one day that the very notion of a solo recording artist will be obliterated?

So far, the technology has been good to me business-wise because I’m able to promote myself around the world and I know how many of my songs are bought online anywhere in the world. However, when it comes to all the fancy software for the recording studio and voice editing, I think it’s very dangerous for those artists who rely on them. When it comes to singing live, as a solo artist you’ve got to be able to sound just as awesome. I stay away from those, only if it’s an effect used to mix or to give a little flavor to a song.

You have a degree in sociology. Has that helped you in your songwriting? Sociology has enhanced my way “in-depth” way of looking at the world.

When I was a kid, nature was my main source of inspiration. Now, I write because I look deeply at people, chain of events, human interactions and everything that’s good, funny, bad, ugly, amazing, inspiring and sad. I write according to what I see people might need to hear to feel better or to do something great in life.

Do you plan on pursuing your education further?

Definitely. I used to be afraid of stepping out of my Tifane realm because I hate feeling like I’m missing out when I’m not on tour or when things are happening and I’m not part of them. Knowing me, when I go back to school that will be the only thing I will focus on. I won’t be able to travel and study at the same time.

What can you be seen doing when you’re not performing?

If I’m not visiting schools to meet young people and address certain important issues their parents won’t talk about, you can find me promoting the integration of handicapped people in Haitian society, not only because I am the Ambassador for the cause, but because I find it crucial to think of them and their accessibility to everything if we are really rebuilding Haiti.

Are you a feminist?

In many ways, yes. I’m a woman who believes that no one has the right to limit or take away my rights, and I do believe that I should be paid just as much as a man would for the same job. My parents taught me that I’m not superior nor inferior to no one. I’m not anti-men; I know we complete each other and I do believe that if something is too heavy for me to pull, push or lift, a man should do it for me.

BelO was on a remix version of your song “Se Kòmsi”. In the future, will there be duets with other musical artists?

I think Eric Virgal and I will have a duet. I’m not sure when but he’s been talking about it. I have a few other artists I also think I might do duets with.

Who are your dream musical collaborators?
I have so many it’s crazy. I would love to record a song with Joel Widmaier, John Legend, Medhy Custos, India Irie, Gage, Jean-Luc Guanel, Alicia Keys and Jill Scott.

You profess to be a big fan of Whitney Houston. What have you learned from her life?
I miss Whitney’s presence in the music world because I always looked forward to hearing something new from her. She’s the reason why I wanted to be a star. I’ve learned that no matter how far your can go in this business, when you make one mistake such as a going along with peer pressure and drugs, the same world who appreciated you is the same one who will make jokes and laugh at your fall. To me she is irreplaceable. I see that they compare other young artists who shall remain nameless to her, but they can’t be Whitney on their best day. I’ve also learned that great artists like her always die young or troubled.

After this album, what are your plans?

Well, I can already see that I’m about to travel a lot and live out of my carry-on bag, so I’m putting together my next project in the meantime. I was offered to bring to life old hits and unedited songs of the great Raoul Guillaume by Raoul himself. It’s a very big honor considering that the famous Celia Cruz and so many other big Cuban Stars have interpreted his songs. I think it will be fun to remix them and give them a fresh new look. He gave me about 8 to 10 songs with their partitions.

How can Haitian music be on the same international level, as say, reggae and Latin music?

The best way is to make sure that the quality of our recordings are within international standards, that we keep singing in Creole to impose our native tongue instead of thinking that we must sing in an other language to cross over. Until we realize that performing for an all-Haitian crowd in
another country doesn’t make us international, we will never cross that bridge. When people, [and] producers from other nations get to see us on stage in our own style and our own language instead of imitating others, our music will go so much further. Authenticity is very important. Unfortunately, now I see more international artists performing in Haiti and not all of them are huge stars, while very few Haitian artists, including myself, are performing on international stages. Something’s wrong.

What’s the worst rumor you’ve heard about yourself?

Before I released my album, I stayed in Florida getting ready to hit the stage again. Rumor has it that I have not been to Haiti in a while because I was so embarrassed to go back, since I married a man who took all my money and left me shortly after. There isn’t a drop of truth.

Ahem, let’s show our support for our Haitian artists by either purchasing their music, if it’s within our possibilities, or let us send them some words of love and appreciation. Check Tifane out here.

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KREYOLICIOUS YOURS…TIFANE

Kreyolicious starts the sentences…Tifane finishes them. Let’s see what she had to say…

Most people don’t realize that I am…not that good at making friends, but I’m just nice to everyone I meet.

A sure way to get me mad is to…underestimate me or make decisions for me without my consent.

3 People I wish were here with me right now…My grandmother Manmi Jeanine, my friend Mironda, my granpa Ti Pèpère.

My three favorite foods are…Chocolate, seafood mostly, lanbi [conch], sushi, steak.

I would die if…I lost my voice.

Oh, please don’t ever…raise a hand on me or my loved ones, [I’m] not violent but I can throw a mean punch instinctively.

Three artists I’m feeling right now…Melanie Fiona, Kes the band.

The last time I cried was when…in April, my recording engineer told me he was having a big problem with one of my songs for the album.

God is…the captain of my ship. I gave myself to him and I’ve been seeing miracles and amazing things I can’t explain happening for me non-stop.

My parents…[are] awesome, cool, loving, good looking and very supportive.

My life right now can be best described as…eventful, fun, very busy and crazy.

Three words that describe me…smart, real, sexayyyyy.

What I want to be written on my grave...With Tifane in heaven there’ll be music and one more ray of sunshine in the sky.

Jonathan Perry, known as JPerry on the stage, can get the badge and the sash as the unofficial cultural ambassador of Haiti through his music. One of his past singles “Dekole” might have served as track music for a commercial on Haiti’s tourism, and its subsequent music video as visual for a travelogue. The song stroke such a chord, with verses praising Haiti’s natural assets and its tropical beauty.

The song “Enjoy” takes over where “Dekole” left off. After the smooth flow of the “Dekole” video from Mage Entertainment, one’s expectations for the “Enjoy” video was as high as can be, and when the firm behind it is none other than commercial bastion Bruno Mourral’s Muska Group, one expects something up to par. So, when one is served with cut-offs of heads and a scene where Perry, riding a motorcycle, can only be seen from the hands up to his arms, one is compelled to scratch one’s head. Until, that is, one fully grasps the true concept of the video. With images of Perry on performing on stage interceded with casual shots of him in a recording studio with his entourage, sitting on algae-permeated rock at the mouth of a beach, and intermingling with everyday people on the streets of Haiti, the video is meant to show a more personal view of Haiti than “Dekole” did. Kinda like if one is given a video camera to film one’s neighborhood and one’s country with a personal flair.

Anh, oke!

Mr. Perry propels a message about Haiti’s beauty, and that’s fine, as he does a stupendous job at it. But it must be said that to grow as an artist, Mr. Perry should branch out to other subjects next time. Songs like “Dekole” and “Enjoy” have a perennial aspect to them. But, the time has come for Perry to break out of the mold, even if it has procured him a great deal of well-deserved attention.

For instance, how about a romantic ballad in Creole next time to diversify the artist’s portfolio?

Ahem, this said, let us turn our attention to the music video itself. Want to sing along with the video? The lyrics are below (followed by a translation).

LYRICS

Intro:
Baoli Records baby

Paradise
Ayiti cheri
M ap enjoy
M ap trip nan peyi a
Ann ale

Paradise
Haiti baby
I’m enjoying
I’m tripping in this country
Let’s go

[Chorus]
Gadon ti peyi mezanmi Ayiti
Gad kijan m ap enjoy
Enjoy
Lakay se lakay
Bon manje, bèl plezi
Yon paradi m ap enjoy
Enjoy
Se konsa mwen wèl
Gad jan peyi mwen bèl
Mezanmi kite l viv non
Li lè pou l avanse

[Chorus]
Man, this Haiti is some country
Look at how I’m enjoying myself
Enjoy
Home sweet home
Some good food, loads of fun
I’m really enjoying this paradise
Enjoy
That’s the way I see it
Look how good the country’s looking
You people need to leave it alone
It’s time for it to make some progress

Mwen renmen Ayiti
M pap janm viv lòt kote
Se ti peyi m, ti cheri m
Se li ke m adore

I love me some Haiti
Can’t imagine ever living anywhere else
It’s my country, my baby
It’s the one that I adore

Nou soti lwen
Yon jou na rive lwen
Peyi sa pa ka gaspiye

We’ve come far
Someday we’ll get far
This country won’t to waste

E lè male, mwen toujou retounen
Paka kite l dèyè
Fò nou voye li monte
Fò nou demele kò nou
Yon jan pou n sa ranje l
Pou n fèl rive pi wo

When I go away, I always come back
Can’t leave it behind
We got it
We got to get things moving
So that one day we can fix it
So it can get further

Ayiti son gwo ti peyi vre
Se pa manti non
Se pawòl serye
Mwen santi m kool lè mwen di se Ayisyen mwen ye
Malgre pwoblèm, ke m konnen l genyen

Ayiti is a fine little country
And that’s no lie
That’s real talk
I feel cool when I say I’m Haitian
Despite all the problems it has

Mwen pa p janm kite bèl peyi sa gaspiye
Pou jan l gen trip ladan l
Imajine kisa l ta ye si nou ta mete lòd
Nou mete l a la mòd

I’m never going to let this country go to waste
It’s too much fun
Imagine what it could become if we were to put things in order
Make it the place to be

[Chorus]
Gadon ti peyi mezanmi Ayiti
Gad kijan m ap enjoy
Enjoy
Lakay se lakay
Bon manje, bèl plezi
Yon paradi m ap enjoy
Enjoy
Se konsa mwen wèl
Gad jan peyi mwen bèl
Mezanmi kite l viv non
Li lè pou l avanse

[Chorus]
Man, this Haiti is some country
Look at how I’m enjoying myself
Enjoy
Home sweet home
Some good food, loads of fun
I’m really enjoying this paradise
Enjoy
That’s the way I see it
Look how good the country’s looking
You people need to leave it alone
It’s time for it to make some progress

M bwè dlo kokoye
M manje lanbi
M souse rapadou
Banm yon ti dous makos
Ak yon ti Barbancourt
M gen annpil lanmou pou wou
Pase mwen konn sa ou vo
Devan lemond antye
Fòw drapo w vole pi wo
Nou gen bèl mòn, bèl lanmè
Bèl sous, bèl rivyè
Bon son, ak frechè

I drink me some coconut water
I eat myself some conch
I suck on molasses bars
Give me a little homemade candy
And a little Barbancourt
Got so much love for you
‘Cause I know what you’re really worth
When compared to everywhere else in the world
Your flag’s will fly higher
We’ve got some majestic mountains, some pretty beaches
Some great waterfalls, some nice rivers
Nice sound, some great breeze

[Chorus]
Gadon ti peyi mezanmi Ayiti
Gad kijan m ap enjoy
Enjoy!
Lakay se lakay
Bon manje, bèl plezi
Yon paradi m ap enjoy
Enjoy!
Se konsa mwen wèl
Gad jan peyi mwen bèl
Mezanmi kite l viv non
Li lè pou l avanse

Man, this Haiti is some country
Look at how I’m enjoying myself
Enjoy
Home sweet home
Some good food, loads of fun
I’m really enjoying this paradise
Enjoy
That’s the way I see it
Look how good the country’s looking
You people need to leave it alone
It’s time for it to make some progress

M ap enjoy, m ap enjoy
M ap enjoy Pòtoprens, e sitou nan provens
Everyday

I’m enjoying, I’m enjoying
I enjoy Port-au-Prince and especially in the other little cities too
Everyday

[Creole Lyrics via Anton Translations by Kreyolicious]
Music video via Kompa Grooves Channel]

A key witness in a bungled U.S. narco-trafficking case that prompted the Justice Department to investigate allegations of wrongdoing by U.S. drug agents in Haiti has been extradited to South Florida to face charges himself as the sole defendant accused of conspiring to distribute cocaine and heroin.

Gregory George, described as a lieutenant in a smuggling ring that operated out of Haiti’s private Terminal Varreux, arrived in Fort Lauderdale Friday afternoon on a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s plane after Haiti Justice Minister Jean Roody Aly signed the extradition order.

George was indicted by a federal grand jury in Miami on April 30 on one count of conspiring to distribute multiple kilos of Colombian cocaine as well as heroin from July 2013 to June 7, 2015, knowing it would be imported into the United States.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment. George is expected to have his first appearance in Miami federal court on Monday before a magistrate judge. His case is being prosecuted by Kurt Lukenheimer, the deputy chief of the office’s narcotics section.

The Miami Herald broke the story about the DOJ probe into the bungled DEA case in August of last year.

George, who was jailed in Haiti for three years before his extradition, is expected to play a central role in the widening investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office into the Panamanian-flagged MV Manzanares case. The boat arrived in Port-au-Prince from Colombia in April 2015 hauling bags of imported sugar and between 700 to 800 kilos of cocaine and 300 kilos of heroin with an estimated U.S. street value of $100 million.

In a previous interview with the Herald, George said there had been multiple attempts on his life while inside the Croix-des-Bouquets civil prison, where he was sometimes kept in isolation for his protection.

Sources familiar with his case say the most recent attempt on his life occurred over a week ago when he was beat up inside the prison. They told the Herald that there have been at least a half dozen attempts on his life, including one where he was locked in a van and tear gassed during an authorized transfer. The incident occurred the same day, Aug. 17, 2017, the Herald published its investigation into the DOJ’s probe.

While unloading the sugar from the Manzanares after its arrival in early April 2015, longshoremen stumbled across the hidden stash of drugs and a lawless free-for-all quickly unfolded. A host of people, including police officers assigned to Haiti’s National Palace and a judge, have been accused of grabbing the drugs. Also implicated was the former commander of Haiti’s anti-drug unit, Joris Mergelus. Mergelus was accused of taking bribes to hinder the investigation into the Manzanares case, which has become known as the “sugar boat” case. He has vehemently denied any links to drug traffickers.

Mergelus is also being accused of destroying evidence in the ongoing Manzanares drug smuggling investigation. Mergelus was removed from his post in 2017 by Haiti’s police chief, Michel-Ange Gédéon, and has since been assigned to a desk job at the Haiti National Police pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

The bungling of the sugar boat investigation came to light after two veteran DEA agents filed whistle-blower complaints, which triggered the DOJ’s investigation into the effectiveness of the DEA’s drug-fighting efforts in Haiti. An initial review by the Office of Special Counsel found “a substantial likelihood of wrongdoing,” in DEA’s Haiti office.

George allegedly was responsible for retrieving multiple kilos of cocaine and heroin from cargo vessels from Colombia that docked in Port-au-Prince. His nickname is Ti-Ketant, a nod to notorious Haitian cocaine kingpin Beaudouin “Jacques” Ketant, who had accused former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide of accepting drug-related bribes before having his 27-year sentence in a U.S. prison cut in half.

Of 16 individuals arrested by the Haiti National Police in the Manzanares case, only George remained in jail. He has come under fire from Haitian businessmen implicated in the case. They have accused him of lying.

Miami attorney Joel Hirschhorn, who represents a member of the Mevs family that owns Terminal Varreux, has said the port’s security was not loose. and drugs had not been smuggled through the port. The family even paid to build a police narcotics substation at the port in 2017, he said. But that was two years after the Manzanares incident.

When Google developers gather in Silicon Valley on Tuesday to hear about the company’s latest projects, thousands of miles away in Haiti hundreds of budding software developers will be tuning in.

For the first time, digital marketers, web coders and entrepreneurs in Haiti’s small but emerging tech community will get a chance to follow the Google I/O Developers conference, which is being live-streamed to them at the Karibe hotel in Port-au-Prince. About 600 local developers and entrepreneurs have signed up for Google I/O Extended Port-au-Prince, which will be followed by workshops and training sessions on web development and artificial intelligence. And all of it will be conducted in Creole.

The one-day event is being organized by a group of Google employees of Haitian descent, said Naisha Silva, Google program manager for emerging markets and one of the organizers, who spent her early childhood in Haiti.

“We are over 50 Haitians and friends of Haiti around the world who have created a community within the company, and are working toward building a bridge between the company’s resources and Haiti’s startup ecosystem,” Silva said. “Haiti is a part of our identity, and we’d like to engage in its development while working for one of the most resourced and innovative companies in the world.”

The initiative is part of a growing trend in Haiti, where internet penetration, now at 19 percent according to data by Hootsuite, is on the rise. Digicel, a leading telecommunications company in the Caribbean, says it counts about 2 million smartphone users among its clientele. Last year, Haitian President Jovenel Moïse announced the first national incubator for entrepreneurs, Alpha Haiti, in downtown Port-au-Prince.

Haiti, with its 11 million residents and young population, very much remains a pen-and-paper society, with lawmakers for years refusing to adopt an electronic signature law to reduce the time it takes to create a company out of fear of technology. And while the country recently joined the growing Airbnb community, Haitian consumers and those who would benefit from employment outside of the country, for example, still have no way to receive money or make purchases through online payment sites like Paypal because banks have not made the switch.

But such realities don’t seem to be stopping tech-savvy Haitians from trying to come up with the next tech outfit in the country, or from taking advantage of the growing number of technology conferences every year, like Haïti Numérique, DevXpo and Haiti Tech Summit.

While Haïti Numérique showcases different technologies with its annual digital forum, the tech summit has focused on giving Haitians a chance to hear from global social entrepreneurs and startup innovators like Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey and venture capitalist Ben Horowitz. An investor in Airbnb and Facebook, Horowitz spoke at the first tech summit in 2017 and will be back when the summit takes place June 20-22.

“It is incredibly inspiring to see the commitment of the Haitian diaspora… leveraging technology to build opportunities for the next generation back home and partnering with locals to do it,” said Marc Alain Boursiquot, the founder of tech-based hub Banj in Haiti.

Boursiqout, who organized the DevXpo conference with support from Facebook’s global Developer Circles program, has also collaborated with Haiti Tech Summit and the Google team. In the walk up to Tuesday, the team hosted a hackathon at Banj, where Haitian entrepreneurs were challenged to create a job-creating app. The winner will be announced on Tuesday during the Google I/O event in Port-au-Prince and will receive $5,000 to implement the idea with the support of a local incubator.

The prize money, Silva said, is being sponsored by Hope for Haiti, a nonprofit that focuses on seed funding for entrepreneurs in the south of Haiti.

“I know its an uphill battle,” she said. “But for the few it really impacts it’s worth it to see where they might take it.”

PORT-AU-PRINCE

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, is adding her voice to the list of U.S. lawmakers concerned about growing gang-related violence in Haiti.

In recent months, gangs have been terrorizing the population, accused of massacring and raping poor Haitians and turning parts of the country into no-go zones. This weekend a police station in the rural Artibonite was attacked after a gang affiliated with a wanted warlord, Arnel Joseph, overpowered police.

Following a massacre in the La Saline neighborhood of Port-au-Prince in November, a bipartisan group of 104 House members called on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month to launch an independent investigation into the extrajudicial killings, as well as allegations of human-rights violation by the Haitian National Police during February’s violent protests that shut the country down for 10 days. Haiti’s ambassador in Washington has denied the accusations.

As late as last week, Haiti’s press reported that gangs have continued their attack on La Saline by setting fires to homes. The growing violence comes just months before a United Nations peacekeeping mission is scheduled to permanently end its presence in Haiti after 15 years, to be replaced with a special political mission.

“When we learned about houses being burned down, and the killings that took place, we were appalled and shock,” Waters said during a press conference at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport prior to leaving Haiti on Wednesday evening. “We listened directly to some of the relatives of victims and victims tell us about that.”

Waters, who was not among the signatories on the Pompeo letter, said the more attention brought to La Saline and the violence, the more it will help “to not only get some engagement with this administration here in Haiti to find out how this is happening, why this is happening, what are their plans, but using whatever leverage and power we have to help make it cease because this is not conscionable and not tolerable.”

She noted that the U.S. government “contributes substantially to Haiti,” aid that is very important for the Haitian government.

“We think that when we talk about how we care about Haiti, and why we’re able to contribute the way that we do, and we do not want to see that abused or misused or disregarded, I think that may give us a little leverage,” Waters said, vowing to get other members of Congress engaged.

Waters said her visit to Haiti was the result of an invitation by former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to attend the graduation of medical students at his University of the Aristide Foundation in Tabarre on the outskirts of the capital. She was joined by actor Danny Glover, human rights lawyer and activist Brian Concannon of the Boston-based Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti and radio journalist Margaret Prescod. Prescod’s Los Angeles-based public affairs show, “Sojourner Truth,” recently featured a story on the LaSaline massacre.

While Waters met with U.S. embassy staff and praised their efforts, she did not meet with Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. She did have a great time with Aristide and his family, she noted.

Glover, who accompanied Aristide back to Haiti following seven years in exile in South Africa, said this marked his first visit to Haiti since Aristide’s 2011 return.

Concannon, speaking in Creole, said, “It’s important to have justice so that people are not once again victims.”

Before her scheduled sentencing in federal court for distributing a controlled substance, North Miami Beach doctor Jeanne Germeil declared in an email to the Miami Herald, “I will not obey an unjust and racist system!”

And, Friday, Germeil backed up that declaration — she didn’t show up for her sentencing.

That triggered an order from Judge Ursula Ungaro that read, “The defendant is hereby transferred to the Clerk’s suspended/fugitive file until such time as the fugitive(s) are apprehended.”

One of Germeil’s federal public defenders, Daniel Ecarius, would only say via email Tuesday that she had not appeared since Ungaro declared her a fugitive.

Germeil, 55, has been out of jail since posting $250,000 bond six days after her Sept. 21, 2018, indictment on 16 counts of distributing a controlled substance. She had to give up her passport and could travel without special permission only to the U.S. District Court’s Southern and Middle Districts of Florida.

Jurors found Germeil guilty on 11 counts in February after prosecutors presented evidence she, among other actions, prescribed opioid pain medications at a rate of 687.95 prescriptions a month, a rate too high for actual diagnosis.

Her April 10 email to the Miami Herald declared her prosecution and conviction a product of misogyny, racism and a jury trial rigged against her defense team.

It ended with: “I am through playing it fair while the opposing party had been cheating left and right without consequences. I know they will label me and harass my daughter as they are already doing. However that justice system is rigged against people like me. Colored, Haitian, successful female physician. Enough is enough! They will get my corpse. I will not obey an unjust and racist system!”

According to the Florida Department of Health, Germeil had been in practice since 1995 and licensed in Florida since 2007. The Department of Health dropped an emergency suspension order on her license last week because of the federal court conviction.

In 2017, she paid a total of $12,895 and had to complete a medical records course after a case that was a microcosm of her federal case, prescribing opioids with inadequate examination.

Germeil’s address with the Florida Department of Health, which dropped an emergency suspension order on her license last week, is in Aventura. Germeil Medical, the clinic where she prescribed the opioids, was in North Miami Beach.

In court documents, Germeil claimed a Naples home as her main residence. The terms of her home confinement required only she be at her Naples home from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

When British artist/curator Leah Gordon reached out to Haitian-born painter and sculptor Edouard Duval-Carrié a few years ago for help curating an exhibit focused on the city of Port-au-Prince, Gordon left a lot to the imagination.

But she also knew what she wanted.

“The concept she outlined was to organize a very ambitious presentation of the city of Port-au-Prince and identify within its confines, poles of cultural production focusing on the visual arts,” said Duval-Carrié, recalling their conversation.

Duval-Carrié, who was born and raised in Port-au-Prince, knew exactly where to go to bring Gordon’s vision to life: Grand Rue, the capital’s grand street where junk, scraps and automobile parts are transformed daily into expressions of everyday life in Haiti, and where Haitian art has undergone a rebirth.

“The apocalyptic vision they present to us in their powerful sculptures is a far cry from the production that has characterized Haitian art production in the decades prior,“ Duval-Carrié said about Grand Rue’s homespun artists.

That vision is part of the large-scale exhibition, “PÒTOPRENS: The Urban Artists of Port-au-Prince,” being featured at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami. Curated by Duval-Carrié, Gordon and others, it brings together the works of 20 Haitian artists. Their work includes sculptures, photographs, films and a recreated Port-au-Prince barbershop, all highlighting the capital’s street life and religious heritage. Together they provide a portrait of a historical city in flux, and Haiti’s chaotic intersections of history, art, religion, politics scene and cultural shifts.

“We selected the works from informal collectives of majority class artists creating art works from specific zones of production within the city making works, which are bound together by shared cultural and material practices,” said Gordon.

The exhibit, she added, “is envisioning Haitian contemporary art production through the lens of the city of Port-au-Prince.”

Echoing Gordon’s sentiments, Duval-Carrié said the artists being exhibited “are responding to the spiraling collapse of the Haitian economy and by extant the expanding divide between North and South.

“We hope that not only the general public but in particular the Haitian expatriates living in Miami may realize that artists such as the Grand Rue collective are engaged in discussions that situates them at the core of the North-South dilemma and that their production illustrates very forcefully the disparities that are creating a most untenable situation worldwide,” he said.

The exhibit will run until Aug. 11. The cost of viewing the exhibit at MOCA is free for members and $10 for non-members. Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.

The exhibit is one of many displays of Haitian art and culture that will be available next month when South Florida celebrates Haitian Heritage month.

Haitian Heritage Month Events

May 2, 5-9 p.m.: Dance to the rhythms of Little Haiti Rara Lakay, and DJ Gardy’s blend of konpa, rara with electronic and house beats during Community Night at Pérez Art Museum Route 1804: The Evolution of the Flag and the Beat. Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Free

May 3, 3-6 p.m.: A free cultural Conversation at the Betsy Hotel, 1440 Ocean Dr. Miami Beach. Join several prominent members of the South Florida community as they discuss life as a “hyphenated” American of Caribbean descent.

May 10, 7 p.m.: Enjoy a curated experience with ROUTE 1804, Evolution: The Flag at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 NE 59th Terr., Miami. Free

May 16, 10 p.m.-4 a.m.: Miami Haitian Compas Festival Welcome to Miami Hang Out Thursday party, featuring Enposib, Magik Kenny, Dj Bullet, Valmix, DJ FMA, Ted Bounce. Cafe iguana Pines, 8358 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines. Cost is $30 in advance, more at the door. For tickets go to eventbrite.

May 16, 8-midnight: The Citadel food hall at 8300 NE Second Ave., Miami will host konpa on the rooftop with Haitian musician, MikaBen and local DJs. The free event will also feature food and conversation.

May 17, 6-11 p.m.: Sounds of Little Haiti at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 NE 54th St., featuring System Band. The free outdoor concert will also celebrate Haitian Flag Day, May 18.

May 17, 10 p.m.-4 a.m.: Miami Haitian Compas Festival, Black Party featuring Djakout #1, Zenglen, Kai, Roody Roodboy. Cafe Iguana Pines, 8358 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines. Cost is $40 in advance. Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.

May 17, 10 p.m.-5 a.m:, Miami Haitian Compas Festival, Black Party featuring Harmonik, Vayb, Nu Look, Kreyol La. Wynwood Factory, 55 NE 24th St., Miami. Cost is $40 in advance. Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.

May 18, 4 p.m-6 a.m: The 21st annual Haitian Compas Festival returns to Mana Wynwood, Midtown Miami, 318 NW 23rd St., Miami. The event features the top bands in Haitian konpa music. Cost is $50 in advance for general admission, $100 VIP. Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite or call 305-945-8814.

May 18, 10 pm.-4 a.m.: Haitian Compas Festival after party featuring Kai, Enposib at Club Reign, 9940 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines. Cost is $40 in advance. Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.

May 19, 10 p.m.-4 a.m.: Haitian Compas Festival All White Affair featuring Vayb, Nu Look, Harmonik, Tony Mixx and DJ Heavy at Cafe Iguana Pines, 8358 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines. Cost is $40 in advance. Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.

May 20, 10 p.m.-4 a.m.: Haitian Compas Festival GoodBye Miami party featuring Zenglen, T-Vice and Gabel at at Cafe Iguana Pines, 8358 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines. Cost is $30 in advance. Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.

May 25, 7 p.m.: Haitian American Leadership Organization (HALO) 14th annual HALO Cultural Night celebrating Haitian women in the history of Haiti and featuring konpa band, T-Vice. Cost is $175 for general admission and $225 for VIP, JW Marriott Ballroom, 1109 Brickell Ave., Miami. Tickets can be purchased at www.halohaiti.org/tickets/

Accusing the Trump administration of being motivated by politics and not facts, a second U.S. federal judge is blocking the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from forcing tens of thousands of Haitians to return to Haiti by ending their temporary legal protection.

In a 145-page federal ruling, U.S. District Judge William F. Kuntz of the Eastern District of New York issued a nationwide temporary injunction preventing DHS from terminating Temporary Protected Starus, TPS, for Haitians. Kuntz said 50,000 to 60,000 Haitians and their U.S.-born children would suffer “irreparable harm” if the legal protection ended and they were forced to return to a country that is not safe.

Kuntz’s detailed ruling came out of a lawsuit filed by Haitians in Florida and New York, challenging the Trump administration’s decision to end TPS granted to Haiti by the Obama administration after its 2010 devastating earthquake. The administration has rescinded the protection for Central America and some African nations as well, sparking several lawsuits around the country.

“It’s a sweeping indictment of the political manner in which the Trump administration at the very highest levels of the government illegally terminated Protected Status for Haitians,” said Miami immigration attorney Ira Kurzban, one of several lawyers who filed the lawsuit.

In October, a federal judge in California granted a temporary injunction blocking the administration from deporting Haitian TPS holders and others as their termination deadlines approach. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen granted the temporary injunction as part of a California lawsuit filed by lawyers on behalf of TPS recipients from Haiti, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Sudan who have U.S.-born children. The decision is being appealed by the government.

Kurzban noted that unlike the California case, which had not yet gone to trial when Chen issued his decision, Kuntz’s decision is the result of a full-blown trial. The New York lawsuit was the first of the five to go to trial.

“It’s far more detailed in its reasoning in respect to why what the government did was completely illegal,” Kurzban said of Kuntz’s decision. “It found findings on discrimination. … It found very clearly that the government’s decision was not only an arbitrary decision, but they violated their own procedures in reaching the conclusion that they reached.

“This is a direct and very detailed account of how the government acted in a completely arbitrary way,” he added.

During the trial, lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that then-Acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke violated procedures and TPS holders’ due process when she ended the program for Haiti. They also cited emails and other internal government documents, including Duke’s handwritten November 2017 notes, to bolster the plaintiffs’ argument: that the White House was not interested in the facts about conditions in Haiti as DHS officials mulled over whether to continue to shield up to 60,000 Haitians from deportations, and Duke was under repeated pressure to terminate the program.

The decision, the suit alleged, was also rooted in the president’s “racially discriminatory attitude toward all brown and black people.”

“Clearly political motivations influenced Secretary Duke’s decision to terminate TPS for Haiti,” Kuntz said in his findings. “A TPS termination should not be a political decision made to carry out political motivations. Ultimately, the potential political ramifications should not have factored into the decision to terminate Haiti’s TPS.”

Kuntz said he could not issue a final injunction, only a temporary one, because Haiti’s TPS designation, which was supposed to end on July 22 but was recently extended by DHS until January 2020 due to the legal challenges, has not yet expired.

Steve Forester, an immigration advocate who has been championing the rights of Haitians enrolled in the TPS program, said it was “a victory demonstrating the government’s unlawful and unconstitutional behavior in reaching its decision to terminate Haiti TPS.”

“It’s a resounding condemnation of unlawful government behavior,” added Forester, who works as policy coordinator for the Boston-based Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti.

The government is expected to appeal.

Did you know that Haiti has its own national beer brand? Well, did you?

Yes, kreyolicious boys and girls, it sure does. And it’s called Prestige—a rather fitting name, I think. The beer is made and brewed in Haiti, according to the website Manman Pemba.

And according to the beer’s website, it recently celebrated its 40th year of existence. When the owners had been at it for nearly 38 years, USA Today reported that Heinneken stepped in and threw in a $100 million investment into it.

Ooh, look at the design of the bottle. Ooh.

The beer itself has won many prestigious awards.

You should look into buying it.

Don’t drink? Buy it anyway, you can probably do some cool highlights with your hair with it. And also, didn’t I read somewhere or other that you can also massage your veins really good with beer?

Prestige!

Also, while you’re at it, watch this commercial I came across on Youtube about Prestige the beer.

Photo Credit: Jumenes Coreus/Dezobri

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