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

CLICK HERE TO READ OTHER ARTICLES IN THE STRAIGHT OUTTA HAITI series!

Naida Lynn croons her original composition “Wise Words” amid playful guitar strings. If she wanted to, she could probably sing the track in French, Creole, or even Spanish. Her tongue can spin words in five languages, after all. Her multilingual abilities mirror her multi-style abilities when it comes to music. One minute you can pick up India Irie influence in Naida Lynn’s voice, and the next minute you can sniff Whitney Houston in her notes, and in the next song you can detect a Patti Austin-deepness.

K. St. Fort: Tell us about yourself. 

I am the happiest person I know! I love life, I love who I am, and I find joy in helping other people experience that reality too. Born and raised in South Florida, I am a first generation Haitian-American who speaks 5 languages. In the humblest sense, I have way too many talents and passions to choose just one. Because of that, much of my time is spent living fully, thinking deeply, and pursuing all of the beauties in life as they come! A few words that describe me best include: passionate, adventurous, sensitive, and thoughtful. I sing. I write. I teach. I fly—all of which are ways that I am able to spread the message of hope, purpose, and freedom that I know intimately. I am a Christian. In fact, I am utterly, emphatically, and incandescently in love with Jesus. He is the source of my joy and is the reason I have the drive to make a difference in this world.

I’ve come to a place in life where I finally believe that I am enough. For years I lived the lie that I had to act like someone else to be accepted. I put my best foot forward always in an attempt to hide my insecurities. But the day I decided to show up to my own life, accept every part of me, and live vulnerably–is the day I discovered the real me.

I am a hot mess, yet I am lovely. I am down to earth yet super-fashionable. I am often confident and often insecure.  I am ever growing into a better person however, once a month, I am not the nicest person to be around! [Laughter] I am me. I am Naida. And whether people like it or not, I will live nothing less than unapologetically me!

K. St. Fort: Did you know that your name means “Water Nymph”?

Yes! I actually did! [grins] I discovered that some time ago, and thought it was so fitting to my personality! According to Greek Mythology, those water nymphs used to guard various bodies of water, served as mother figures to young ones, and would marry kings in their days. I like to think that I’m secretly royalty and will marry a king! [Laughter] Not to mention that I’ve always been fascinated with the depths of water and mentoring others like a matriarch.

K. St. Fort: Speaking of water…how do you keep your head above water in this business…in the sense of keeping yourself level-headed?

What a great question! Honestly, it’s reminding myself daily about who I am, what I stand for, and what is right for me to be doing at any given moment. The only time when I am overwhelmed and ‘drowning’ in this business is when I’m distracted. It’s so easy to compare yourself to other people and to begin to look down on yourself. I decided some time ago that I’d do my best to keep my focus while appreciating what others are doing. As amazing and ‘ahead of me’ as they may seem, that’s their journey! I have my own walk that will look different, smell different, and sound different. But as long as I’m true to me, I’ll be a’okay! [Smile]

Thinking like that keeps me grounded!

K. St. Fort: So,  I read that you wrote a song about pumpkin soup, chile. 

Yes! Soup joumou. [grins]I am Haitian to the core! And as you may know, we celebrate Haiti’s independence at New Year’s time. Soup Joumo—or pumpkin soup) is our traditional cuisine that we eat! It’s something we all look forward to each year. As the time to have it approached last December, I couldn’t help but get excited. The song kind of came to me soon after so I posted a video of it![Laughter]. A lot of people got a kick out of it, which is awesome! [smiles]

K. St. Fort: Have your parents been your biggest champions when it comes to your being involved in the music industry? 

Hmm…Yes and no. My journey with music is interesting in that I tend to think my passion for it came before my talent! The reason I share that in this context is because both of my parents later admitted that they are pleasantly surprised at how much I’ve come around because of how much I sucked when I was younger! [Laughter]

You see, I’ve always loved singing! But that doesn’t mean I always knew how![Laughter] I now realize that it’s probably because I didn’t understand my voice and the fact that it is naturally alto/deep. So when my high-pitch singing, soprano sister would sing, I would mimic her, trying to force the sounds out to be just like her! It wasn’t very pretty! [Laughter] But I just kept singing! People would tell me I sounded bad and to stop but I didn’t want to!

Eventually when I was in my teens, I began to get a little better. Then at 16 years old, someone invited me to sing at their church event. When my mother got wind that I’d be singing in public, she emphatically tried to stop me because she didn’t want me to embarrass myself! [Laughter] She said, “Naida, there are some people who sing in public. But then there are others who sing privately among family because our voices aren’t the best. I am like that and so are you. Please don’t do this to yourself.” Gotta love my momma. [Grins] I decided to go anyway, as there was one mentor who believed in my singing, (albeit, by faith).

The rest is history! I kept singing, kept getting better, and began to harness my own voice. Later, my dad (and mom) expressed their new found faith that anyone can master anything because of how I did! My dad later bought me my first guitar and now the both of them are some of my biggest fans!

As they say, life’s a journey. Just give people some time to get on board! [Laughter]

K. St. Fort: Musically-speaking, who do you admire?

Yay! Thank you for asking this question! I’m so excited because I love talking about the people who inspire me and who I admire! The main ones are Tori Kelly, a band by the name of Johnnyswim, and another band named For King and Country. What I love about each of them is their transparency, the way they’ve broken molds, and the way they each live unapologetic, quality lives of inspiration, purpose, and fun! They’ve definitely influenced me.

Regarding those who have influenced me musically, I actually struggle to pinpoint it. Growing up, I was exposed mostly to Haitian Hymnals, popular boy bands, CCM, and other known pop singers. Outside of the Backstreet Boys, I never really took a deep liking to any particular person such that their styles predominantly leaked into mine. Because of that, a lot of my music is diverse—one minute incorporating the swing-sway rhythms of the islands and the next, popping like a 90’s rock song.

However, if I absolutely had to say one person who stood out amongst the hodgepodge of music I consumed, it would be a little known artist by the name of Warren Barfield. It wasn’t till about a year ago that I stumbled upon his music and realized that a good portion of my songs resembled his style. I was really into his music in my early 20’s, which is around the time when much of my songwriting began to take shape. So, there you go!

[Photography Credit: Timed Beauty by Sally, Oscar Torres and Behind the Face Photography]

This concludes Part 1 of the interview with Naida Lynn. Be sure to look out for Part 2. Meanwhile…

CLICK HERE to buy her music on iTunes.

NAIDA ON FACEBOOK| NAIDA LYNN ON INSTAGRAM| NAIDA LYNN ON TWITTER| NAIDA LYNN’S WEBSITE

Haiti tourism company Belle Vue Tours is out to promote Haiti…its cuisine, its beaches, but in particular its history. The company’s founders created what they term the Christophienne Tour—which is a six-days-five nights excursions series centered around the life of Grenada-born Henri Christophe, who became king of Haiti in 1811. According to historical accounts, Henri made the former Cap Francais (now Cap Haitien) the capital of his kingdom, and this is where Belle Vue Tours brings its tourism clients. For four to five hours, Haiti tourists are escorted around Cap Haitien, and the tour includes stops at the National History Park, Citadel Henry (also called Citadel Laferriere), and the San Souci Palace, Henri Christophe’s once sprawling palace. BV Tours clients interested in historical artifacts also view 18th century artillery from France, England, Spain, and Italy purchased by the king in case a European power approached the island.

Money from 19th Century Haiti….

Here are some chains and shackles.

They are to be found at Norman’s Place in Labadie.

And this is a church…Cathedrale Immaculee Concepcion is its name.

According to the Belle Vue Tours staff, it was first erected in 1670 and is considered one of Haiti’s oldest churches.

Of course one can only take so much history before one gets hungry!

Belle Vue Tours treats clients to some scrumptious cuisine.

While Cap Haitien is at the center of Belle Vue Tours’ sites, other under represented cities in Haiti also get some deserved attention.

According to the historian Nicolas Leger, the city of Hinche was the center of a great many rebellions during the U.S. Occupation of Haiti in the 1910s.

Belle Vue Tours educates its clients about Jacmel, the city where many South American revolutionaries sought aide during the early 1810s.

Below is an interesteing view of King Henri Christophe’s Citadel…

…from Site Fortifie de Ramiers.

CLICK HERE FOR BELLE VUE TOURS’ INSTAGRAM PAGE | BELLE VUE TOURS TWITTER PAGE| FACEBOOK

If Chef McAlex can thank one person for the fact that he’s a successful chef today, it should be his aunt Anise. Growing up in Haiti, her dishes stroked his palate and made him realize how much care and patience goes into making a great dish. Now the owner of his own catering company, Kassav Catering in Tampa, Florida, the caterer-chef applies the same passion when he’s seasoning and flavoring his dishes. “I feel at peace and centered in the kitchen,” he explains. “There’s no other room in the house that speaks to me than that particular room. Some regard food as a source of nutrition but to me food is an art, an expression of culture, a creation born of labor and love.”

Love. Now, that’s something that goes into everything Chef McAlex creates for his clients in the Tampa Bay area. Whether it’s barbecued chicken for a backyard affair, or a fancy seafood dinner for a special occasion, the chef makes certain that he serves food that will be talked about long after it’s been digested.

Kreyolicious: You own your own company Kassav Catering? Walk me through your busiest weekends.
I am the sole proprietor of Kassav Catering. Kassav is an up-and-coming business. I started Kassav a few years ago, but put the business on deferment as I pursued another venture out of state. I’ve catered for birthday parties, weddings, graduations and various other celebratory events. My primary focus at this time is debuting Kassav Catering to the Tampa Bay and surrounding areas; I’ve focused most of my marketing efforts via Social Media. Kassav is a Haitian-American fusion cuisine that appeals to all palates. Kassav is equipped to cater events of all sizes. Kassav also provides cooking courses for singles and couples for a nominal fee.

Kreyolicious: Does everyone have what it takes to be a professional chef?
I prescribe to the notion that everyone can be and do whatever they put their minds to. If one desires to be a professional chef and has the motivation and gumption to obtain the education and training required then by all means they can be a professional chef. It’s important to understand in all things the difference between enjoying and being passionate about something. A chef should be passionate about the foods he/she creates and serves.

Kreyolicious: What dishes do you enjoy preparing the most?
I enjoy the challenge of creating new dishes; you’ll find me in the kitchen early in the morning, mid afternoon or late night experimenting with different ingredients, I love to push boundaries and mix flavors. Haitian blood courses through my veins, therefore Haitian dishes are my favorite to prepare, banan peze, diri kole, diri djondjon, legume, fritay to name a few.

Kreyolicious: What would you like to say to an ordinary cook, who’d like to take things to a professional level?

If you’re passionate about food and cooking exceptional dishes, follow your heart. Seek out culinary schools in your area; pinpoint what you want to do (open a food truck business or a restaurant, teach culinary classes, etc.) Speak to professionals in the food industry who can instruct you on what to do and what to avoid (get a mentor in the field.) Lastly but most importantly, do not allow anyone to tell you that you cannot make it as a chef, passion without drive/action is futile; believe in yourself and run towards your dreams with blinders on.

KASSAV CATERING ON FACEBOOK | KASSAV CATERING ON INSTAGRAM

You must know at least one person in your circle who’s an overachiever. No? Well, look to Gayel Pierre to fill that void. The founder of G’s Addiction, a clothing line, Gayel (also known as Cutiega) is also a fashion and image consultant for bands like Kreyol La and Akoustic. Her latest achievement is the creation of Living Hart, a collective for creatives of Haitian descent. The graduate of the prestigious Art Institute of Lauderdale with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Merchandising might surprise some with this initiative, but then again, they might root for her. Creatives of Haitian descent are scattered all over, and Living Hart is going to be the project to bring them all under one artistic roof. The project will launch on April 24th in Haiti, and from there expand into the United States.

Kreyolicious: So, you have yet another venture. How did you come up with the idea for it?
Living HArt came to me out of the blue. I was trying to think of something new, another form of entertainment and all of a sudden it came to me why not have a live show/ fair where everything is being done live and people can just walk in, browse, appreciate our youth’s talent and purchase their work.

Kreyolicious: You have your own design line, you do custom-design for artists, and now Living Hart. You’ve made so many of your ideas happen. What advice would you give to others who are having a lot of success with coming up with ideas, but can’t seem to do anything concrete with them?
It’s important to always try to innovate, keep on thinking and coming up with new ideas. However, sometimes it’s hard to materialize them—truth be told. I have had so many other great ideas that I was not able to make happen. So the important thing is to always push forward, and have tenacity because there will always be obstacles and you will always find people to discourage you. You just have to be patient, surround yourself with people who share your visions and network! Always network. As much as we’d like to think that we can do everything by ourselves, it’s not always true.

Kreyolicious: It’s surprising, but then again, it’s not surprising that you are drawn to visual art.
It may seem surprising because the public never got to know this side of me, but those who know me won’t find it surprising at all. In fact, I also studied interior design, therefore I am familiar with visuals and find them quite inspirational.

Kreyolicious: G’s Addiction will always be your baby. How do you keep your passion and drive for it, while coming up and managing all these other ventures?
My dream for G’s addiction is what drives me to push forward. I have a vision I have yet to [fully] accomplish. Therefore, I always focus on the objective no matter how hard things can get at times. In that sense, all my other ventures are all part of the big picture…my dream for G’s Addiction.

Kreyolicious: Life is all about growing. Can you think of anything that you weren’t too good at…say two, three years ago​ that you’ve mastered or have at least gotten twice as good at?
I have gotten better at everything I’m doing—whether it’s the jewelry, the designs. I have been growing ever since I started G’s Addiction, [so] I can’t think of just one thing! The list would go on forever. However, I think my most impressive growth [area] over the course of my journey, has been my personality. I have grown so much as a person, a businesswoman. This life has taught me a lot and I am grateful for every step I take.

Kreyolicious: What will people be surprised to see from you in the future in terms of new ventures?
People can expect so much more from G’s Addiction. Like I mentioned earlier, I am not done growing and innovating! Even I am still surprising myself with new ideas, [whether it be] new clothing line [ideas], new apparel and so on! I have so many exciting new projects coming…So stay tuned!

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW GAYEL “CUTIEGA” PIERRE. |CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW LIVING HART ON INSTAGRAM

Exhibit Treal is coming fast at us…faster than a bright color leaking from an artist’s paint brush. It’s an initiative co-created by the Palm Beach-based visual artist, and art curator known as Jason “JaFleu” Fleurant, and it’s a movement that has urban creatives in the West Palm Beach/South Florida area connecting with one another, while sharing ideas. While it’s being promoted as a creative haven for visual artists, creatives of all passions have been looking towards it as an outlet to filter out promoting strategies, network with other creatives, and publicize their artistic and other endeavors.

So, Jason…Jasun…you’ve been up to so much lately. Let’s start off by discussing the last three paintings you worked on?
Now that’s surprisingly difficult these days. I’ve kinda of took a pretty extended break from painting the last few months to focus on what I’m doing now with Exhibit Treal. But the last three that really stick in my head was these large scale paintings. We’re talking seven feet each.

The first being “Oshun: The Orisha of Love. I just wanted to pay homage to the black goddess, and I used features I loved from various women I’ve dated to create her.

Then there’s “For My Negus with Daughters”, which was basically my ode to black fathers everywhere. Because for myself, I know a lot of men who are real fathers so I wanted to combat the images the we are often shown.

Lastly, there’s another painting, and it’s probably my favorite. [It’s called] “Graduated with Hiii Honors”. At the time, my [social media] timeline was flooded with photos of all these amazing women I knew graduating from colleges, and I wanted to show love to them.

I particularly enjoyed the process of making this one because I painted it outside on my
then-porch when I lived in an artist residency [facility]. We lived in what some call the hood, but to me it was just home. Everyone was cool and they loved to just come see me work. I’d just [leave my] art outside overnight and nothing ever happened to them. It would be more concern of the galleries trying to take it. The best part was seeing how inspiring it was for them all. That inspired me.

Kreyolicious: How did you new initiative Exhibit Treal come about?
I’ve been curating exhibits and art shows for a while. Again, taking it back to the artist residency where I lived. We just took advantage of the four walls of the apartment and them exhibits in there.

Kreyolicious: Catchy name by the way.
Thank you. For some reason, I couldn’t get Jay Electronica’s “Exhibit C” song out my head. And at this point, my friends and I were saying “treal” a lot ’cause we felt that was another level…something to aspire to. To always be truly real. And I just wanted to focus on exhibits that we felt was treal, so we started calling the shows that, and it stuck.

I wanted to use it as a vehicle to give opportunities for black artists in Palm Beach and further[more as a way] to always give back in some fashion. To me, that’s what’s treal…using the arts to be a factor and make a difference in the community. Things mentally I’ve always already believed and acted on. And the dope thing is other artists believe in it. Particularly Tracy Guiteau…the co-founder. She really just one day said, “I believe in this, and that it can be big.” So we just decided, “Let’s do this,” and here we are several shows later. It’s been crazy—a real blessing from God. We’ve got our motto “Be Safe. Keep what you Kill. Stay Treal”, but I think the thing that really explains our mentality is we say amongst ourselves a quote from the movie Juice: “No one man above the crew”. As long as we all move as a unit, nothing can stop us.

It’s also sort of an artist’s development. Tracy and myself have gotten a lot of knowledge over the years, so we help guide artists we work with best we can…while letting them be themselves and grow naturally.

Above: A JaFleur painting entitled “Graduated with Hiii Honors”.

Kreyolicious: What’s the art scene like in the Palm Beach area?
It’s a mixture of your typical art scene and it’s—I guess—slowly trying to emulate Wynwood in Miami. There’s been a lot of usage of art to gentrify black areas…And I personally just see Exhibit Treal as kind of the clap back to that. We’re just trying to show the Treal side of things while not getting caught up in the bs. I love where I’m from and there’s a lot of talent that needs to be appreciated, but not just visual arts. So, we work to push and promote black art in all ways.

Kreyolicious: What’s your advice to other visual artists…those just starting out?
You’re gonna laugh, but it’s simply to…be safe. Keep what you kill and stay Treal. Always be aware of the situations whether it’s dealing with galleries, collectors or anyone trying to just use you. Always make sure you get the best out of it. Go hard at all times. Leave it all on the floor. A lion doesn’t catch the gazelle to let it go. It keeps what it kills. Always go the extra mile for you and [do] not let anyone take you and your gifts for granted. And lastly, always do what you feel is best and true to who you are and give back. Even if it’s the smallest thing, ripples have long effects.

Kreyolicious: How do you make sure you’re staying on top of your game?
I’d say buy just not trying. I don’t view it as competition anymore. There is more than enough room for everyone. With Exhibit Treal, it’s just a focus on giving your best. I believe that’s what people respect and gravitate towards.

Kreyolicious: What’s next on the horizon?
Only God knows. We are working to put together a Haitian art exhibit among other things. We’ve just started our own book drive which will lead to a book fair and art show where adults are doing book reports. It’s exciting to see grown-ups hype about reading. We’ve things plan as far as youth projects we hope to get off the ground soon…It’s been kinda hectic, but beautiful. I feel I made the right choice backing away from creating art to be able to promote and push other artists. It’s a funny journey for me to sit back and reflect on now as to where we are and going. All praises to The Most High for keeping it treal!

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE EXHIBIT TREAL BLOG. WANT TO HIRE JASON TO SPEAK AT YOUR EVENT, OR COMMISSION HIM FOR A PAINTING, OR ART PIECES? CONNECT WITH JAFLEU ON TWITTER|

Zoe Beautee founder Carline Smothers started out as a dream factory worker, and now she’s a dream execution master. Her brand is one of the most recognizable in the Haitian-American market. When she started out, she saw the demand for cultural significant clothing aimed at both sexes, and dived right in.

The Florida-born, Atlanta-based entrepreneur has been stomping the grounds, putting in work to stretch her brand’s limits. Last year, she held the Zoe Beautee Awards and this year she’s moved on to the next phase of her branding strategy: the book series.

Read on as your girl Kreyolicious questioned her about Zoe Beautee’s growth and what’s next for her.

Kreyolicious: In terms of all you have accomplished in the past year as CEO of Zoe Beautee, which accomplishment makes you proudest?
I would say creating Zoe Beautee Little Reader’s Collection, writing Fanmi Mwen (My Family) a bilingual children’s book—which is the first in my series. When I was younger, reading, writing, and spelling did not come easy to me. I was retained in the first grade, and had to take speech all of my elementary school years. English was a second language for my parents, they spoke Kreyol and I would always respond in English. For that reason, I comprehend Kreyol very well, but never spoke fluently. I’m determined to bring more cultural diversity in children’s books. I would like our youth to be culturally conscious of who they are, which will in turn bring a sense of pride. This book goes hand and hand with my slogan “Expressing Beauty Through Language”.

Kreyolicious: It takes a great deal of drive to be an entrepreneur. What keeps you motivated?
My husband, children, parents, family, and supporters. With each accomplishment I achieve, my children are watching me every step of the way. They encourage me to keep going, even share their ideas with me. [Laughter] I want them to follow their dreams, no matter how much it scares them! I have a lot of people I’ve influenced in so many ways, I can not give up. One day all the hard work, and long hours will pay off.

Kreyolicious: Can’t remember who this quote is from…but it said something to the effect of…if you can’t possibly want to be a successful entrepreneur, without being an avid reader. What are some inspiring books that have helped you in your journey?
Well, due to all my struggles with reading in the past, I rarely read for myself. However, having young children, I read to them often. I have a small book library in our home, to build a love of reading.

Kreyolicious: I saw at least two articles this year about mental health issues including stress, lack of sleep and exhaustion that comes with running a business. How do you stay maintain that healthy balance?
My mind is constantly going, even while I am asleep. It’s a struggle, but to keep my sanity, I balance work and play. Play is anything that does not include working. Whether it be calling my parents, taking my children to the park, or something as simple as laying in my husband’s arms. I also set aside work time, which typically around early morning or late night while our children are at school or asleep. I could get more done that way. At times it could get extremely difficult being a wife, mother, and businesswoman. My family comes first so there are plenty of times I turn down great opportunities simply because I have to be home to take care of them. However nothing in life worth having comes easy. I take it one day at a time.

With fellow entrepreneur Pascale Rowe at an event.

Kreyolicious: You’ve made it clear that your heritage as a Haitian-American led to your founding Zoe Beautee. Do you think it’s brought you closer to the community?
It definitely has. I have met so many amazing people since starting this business. I’ve also learned so many new things about my culture. We are not taught about our culture in schools, so we have to talk to our parents, research, and teach ourselves. That is why I’m really excited about my children’s book series! It will teach young children growing up outside of Haiti about their heritage.