Frantz St. Louis is an actor in Hollywood, but you wouldn’t know it to observe the unaffected way he carries himself. Born in New York, the serious-faced actor is looked up by some as being the epitome of coolness and realness in the face of Hollywood artificiality. Says Alex Kearden, a photographer who has worked with Frantz on photo shoots: “Some of the shoots required Frantz to portray certain emotions and act a certain type. I find him to be a talented actor who approaches the craft enthusiastically and methodically.”

Kearden continues: “He is focused and patient until he knows he has done his personal best. In addition, on set he is friendly, down-to-earth, and supportive of his fellow actors as well as the other crew members like wardrobe and hair and makeup. Frantz always arrives with a smile and leaves with a smile.”

St. Louis has acted in everything from the hit TV series “Law and Order”, to “Third Watch” to stage productions in New York’s famed Triangle theater. Jessalyn Wanlim, whose has worked alongside St Louis, gushes, “He’s pure inspiration.”

Of course, with all these intriguing exclamations from those who have been around the man, it was only natural to get to know the man through a little interview. Won’t you listen in….

What inspired you to become an actor?
As a youth, I was always fascinated with performing and watching actors on television. When family friends would visit, I would put on one man plays to entertain them. As I got older, my love for acting grew deeper by studying the craft and performing on stage. My craft became one of my best friends, is somewhat like a person that wants to be heard, someone that has something to say and because I care about it, I nurture it. I enjoy touching people whether its making them laugh or being part of a project that inspires awareness. My name means “to be free” and this is how I feel when I’m acting.

You were raised by your grandmother and mother. Were you close to your father at all?
I am the third, as I come from a strong long line of Frantz St. Louises. I admire my father but he’s never played an active part in my life.

Do you prefer the theater to the big screen?
I love both mediums because they allow me to create strong characters. When I’m on stage there’s no second takes and I get a rush from that. I’ve worked with some of the best stage directors and they’ve all stressed the importance of studying and working on stage.

Have you seen any Haitian movies?
I’ve seen a few short Haitian films that I thought were beautifully done. I’m very impressed with the way the market is growing and the fact that more Haitian artists are finding their voice in film/TV production.

Despite your hectic schedule, you find time to mentor young kids. Is it hard to stay real in Hollywood?
It’s not hard at all. I believe that everything we do is aligned with our values. My mentor once told me that “If you’re not part of the solution, you may be a part of the problem”. Those words influence the decision making in my life. I put a lot of thought into my actions. “Staying Real” to me also encompasses being around humble people with common values. I’ve been blessed to have a strong circle and the wisdom to identify that you must let go of what doesn’t allow you to grow. My spirituality allows me to stay centered.

Are you pretty close-knit with the Haitian community in California?
I have Haitian friends and family members in LA and we’re looking to build a community. Everyone in La, is pretty spread out and hopefully we can start having functions to bring people together.

As an actor, do you find your self basing your worth as a person on the success of your latest movie or latest review?
Success is life itself. There’s nothing better than life. My experiences in life and my deep faith in God has allowed me to accept that success is in every breath that I take. If I spend too much time focusing on the destination, I’ll miss the journey. Everything else is just part of the story.

How does your family feel about your acting career?
They’ve been very supportive. I feel blessed to have their love and support.

Can you share some childhood memories with us?
My younger sister and I used to have a group called “Mo-town” We imitated every Motown legend there was. Family friends would give us money and we would buy ice cream and toys. I remember getting a $20 bill once and teased her about having more money than her. One day she got a $100 bill for her birthday and she said “I have $100 infinity…you can’t get a bigger bill.

In a place like California, where the Haitian community is so spread-out, do you take any measures to stay connected to the culture?
It’s funny I was talking to a friend of mine from NY and told him to mail me a case of Cola Lacaye (the Haitian soda) because I couldn’t find one. He went online and told me about the only haitian restaurant in Los Angeles. My connecting is now taking shape. I’ll keep you posted.

Jean Amédé Cazé is one of the most recognizable musicians on the contemporary Jazz scene. After beating out other competitors in the Thelonious Monk Jazz International Jazz Competition in 2007, Caze launched off a career that brought him on the stages of “The Today Show” to playing with Caribbean Sextet, to touring with Michael Bublé and performing with Roberta Flack. Cazé is hard at work on his second opus, a follow-up to Miami Jazz Scene, a 9-piece album that practically had some touting Cazé as a Haitian Miles Davis. Tracks like “Caravan” recalled the moods of 1960s Jazz with a little bit of contemporary thrown in, while the bouncy “Love, Love”, fused classic Jazz with just—just—a hint of pop. Cazé has been touring practically non-stop, while overseeing the recording of his second album (which he plans on dropping prior to the Fall season), but made the time to do this charming little interview.

Of all the instruments in the world, you chose the saxophone and the flugelhorn.
When I was 9 yrs old, my teacher asked me if I wanted to be in the music program. I accepted and was given a choice between the trumpet, saxophone, or trombone. I looked at the saxophone and thought to myself, too many buttons to press, seems hard. I looked at the trombone and I thought, it’s too big to have to carry around. Then I saw the trumpet and thought, oh cool only three buttons to press, how hard could it be? Then it took me days before I figured out how to make a sound!

It’s been said that childhood turbulence is a prelude to the lives of most musicians. Was that the case with you?
No. I grew up with minor issues. I grew up without a father but never felt like I needed one. I grew up poor but I come from a very loving and supportive family. Looking back it wasn’t so bad.

In 2006, you recorded your first album Miami Jazz Scene.
Yes, Miami Jazz Scene is the name of my self-produced debut album which I released independently while studying at Florida International University. The title is a joke, since the jazz scene in Miami barely exists. The music on the album reflects the kind of music I would perform at venues while living in South Florida.

You teach music as well. What is your approach to teaching music?
I help my students develop skills while trying to keep it fun for them. I expose them to great works of art to keep them inspired and I perform for them during the lessons so that they have something to strive for. I’m very honest when it comes to telling them about what it takes to be a professional musician.

After having to wait a number of years following your debut CD, what can fans expect from your second CD?
It will be worth the wait. The 2nd CD I’m finishing up now is at least 10 times better than the first. It features a lot of great artists. Reginald Policard, Mushy Widmaier, Dener Ceide, Martine Marseille, Melanie Charles, Obed Calvaire, and many other talents. My compositions are also more upbeat and interesting. The sound quality is superior. It will also be my debut as a vocalist. I will sing on several tracks in English and Creole. Syto Cave and Ralph Boncy wrote the lyrics of the songs with Creole lyrics. The reason for the long wait is that I’ve been very busy touring and I needed time to develop as a vocalist.

Most jazz musicians didn’t experience their first taste of success until they were well into their 30s or later decades, whereas you, the acclaim started when you were still in your late teens and early 20s.
What can I say? I’m blessed! Not only did God give me the talent but he put people in my life that recognized the talent and gave me chances to grow. A career in music isn’t easy. You have to have faith and discipline.

Out of all the accolades that you’ve gotten, is there one that stands out for you?
There is no one accolade I can pick out. I am grateful for every accomplishment. Being a professional musician who can support himself is an accomplishment. I’m a much happier person because I love what I do for a living. Work doesn’t feel like work. I put all of my plaques away in the closet because I don’t like to be reminded of what I’ve done. I’ll do that when I’m old. There’s way too much work to be done, I’m always looking forward.

Who really is Jean-Amédé Cazé?
You might have to purchase more space on the site if I fully answer that question! Hehehe. For now I’ll pretend you’re just asking about my name. Not too many people know this, but my real first name is Amédé. Jean is my second name.

What was your parents’ reaction when it became obvious that you wanted to be a musician for a living?
They supported me. I got scholarships to fund my education. I never left it up to my parents to fund my education. I think everyone should be encouraged to do what they are passionate about. Who says you can’t be successful in the arts. One of my teachers told me, “Nobody can take your dream from you……you give it up”.

With such a busy touring schedule, not to mention teaching and freelancing, how do you find a balance and avoid burnout?
Great question, it’s a constant struggle. I go to see other artists who inspire me. To be reminded of the powerful effect of music can have. I also try to schedule time to get away from music. I make time to be alone, hang out with friends, watch movies, read, exercise, etc. The more of a life I have outside of music, the more life experience I have to put back into the music. I’m a Libra so I’m always looking for that balance.

Who’s your dream collaborator?
I can’t say I have just one. Quincy Jones is the first person that comes to mind though.

Where do you see the music industry going? It’s obvious from developments in the past couple of years, that consumers are rejecting traditional channels, labels are losing their past influence, making some fear that the music industry is on a downward spiral.
I’m not sure where the industry is headed, but as long as the real artists continue to do what they were put here to do, there is a chance that they will inspire a change for the better.

If you should die tomorrow, before you wake, though we hope not, what would be your biggest regret?
My biggest regret would be that I took time for granted. I know I haven’t reached my full potential. I’m just getting started.

Life started like a dream world for Sarodj Bertin, complete with admission at one of the most prestigious dance schools in Haiti, and all the workings worthy of a little elite princess. She was born the daughter of Mireille Durocher Bertin, a brilliant young attorney, and businessman/activist Christophe Hector Jean Bertin. Then on March 28, 1995 after being picked up by her father from school with the rest of her siblings, they hurried over to a devastating scene: Durocher-Bertin’s body, along with that of a client, laid in a bullet-ridden, white Subaru, 15 bullets thrown in her body alone. Mr. Bertin soon afterwards went to live in the Dominican Republic where Sarodj, about 7, would spend her most of her early life.

It would become really apparent with time that Sarodj had inherited her mother’s stunning looks and poise, and she often represented Haiti at beauty pageants, as she did for the Miss intercontinental beauty pageant in 2005. Pageants would take a backseat for awhile, while Sarodj continued her law studies at the Universidad Iberoamericana. In 2010, Sarodj was crowned Miss Haiti and became part of Haitian pageant history when she became the first Miss Universe contestant from Haiti in more than 2 decades.

In spite of some slight brouhaha brought about by her selection, many rooted for her, and for everything that she represented; this spirit of determination and hope. Haiti had lost an estimated 160,000 inhabitants in the earthquake and was still looking forward to tomorrow; Sarodj had lost her mother, and had been pulling forward ever since. The parallel between country and citizen was interesting, if nothing else. At the international showdown for the tiara, the young attorney did not figure in the Top 10, but to some she was already a crowned queen even before she got on the plane to go to Las Vegas.

We thought it only fitting to catch up with her to see what she has been up to since then.

What kind of person is Sarodj Bertin?
I am a normal person, that believes in her country, believes in her people and believes in herself! I just know what I want, and I work hard to make it [come] true.

You were born in Haiti, and lived in Haiti for a time. What are the most precious memories that you have from those days?
I have a lot of beautiful memories of Haiti, with my family and my mother! I remember how we used to camp in Kenscoff, and how we used to go to the beach every weekend in Moulin sur Mer, and sometimes in Port Salut…we had so much fun in every get-away…that I can say I had a beautiful childhood.

There has been this strife between Dominicans and Haitians over the years. Do you think that it will ever be healed?
I believe in fraternity, and I know that this is the solution for the relationship between Haiti, and Dominican Republic. It’s normal to have problems, especially when we share a border, but all problems have solutions. We just need to choose the solution that it’s fair for both.

Your mother the attorney Mireille Durocher Bertin was murdered in Haiti. That would have been led anyone in your place to say, “I will never set foot in Haiti. I will never have anything whatsoever to do with Haiti.” Yet, wherever you go, Haiti is the first word on your lips. How did you get yourself beyond that?
Because I learned how to forgive! Haiti its my country and I will always work to have a better country! I lost my mother, and it was very hard for me and my family, but I believe she would not like me to forget about my country. She always fought for the rights of people in Haiti, and for a better country.

How did you manage to heal from such a horrendous experience?
I am not totally healed; I just accepted it, and moved on! Because I always say that, everything in life happens for a reason, and only God, knows which is. And so we have to learn from each experience, good or bad, easy or difficult.

What are people most surprised to learn about you?
That I am grateful for life and to God, even when I suffer! No one likes suffering, but it does happen, so we have to deal with it, without blaming anyone.

You have several foundations, including one that you started with your father. Would you mind discussing them?
I have only one foundation of my own and it’s Sarodj for a Purpose. I do help many other foundations, including my father’s—Alliance International pour la Récuperation D’Haiti—and another called Manitas en la Calle. I support also many charity work such as Catwalk. I have been working in charity since 2002, but now I created my own foundation, because I have many things I want to do for my people.

It’s been said that there is a great deal of discrimination against Haitians in the Dominican Republic. Have you ever been a victim?
No, I have not. I thank the Dominican Republic, that has been my second home; they gave me and my family the opportunity to grow, study and work in their country. It is true that it’s been said that there is discrimination, but it hasn’t been said that there are also a lot of opportunities.

How do you respond to the saying that beauty is both a blessing and a curse?
I believe that everything in life can be a blessing or a curse, it will all depend on how you use it, and why you use it for. People say that being beautiful opens and closes doors, so make sure you identify the open doors to take advantage of the opportunities.

Was the trip to Port-au-Prince for the Miss Haiti 2010 your first trip to Haiti since you went to live in the Dominican Republic?
No, I have been going back to Haiti since 2007, and even had some clients in Haiti, and worked as their lawyer, so I went back and forward very often, now I am permanently in Haiti.

What is Haitian identity like in the Dominican Republic?
I am Haitian in the Dominican Republic, and all over the world. It’s an honor for me to be a Haitian and to say so.

When you had the Miss Haiti title, there was this negative energy that was going around, about how you weren’t “Haitian enough”.
After being Miss Haiti, I wasn’t in any place enough, I have been traveling all over the world for 2 years now, representing my country, and making people see other things about Haiti. I believe that my job as Miss Haiti, is not to sit down in Haiti, so they can say I am there. If I want to change the image they have of our country, I have to do it internationally.

From what we’ve read, your father married a Dominican woman, and your professional and social circle is almost completely Dominican correct? With that, how have you managed to keep your Haitian identity?
My father never got married after my mother’s death. He still thinks about her, and he still loves her; for him she is still here! But I understand he needs to get married one day, and he can get married with whom he feels like—doesn’t matter if she will be Dominican, or Haitian, or Chinese. I have a lot of Dominican friends, but they are not more than my Haitian friends. I do have also a lot of Venezuelan, Colombian, Italian, French friends. None of my friendships can affect my identity, because I am sure of what I am, and where I come from.

Haitians come in all colors, as do Dominicans. Yet there is this perception that dark equals Haitians, and light equals Dominican. Do you think the fact that your looks lean more towards the supposed Dominican prototype look has helped you escape some discrimination?
No, I do not think so, because everyone in the Dominican Republic knows for sure that I am Haitian. And I believe that us Haitians are the first ones that accent that difference, because all over the world, I have found Haitians that tells me i don’t look Haitian. It seems to me that we are the ones mistaking about our color, because White, Black, Light, Brown, its all the same; Haitian is Haitian.

As a beauty queen, do you ever feel that someone who approaches in friendship or in love, might have ulterior motives?
I don’t, because I don’t judge people, so I don’t expect to be judged.

You took part in the video for the song “Dekole”, and you’re quite the actress. Is acting something you’re actively pursuing?
Actually it is, I have been taking acting classes for more than one year now, and already shot a movie, but my movie hasn’t come out yet.

Do you see yourself ever living in Haiti for good?
I am living in Haiti, now I have my apartment and I spend more then 2 weeks a month in Haiti, the rest traveling.

Do you think you would have become a lawyer, regardless of whether your mom had been one?
Maybe not, because all the things that have happened to me in life, are the things that make me be who I am today! So everything had a influence in my life, especially my mother.

Jesus once said that it is by the fruits that a tree bears that you can evaluate it. What kind of fruit does the Sarodj tree bear?
I am not the one to tell you what are the fruits. I work hard, to give many fruits, and one day you’ll get to see them all mature, and ready to eat!

What’s your advice to all the future Misses of Haiti?
Enjoy, because its a beautiful experience, but work because it’s also a job, you have to represent you country, so never forget the reason why you have been chosen.

What’s next for you?
I want to built a home for children in Haiti, under the name of my mother, and I am raising funds for this project right now. Just shoot a calendar to promote Haiti, and the funds of the calendar, are all for my foundation. Have a couple of movies that we are negotiating for this year, so hopefully I’ll get to do another one.

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SARODJ AT A GLANCE

What kind of music do you like? Your favorite stars and band?
I like old music, and classic music, but I enjoy all type of songs. Some of my favorite singers are: Dalida, Edith Piaf, Andrea Bocelli, Marc Antony, Nana Mouskouri.

What do you do for fun?
Reading a good book, or going to the movies, enjoy a cup of coffee with friends. Have a good meal. Having fun for me is easy, because I enjoy everything I do.

What’s your favorite vacation spot?
Italy.

When was the last time you had a really good cry?
When I had a bad dream, I dreamt someone died.

Between your dad and siblings, who are you the closest to?
I’m really close to all my family. But I have a special relationship with my father.

What kind of person would your friends say you are?
They would just say I am a good friend.

And your most prized possession?
My faith.

Your biggest regret so far?
None. I don’t regret anything, because I live every moment with all my energies, and I believe that everything happens for a reason.

Give instructions to your future husband.
Respect, understand, communicate, be fair and you will have no problems with me.

Your favorite book.
God Arrives in a Harley because it’s a book where you clearly understand that you should never judge people for what they look like; you should give them the opportunity to show you how they really are!

Your favorite movie and what you like most about it.
The Secret Garden. It’s a beautiful story, and I learned with it, that when you believe in something you should fight for it. It’s never late to turn back when you are wrong.

Eunide Edouarin—the Haiti-based rapper more popularly known as Princess Eud—doesn’t like to do interviews. “When I’m being interviewed,” the raptress contends, “I have so many things going on my head at the same time that I sometimes answer questions they never asked me, and I’m kinda shy.” Yet shyness is a quality that very few would identity with Edouarin. Take a performance for example in which the self-described homebody held her own alongside CaRiMi, one of the most popular Haitian pop bands on the market, during one of her first big performances in New York. Slithering sexily onstage, the singer-rapper rapped effortlessly on the band’s hit “Fanm Nan Move”, before dissolving into a verse of her own song “Hey”. It’s utter confidence and bravado that shines through; no signs of timidity.

Edouarin is a self-proclaimed traditional girl, but her start in the Haitian rap music game was far from conventional. While hanging at a local radio station in Port-au-Prince, she was invited by a rapper named Easy One to freestyle on a beat, and after being at a loss as to what to put in her improvised lyrics—Edouarin who grew up in a Baptist Church—started to recite the words of the first chapter of the Book of Psalms, pulling in listeners and the radio station’s DJs into a mild frenzy. Ingenuity was her name.

At the request of Easy One, one of Haiti’s most popular rappers at the time (since deceased), Edouarin, who having received a rebirth hip-hop baptism, was renamed Eud (pronounced Ood, you know like ‘hood’ without the ‘h’), joined Le Tribu de Job, a rap group where she was the sole female member.

Le Tribu de Job eventually dissolved, and Eud became part of Mystic 703, which now consists of her, the rapper Ded Kra-Z and 11 other members. From there, in addition to performing as part of the group, Eud cleverly started to position herself as a solo artist. Her duet with male rapper Izolan is one of Haitian hip hop’s first love duets, and one of the best. “Ou konnen ke’m renmen’w/Ou konnen ke’m damou’w,” she growls in one verse, “Mwen pa konnen pou kisa w’ap fè mwen fè jalouzi”(You know that I love you/You know that I am in love with you/Can’t figure out why you’re tryin’ to get me jealous). Says Carel Pedre, a radio personality based in Haiti and host of the Haitian radio morning show “Chokarella” of the raptress-songstress: “I think she is one of best female artists that we have in the Haitian music industry. She’s versatile, she’s smart and she has style.”

Indeed, with a combination of style, talent and sheer marketing savvy, Edouarin managed to create a buzz both in and outside of Haiti before even releasing an album. The wheels of her marketing machine got a great deal of oil both through online and off-line channels, coupled with a carefully crafted persona and mystique—made more viable by a music video for “Hey”, in which Edouarin is depicted as a nonsense diva with rapping and singing skills, who is not about to be duped into any man’s web of lies and deceit, thank you very much.

It’s that confidence that makes admirers like Adley “DJADD 1” Raymond of New York City’s “Sakpase Radio” show praise her endlessly. “Princess Eud is the epitome of rap creole,” observes ADD 1. “She is beautiful, talented and she has a notable swag. She has a distinctive rap style that can capture anybody’s attention from miles away.”

Last summer, the rapper and her artistic partner Ded Kra-Z released an album Limyè Rouj. Two songs “Yap Pale” and “A Dans Mizik la” were released as singles, and supported by flashy music videos. But understandably, whatever bursting fuse that’s lit within her is going to be bursting through when she makes her solo debut. “I find inspiration from everything that’s going on in everyday life, in my own life, and those in my entourage and such,” indicates Eud. “My melodies come to me pretty easily once I hear a beat in my head.”

Eud and her Mystic 703 cohort Ded-Kra-Z peformed in Japan recently at a hip hop festival. But the international trip that made the biggest impression on own and that she credits with reviving her confidence in herself as a performer, was during a musical festival dedicated to hip hop. “I’ve never had a welcome like that,” she says of her trip to Havana. “Even though the crowd didn’t know what I was saying, but with the power that I was delivering the lyrics I was knocking on the stage, it made everyone jump up and down and repeat everything I was saying. They welcomed me like a true princess, and frankly I was really ecstatic about it. Up to this point, [Cuba] is the country that’s really made an impression on me since I’ve been going overseas.”

While Edouarin claims not to feel any special sisterhood with fellow female rappers, most of the other artists that she admires and draws inspiration from are female. “I love Lauryn Hill; I love her personality, her singing style,” and with her cocoa-brown complexion, and natural twists, Edouarin could easily be mistaken for a distant young relative of Hill’s circa the release of Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

Edouarin continues through her laundry list of inspirations. “I love Manzè of Boukman Eksperyans. This woman there’s no way you can be around her and not feel strong. I like the way she carries herself and her self-respecting ways. I like Beyonce for her energy and Rihanna because she’s not afraid of saying what she thinks. I love Pink because she’s so real. I love Amy Winehouse for her voice and Ayo and Adele for the all the emotion they put in their songs and their simplicity, but there are others I could mention as well.”

In an industry where feuds are the norm, Edouarin is drama-free for the most part. She is not particularly chummy with any other female artists (members of her family, including her sister Dina in particular, she avows, are her best friends). “But I don’t have a problem with anyone,” she is quick to affirm. “I love everyone who’s doing positive things, and I would love for everyone to get to the top, and to make all their dreams come true.”

If the Haitian pop music industry as a whole is dominated by males, moreso is the world of Haitian hip hop, which leads one to ask, is it hard being a female rapper, to which Eud answers rather diplomatically: “Well, I don’t know if it’s difficult for the other female rappers in Haiti, but I know it’s been a long road for me to get to where I am, and I worked hard for it, and when you work, it’s the fruit of your labor that you reap.” She adds: “Life is not the same for everyone; what you picture isn’t what you usually get. Up to this point, things aren’t exactly the way I would want them them to be, but they’re not too bad, but of course I can’t answer for the other female rappers.”

And speaking of other Haitian female rappers, Haiti isn’t exactly covered with them the way it’s covered with mountains. Eud is definitely one of the most visible, if not the most visible next to Niskkaa and J-Ruff. Perhaps Eud’s edge stems from the fact that she raps mostly in Creole, while Niskkaa raps mostly in English, with more risqué lyrics, and appeals mostly to the young elite crowd. J-Ruff, for her part, is pretty new to the Haitian rap scene, or at least to the Haitian-American audience. Eud’s popularity is also due to her timing on the Haitian hip hop scene—she made an early entrance into the rap game in Haiti, (when very few females dared to enter, or if they did they didn’t persevere to the point where they could get the visibility she’s enjoying). And then there’s again the social media marketing factor, which Eud has used consistently as part of her promotion strategies. And it does help that Eud is easy on the eyes with her svelte physique, glamorous style and image—and overall good looks. Her lyrical recipe of self-assertive, socially conscious and upbeat songs also have played a part in her success.

Pedre has no doubts about the fact that the rapper’s popularity is based on talent. “She’s like the queen of Haitian hip-hop,” he affirms. “She’s a great composer and lyricist too. She’s different because she never missed the opportunity to showcase her talent. People think that the Haitian music industry is not a good business for females and Eud prove them wrong.” DJADD 1 echoes the same stating, “She displays a positive attribute through her work ethic.” In her, he sees historical significance for this generation of young women. “She represents all women who are afraid to showcase their talents in Haiti and everywhere else.”

But beyond all the industry gushing, is Princess Eud just a part of a well-orchrestated hype machine or is she the real deal? Is she someone who just got lucky, and was at the right place at the right time? Is she just a clever little number, who thanks to the adage that anyone in Haiti can be a star provided they get enough screen time, and know a few influential people. But lots of people can get TV screen time, and hobnob with the Big Dawgs. So, how is it that they don’t move the fans and catch the eye like Princess Eud does?

When not performing, Eud—that’s Princess Eud to you—usually likes to stay within the confinements of her home. The married raptress and the mother to one says the birth of her son changed her life. “He’s taught me so much. He taught me what true love really is, what affection is, what joy is. He’s the best thing that’s happened to me so far.”

Her album is another child that she cherishes to her heart. She’s got big plans, thank you very much, and in the long run, her plans don’t necessarily evolve around the world of rap. She’s got talents and dreams all over the place. A skilled cook, one of her dreams is to become a uber chef, the type that invents dishes. Quite the stylist, she plans on having her own styling firm, with the biggest international stars as part of her client stable. She also envisions being a mentor to up-and-coming artists a decade or so from now, and most of all she sees herself as a leading and influential advocate of women’s rights.

Ironically enough, Ms. Edouarin/Eud/Princess Eud doesn’t view herself as a feminist. “No, I am not a feminist,” she admits outright, “because frankly I wouldn’t want to have the same rights as a man in the sense of me thinking that I can do all that a man can do. I am a woman and I know what I can do and what I cannot do. I just want for everyone to respect women and to recognize their usefulness in society, and not to scorn them or abuse them.”

Asked if she has any regrets so far, and she will tell you that, well, no. “So far I don’t have any at all and I don’t think I’ll ever have any regrets, because everything that happens in my life—whether good or bad—happens so I can draw a lesson. I just thank God and keep right on living.”

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As a teenager wanting to pursue professional modeling (and having done more than a half a dozen
photo shoots), Vanessa Nina went to a casting for a reality show, and disappointment set in. She was not among those selected. But the almond-eyed petite teen did not get discouraged. She need not be. Almost immediately, she was booked as a video model for a music video for rapper Lil Wayne called “Always Strapped”. From then on, it started to rain music video assignments on little Miss Vanessa Nina’s head, which was music to the ears of the aspiring nurse. And the assignments kept coming: Wale, Young Jeezy, Sean Garrett, JLS, Birdman, Jencarlos Canela. Even when playing aside other video models, Vanessa Nina is distinct, with her sensual, V-shaped upper lip, shapely body, and dreamy stare.

Vanessa Nina set a lot of men’s hearts into titter-patter when she appeared in the steamy video for the Haitian konpa band CaRiMi, playing the oh, faithful wife of a cruel husband whose running around her with a Jezebel for the band’s song “Mwen Dezole”.

The model recently graduated from nursing school, but she’s still a model with a business woman’s brain, thank you very much. “One of the goals I set for myself when I started modeling,” she affirms, “was to book a major print advertisement, and a commercial. I’m happy to say this year I booked a major commercial, for HTC cell phone company. I hope this year I can land that major print advertisement as well.”

One of the things that set Vanessa Nina apart from other video models, is that she treats video modeling as just that, a job that ends the minute she’s punched out. No late nighters with rappers and artists who need a little companionship for the night. Oh, and she keeps her personal life and off-music video set life to herself, giving short and cagey responses to just about every question she’s asked. Maybe it has to do with the upbringing of the New York-born, South Florida-dwelling resident, which she emphasizes was as Haitian as can be. “A lot of reading,” she remembers, describing her childhood. “Barely any playing outside with my friends. My parents were super strict.”

Her parent’s method has worked. Look at the end results of what they produced.
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VANESSA NINA…UP CLOSE

Tell us something about Ms. Vanessa Nina that we haven’t heard before.
Aside from modeling, I’m really creative. I love graphic and web designing.

Do you have any counsel for other young women who are aspiring to do the same?
Stay true to yourself!

Do you think dark-skinned girls have it bad in the modeling industry?
No. Beauty is beauty, whether your white, black, brown, or yellow.

Have you ever had a stalker?
Thankfully, no.

When you’re not modeling or going to school, what can you be seen doing?
When I’m not modeling, or studying, I focus my energy on designing. I actually have a project I’m working on that I’ll be releasing soon!

What artist is your dream music video subject?
My dream music video project would be any R&B artist. They portray women in a respectful way.

What’s the best thing about being Haitian?
The food! The culture, and the face people make when I tell them that I’m Haitian. It’s priceless.

Can an ugly girl be made to be beautiful?
Depends on if she’s ugly on the outside or inside. You can alter the exterior, but the interior forever remains the same.

What makes a fabulous outfit?
A outfit that compliments a woman’s body, and of course fabulous shoes!

What was the last thing that made you shed some serious tears?
When I graduated from nursing school.

The man you will marry is somewhere out there. Give him instructions.
Be prepared to be with someone who is ambitious, loving and intelligent. That’s not so hard!

When it comes to contemporary Haitian female singers, none are hotter than Misty Jean. Says Boston-based disc jockey DJ Super Duke of BelMizik FM, “Before Misty Jean, the market wasn’t as well-balanced. There were other female singers but not an official diva like Misty.”

The petite and curvy singer with the astounding voice started singing when she was just 3, for candy and cookies in her hometown of Port-au-Prince Haiti.

Her mother, an actress in the theatrical troupe of famed comedian Fernel “Jesifra” Valcourt, became her connection to the show business world in Haiti, and little Misty Jean often performed on stage during play intermissions or as a warm-up act. Her childhood years were spent hobnobbing with the greatest of the greatest in the entertainment world in Haiti: recitals with Lyn Williams Rouzier, a famed dance instructor, at the legendary Triumph Ciné at age 7, and singing alongside the legendary singer Yole Derose in grand spectacles, and singing with veteran pianist Raoul Denis Jr, and performing at a music special with the Widmaiers, a musical family that included members of the Haitian folk/jazz/konpa group Zekle.

All of this stardom practice was just a prelude to what came up next: Jean’s move to New York and subsequently to Miami, followed by the release of her debut album in 2004 entitled Plus Près de Toi, after being signed by superproducer and Kreyol Music label owner Jeff Wainwright. As a producer, Wainwright had brought together the first Haitian woman konpa band Riské, but the short-lived, but impactful Riské itself had often been pointed out by musical historians and Haitian music pundits as the poster band for the oft-repeated saying that the Haitian music industry and Haitian women didn’t mix.

The question was on the floor: could super producer Wainwright make a star out of Misty? After all, he had worked with many other female groups, who often did not make it past the second album. Did Misty have what it took to conquer the Haitian musical market, which by many accounts, was not exactly a welcoming place to little Haitian girls? As background singers or background dancers, yes, but as a solo star, don’t wager your life on it, was the adage. Very few Haitian female singers had penetrated, and their numbers could be counted on one hand, to the point where some contented themselves with just being invisible backup singers for bands, regardless of the potential they possessed as solo acts. Stories had been circulating for years and continue to circulate about amoral male producers in the Haitian music sector demanding sexual favors in return for stardom, and blocking the way for them if certain, er, demands weren’t met.

Clearly unfazed, little Misty was ready for her debutante ball in the male-ran and dominated Haitian music industry. Then begun a marketing blitz for the singer, posters at Haitian stores, heavy airplay on Haitian radio stations on all the major markets, magazine stories, television interviews, performances at popular musical festivals, and shows at packed venues. But none of these efforts would have much effect, had Misty Jean herself had not had what it took. The singer with her three octave voice sung “Se ou Mwen Vle” with passion. Female listeners could identify with songs like “Padone’m” (Forgive Me), “Maladie D’Amour” (Love Sick), that spoke of heartbreak and serial infidelity, while general konpa fans could boogie along to “Ti Bway” (Little Fella). The singer’s stunning looks didn’t exactly hurt her marketing. Jean’s shapely body, and flawless complexion were much-discussed, and many regarded her as the essence of charisma, talent, and sex appeal, hence the total package.

To anyone watching the musical scene closely then, it was obvious that a new diva had come to announce to a new era in the Haitian musical scene. Some said that not since the days of Emeline Michel, had a solo female singer commanded—and got—as much attention as Jean did. Misty Jean served audiences a scrumptious musical plate in which her songbird of a voice, her alluring body and persona, were cooked to utter perfection, and fans ate it up, and asked for seconds, and thirds.

Marie-Christine Jeanty of CPAM 1610 Radio in Montreal, and a moderator for the Haitian music site HaitiNetRadio remembers Misty as being a virtual novelty when the singer arrived on the market: “In the konpa scene,” she recalls, “there was a void in term of females, especially in the category of solo artists. Emeline Michel is not categorized as konpa. I mean she came on the scene, decades after Georgy, Shirley Desgrottes and others. Also, those female artists were first introduced as part of a band, where she came solo and formed her own band.”

Plus Près de Toi did more than introduce Jean as a solo artist, it made her a sex symbol. On the cover of the disc, Jean, starring defiantly, with a teasing updo, dangling earrings, and her hand carelessly placed underneath her chin, heralding a new era where young Haitian females were again claiming their own in the market.

That year, and in the years following, Jean snatched every Best Female Artist accolade that was given out by the Haitian music industry, and was among the co-headliners of all the major Haitian musical festivals, shaking it up with her band, in addition to performing outside the United States, the French Caribbean, France, and in Haiti.

But no sooner than she made a splash than controversies started to swirl around her. On the personal front, she and her onstage partner rapper Jean-Adler “Top Adlerman” Gaston had a fallout that played ugly in the Haitian media with Gaston claiming that she and Wainwright were involved in an abusive relationship, a claim both Wainwright and Misty vehemently refuted. Adds Jeanty: “Misty Jean was never really associated with drama besides [the] rumor of abuse from her manager and husband. This was never confirmed and domestic violence is a taboo subject [in Haitian culture].”

Her second album Konpa A Gogo renewed accusations among her Haitian fans that she cared more about catering to the French Caribbean markets than her Haitian brethren in Haiti and the USA. “Many criticized her for not making enough promotion towards the Haitian Market”, observes Jeanty, “but who can blame her? We always see and here the same bands on the market and the market has no real structure. I believe she made more of an impact at first in the French Antilles Market and Haitians jumped on the wagon after. She had a new flavor to offer and great stage presence.” What’s more, in spite of being popular in Martinique, Guadeloupe and France, and containing “Camionette”, a remake by the legendary Haitian musical duo Claudette et Ti Pierre, the record didn’t have the artistic integrity that Plus Près de Toi had, and was not as warmly received among her Haitian fans.

Misty quickly regrouped. The album Li Pa Twò Ta (ironically translated as It’s Not Too Late) was everything Plus Près de Toi was and more, and everything Konpa a Gogo had failed to be. Misty Jean was clearly back in business. Whereas Plus Près de Toi had given listeners the impression that she was some musical marionette, and Konpa a Gogo didn’t give much reason to feel differently, Li Pa Twò Ta introduced a Misty Jean that was participating fully in the creative process, and who had reached another level artistically. The quality of the songs were upgraded, too, showing a Misty that had matured intellectually as well, and one who had much more on her mind than heartbreaks and love songs. There were ballads to showcase the songstress’s voice, midtempo songs, and dance floor-driven tracks, while retaining the zouk/konpa flavor that had brought her fame in the first place. Her lush soprano carried songs like “Ne Touche pa a Mon Homme” (Don’t Touch My Man), “Tu Pleures” (You Weep), beautifully. Other standout tracks included “Valè Fanm” (Women’s Worth), a female power uptempo song that had her collaborating with vocalist Martine Marseille. That song in itself was a big departure for Misty, who practically had made a career out of singing victim-of-love type of songs.

Rumors still came and went. When tongue waggers and busybodies weren’t romantically linking her to Athlet “Flav” St Fleur of the group Gabel, they were pointing out at a wedding band that appeared on Misty’s hand in a performance photograph. Misty has denied ever dating the singer, and denied being a married woman, a denial that brought great relief to male fans who practically had gone into cardiac arrest at the very idea of their diva being attached.

Her highly anticipated fourth studio album Just Like That on the way, Misty Jean is in full diva mode again. To launch off the 14-track disc, the singer-songwriter has released a single “Nou Kwè”, a duet with French Caribbean diva Tanya St Val—which already has at least DJ Super Duke’s approval. “It is making its impact pretty well,” he observes. “My Antilles DJ friends are playing it on heavy rotation already. As for the States, I don’t see any other female act that can compete.”

Indeed, Misty Jean is the undisputed successor to Emeline Michel. Aside from Tifane Sejour, there’s isn’t much competition, no serious competition. Not that the sparse competition has made Misty an artistic sloth. After 3 award-winning studio albums, and 2 live albums, the singer is working as hard as if she still had something to prove. Convinced more than ever that Misty still has it, DJ Super Duke nonetheless has some advice for the singer: “She needs to be as determined and aggressive like she [was] on her first album,” he counsels. “Since she took a break and didn’t keep the momentum she needs to work twice as much. Travel and do meet and greet everywhere.”

Her career-o-meter pointing to ‘high’, Misty discussed her life, her music, among other things with Kreyolicious.com.

Q&A
For some, getting in the English-language market is a show of success.
I couldn’t agree more. The English language market offers much greater possibilities in terms of financial opportunities and exposure. It is very difficult to break because for example in the American market, music is very segmented meaning that you have to fit in a category either Pop, Country, Rap, Hip Hop, Rock or Jazz. However, I believe that you can also make decent money into our own market or even in the French and Creole market but our music industry lacks the basic infrastructure. No authorship and publishing rights, no national registry of song copyrights.

All these things work in our disadvantage in the Haitian music industry. You can have a mega hit and you don’t see a penny in terms of publishing royalties. The radio and TV stations are not part of a system that make them pay when they play your song or use it for commercial purposes such as radio ads and else. The only way to make money in the Haitian music industry is to play as many live venues as possible. So by doing this, you exhaust yourself as an artist and you become part of a vicious circle that is even harder for Haitian woman artists.

Our mentality also needs to change. The public needs to be more supportive of our female artists. The music fan must discourage bootlegs. Our men need to believe that we women can succeed in other areas besides only being a good stay home wife raising children. Also, most of us women don’t believe in ourselves and our capabilities. We very often are jealous of one another and we sometimes have low self-esteem and are viewed mostly as sex objects by Haitian men. Finally, we as a nation only have a handful of career female artists out there and that needs to change.

Most people would like to see you do a duet with a Haitian male singer. Why hasn’t that happened?
The attempt was made on many occasions, but due to the fact that most of these artists are controlled by their own record label, producer and, or promoter, reaching an agreement that works for the benefits of both parties is sometimes hard to reach and to come by. If these producers or promoters don’t have a working relation with and, or a vested interest in working with you and your producer and promoter you are screwed, you will not get a chance at all. In the Haitian music industry, very often personal agendas and emotions come before business sense.

In one of your songs ”Maladie D’Amour”, you sing about a woman who’s been cheated on by her man, but gladly takes him back. If you were in a position like that, would that be your reaction as well or not?
I think that almost every Haitian woman has been in this kind of unfortunate situation at one point in their life. You might be in love with someone and know that he is cheating on you. Even though what he is doing is wrong and hurts you deeply, you might not necessarily be ready to break up and move on yet. You have “Maladie D’amour”! My song simply talks about true love, forgiveness, and if the case applies, to wait until you are sure and ready to leave—if ever.

Do you feel that looks, good looks are important to stardom?
I think it helps but it is not the only and main thing. Stardom is money, wisdom, loyalty, talent and patience. Stardom is how you see yourself inside and out. Stardom defines who you really are, what you want to become, who you want to be and how bad you want it.

In the past, you’ve expressed your admiration for singers like Yanick Etienne and Emeline Michel. Will you ever get together with either of them for a duet?
I would love to. Actually, not too long ago I had the chance to sing with Yanick Etienne live. It was such a wonderful experience. I have also performed at events with Emeline. I have so much respect for both of them: their talents and their accomplishments.

Do you have a favorite song from your repertoire?
I personally love all my songs but in each album I have a few that always capture me every time I hear them play and lately “Li Pa Two Ta” has been my favorite.

You have often been accused of catering to the French-speaking Caribbean market and France as opposed to the fans in the United States and Canada.
Yes. I heard this so many times, but I don’t personally agree with it. First, let me start by saying that I am a professional singer who does music for a living. So, I have to look out for my own best interests. Let’s face it, the Haitian music industry in its current stage does not offer any opportunities to our female artists.

I can safely say that in the past eight years, I have produced at an equal pace than most of our top male konpa bands, but our promoters would rather support or promote a foreign female artist than give a chance to their own. For the past four years, I have been the only female that has a band singing the Konpa genre, but our promoters don’t offer us female any opportunities in venues like festivals, big concerts, etc. I can perform with no fear with any of our top male bands or artists. I have paid my dues and earned the hard way my place in the Haitian music industry. Now, when I go overseas, I get treated with a lot of respect and most important of all when I go to places in the Caribbean and the French market, I represent Haiti.

Last year, I was the guest of France Television for the filming of the ninety minutes show entitled “2 Mo 4 Not” representing Haiti together with guitar legend Robert Martino who has backed me up since the beginning in 2004 and who is currently the maestro of my band. People should know that I am a proud Haitian representing our culture, our music konpa and our country throughout the world.

You remade the song “Ti Bway” by the Haitian pop group Skandal and the song “Koupe Dekale” by the Antillean artist Kaysha, I believe who was the original artist. What pushes you to do remakes?
“Ti Bway” was originaly produced by Jeff Wainwright and John Doane of Skandal back in 1989. Since it was a hit at that time we thought it was going to be a great thing to do a remake with Patrick Handal the original singer. “Koupe Dekale” was a collaboration with African born singer Teeyah who I met in France on a tour for Section Zouk back in 2004. I was amazed with the Koupe Dekale dance and Jeff suggested that we both do a collabo kompa style.

You and the rapper Top Adlerman had a feud at the beginning of your career. Have you guys made peace since then?
What we had musically was very artistic. We were doing true music and we both had put our hearts into it. There is not really peace to be made. We were just two artists signed with the same label Kreyol Music and that have tried to make a big impact at one point of time. Things happened, we learned from it and we moved on.

Would you say you’ve had some great regrets in life, so far?
No, I don’t have any regrets so far in life because whatever things that could be considered as such, I learned from them and used them in my advantage.

You are working on a new album.
My new album entitled Just Like That will be out later on this year and will reveal the new me. In this business, you always have to re-invent yourself and even though I am still very young, I have been at it for a good while now. I believe in this new album because I wrote together with Jeff most of the songs. This album will reflect more musical maturity and profound ideological and personal experiences. We spent a lot of times working with other producers on the little details that will make all the songs great and catchy. It will be in my view the new fresh sound and sensation of the year. This album will explain and reveal to women in general that we are not what they say we are but what we say we are.

You will find a couple of Reggae tunes such as “Peyizan” featuring Alaye and “Sa Red”, a couple of Salsa and merengue songs—one of them being a remake of Lumane Casimir’s “Lakansyèl”. Of course plenty of Konpa and Zouk songs among them the duet with diva Tanya St Val and also a couple of crossover songs in the mold of “Tam Tam” from the Li Pa Twò Ta album.

My fans should expect an even more mature, versatile, international and commercial approach to my music.

You made your debut as an actress not too long ago.
Yes, I did with director Mora Etienne Jr. in the movie The Price to Pay where I played the lead acting role of Zoulmie. Mora is known as one the best film producer in the Haitian market and he sure did a wonderful job with this movie. It was a tremendous and challenging experience for me. Having been around acting all my life, it was like a dream come true for me. I had to do some scenes that I didn’t think I was going to be able to do like having a baby and being married.

Who is the first love of the life of Misty Jean?
My first love of my life is God because without him I wouldn’t be on earth doing what I love so much which is music.

Do you consider yourself a feminist?
Yes I do and as a human being, I believe in equal opportunity for both male and female. I believe in human rights for children. That is why on my new album, we wrote a song “Sa Red” that describes child abuse in general and the conditions of the restavèk in our country. I did it in two versions: Creole and English. I would love for our Haitian community to give us females a chance to spread our wings.

Have any of your male fans gotten out of control over the course of your career?
I wouldn’t say out of control but I would say trying to…(laughter) but on stage while performing, I’m always in control and my staff always keeps a good eye [out] for me.

Besides releasing your new album, what are your immediate plans for your career?
My immediate plan will be to establish a great marketing strategy mostly based in Haiti for this new album so it can go even further than the previous ones. I also want to be all over the place performing. During the month of June, I will also take a very important step in my career. We will release our first pop single entitled “I Want You Back” together with a music video that has already been produced. I can’t wait for that because it will show a completely different aspect of my voice and talent. Finally, I am also working in creating a foundation to help children in Haiti. I believe I can help raise awareness to the conditions of poor children and slowly help improve their living conditions through donations.

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KREYOLICIOUS YOURS…MISTY JEAN

MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT I…can watch the Martin Lawrence TV series [Martin] 2000000 times
a day and never get tired of it

I’D RATHER DIE THAN…hurt a child

THREE PEOPLE THAT I CAN’T GO A DAY WITHOUT TALKING TO…Nobody

WHAT ATTRACTS ME TO A GUY…That he is funny and clean

I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT…music and dance

BESIDES MYSELF, THE FEMALE ARTISTS I LISTEN TO…Sade

THE LAST TIME I CRIED WAS WHEN…the earthquake occurred

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOU…loving and simply beautiful

WORST RUMOR I HEARD ABOUT MYSELF…that I was on drugs

INSTRUCTIONS TO MY FUTURE HUSBAND…treat me with respect

Lenelle Moïse can trace her origins as an artist as early as the fifth grade. The multi-hyphenated artist who writes, records and paints, was asked by her friend Atisha to write a love poem for a guy she was dating. Mother Moise stumbled upon the torrid love letter and thought that her beloved Lenelle was secretly dating, for certain a Haitian mother’s worst nightmare! An intense, near Guantanamo Bay-caliber, child-terrifying interrogation—that only Haitian mothers can conduct—followed.

From that traumatizing experience, Lenelle, the poet and wordsmith started to take shape. If her mother could be convinced that she was in love with some boy, just from a few words her imagination had inspired her to write on behalf of a friend, there must be something to her writing! Clearly, the girl had talent.

Moïse went on to pursue her passion, earning a Master of Fine Arts in Playwriting from Smith College. Her playwriting has won various honors, one of the first major ones being the prestigious James Baldwin Playwriting contest. Most recently she’s been the recipient of the Ruby Prize for Merit, one of her original creations. A collection of Moïse’s poems entitled Haiti Glass, will be published two years from now. She’s also doing edits on a six-character play that she says is “about academia, isolation, sex and integrity”.

Q&A

You wrote a film at 20.
Yes, I co-wrote Sexual Dependency with Bolivian filmmaker Rodrigo Bellot. It’s a feature-length about how the media affects adolescent identities across cultures. We collaborated when we were both undergrads at Ithaca College. The film is divided into five sections. I wrote section four, “Mirrors.”

You earned an MFA in Playwriting from Smith College. If you had to do it all over again, would you go the fine arts route?
Definitely. I needed to formally study theatre, to refine my writing style and to build professional confidence.

As a recording artist you released The Expatriate Amplification Project.
I wrote a two-woman play called Expatriate. The characters, Claudie and Alphine, are soul mates and musicians. Claudie is a creative force. She’s very disciplined but repressed. Alphine is a sizzling wild-child, born to be a star. The Expatriate Amplification Project is a studio recording of the music I composed for the play. I sing with my Off-Broadway costar Karla Mosley. She hits the sparkly high notes, I caress the earthy low notes. Everything you hear is created with our breath, voices, snapping fingers and two loop machines.

Moïse and a co-star in her Off-Broadway play Expatriate.”

Do you find that your identity as an individual born in the United States to Haitian parents, affects your art?
Actually, I was born in Port-Au-Prince. I moved to the U.S. when I was a toddler. My family lived in Brooklyn, Fort Lauderdale and Cambridge–cities with significant Haitian-American populations. I find that I often write about bi-cultural identity and displacement. I’m also inspired by the aesthetics of Haitian Vodou–the vévé drawings, the altars, the poly-rhythms, the ritual and oral tradition. My writing is sound-based. Haiti also comes up in my newest one-woman show, Ache What Make, which reflects on disaster, diaspora, distance and death-defying love.

Of all the poems you’ve written, which one would you say is the most personal?
Forgive me, but I wouldn’t say.

What were some of your inspirations early on, or rather who?
When I was a child, my mother regularly took me to the Strand Theatre in Boston. There, I saw Boukan Ginen, Emeline Michel and Manno Charlemagne. When I was ten years old, I started reading Alice Walker, Euripides and Matt Groening. Hearing Nina Simone taught me how to love my own deep voice.

Now, as an all-around artist, you’ve written everything from poetry and you also are involved in creating visual art. There must be some forms of art that you enjoy creating in more than others.
I try not to compartmentalize my creative impulses. I use every tool I have to tell stories: my pen, my eyes, my arms, my voice. I make collages to meditate and to overcome writing blocks. It’s all enjoyable.

Patrick Charles is not your average drummer, if there is one. The Haiti-born, New Jersey-raised, Los Angeles-residing drummer has worked with every major musician on the jazz music scene: from diva Anita Baker to jazz great Everette Harper, among others.

As Charles played with major players in the music scene, he recognized the need to do a project that was close to his heart, and lateral to his soul and roots. He put together Cité Soleil, a musical project inspired by his love for Haiti and his early years there.

Charles is eclectic to say the least. Says guitarist and composer Gaku Murata, who performs with Charles: “He doesn’t discriminate music by genre or who plays.” It turns out that everything from Korean pop music to 80’s disco music is pleasing to the drummer’s eardrum. “I could not believe that he wanted to play a Korean Pop song—Chinese version—along with his original jazz fusion songs for his next gig,” continues Murata. “What distinguishes him from other musicians is his honest passion for creating good music. He only cares about creating good music. He doesn’t care about how he creates or who he creates with.”

Murata, who frequently works with Charles says he’s noted the musician’s penchant to be inspirational even in a work relationship. “When I work with him for his gigs,” observes Murata, “he always encourages me to be creative, spontaneous, to feel free to push myself. I remember that he told me that making a mistake is okay because sometime you have to take a risk in order to push yourself to the next level.”

Now, it is time to talk to the man himself!

Q&A

So you started playing gigs in high school. What did your parents think about that?
Actually, my mother was cool with it, but my father was not, ’cause you know, all Haitian parents want their kids to be doctors, so when I told my dad that I wanted to be a drummer, he was furious, ’til this day he’s not exactly thrilled about it. So through out high school, I’ve played in many different bands—playing all kinds of music in the New Jersey and NYC Area.

Recreational drugs and substances are said to be quite popular in the music business. What is your point of view on them?
Well, that was one of my parents concerned. Yes, drugs are a big part of the music business, but not every musician uses drugs. I’ve been around plenty of cats that use drugs, but I’ve also worked with even more that don’t use drugs. Drugs were never a thing for me. I’m just not interested in drugs. It’s that simple. I don’t even smoke!

Is inspiration hard to find when it comes to your music?
No, it’s not. Inspiration for my music comes from my everyday observing of life. Life is my inspiration.

Between Charlie Bird, Thelonious Monk, Branford Marsalis, Miles Davis—which great has had the most influence on your work?
Well, who doesn’t love Bird and Monk and Branford? They are legends and pioneers, but I’m a huge student of Mr. Miles Davis. I love Miles; all I do is constantly study his music, and his concepts and his approach. Miles has the most influence over my music.

When was the last time you went to Haiti?
I was in Haiti in 1990. Yeah, it’s been a while.

Did you get the chance to check out the music scene there?
Actually, I didn’t get a chance to check out the scene, but my family in Haiti always [sends] me records/CDs of what’s hot. I did notice that hip-hop was making its way to the island though.

And your impression of this…?
Cool.

Being a musician has its ups and downs. What has been the highlight of your life as a musician?
The highlight so far has been graduating from Berklee College of Music and recording my own music and having some of my favorite artists play on my recordings and performing at the prestigious Yokohama Jazz festival with my group. And to be blessed to still be playing and studying and learning after 22 years.

Now, tell us all there is to know about your Cité Soleil musical project.
Okay. When I was attending Berklee, I began to mess around with composing, so by the time I finished school, I had a few tunes laying around, so I decided to do a record, and “Cité Soleil” was the only tune on the record that had a name before it was even written—that’s because of what I saw happening in Haiti at that time with [Jean-Bertrand] Aristide and the violence that was centered in Cité Soleil.

And as a kid, I remember going shopping in Cité Soleil with my mom. It was a beautiful little city by the sea, and to see how it has deteriorated with political violence and misery was hurtful, so I wanted to write something to dedicate to Cité Soleil and Haiti. And one day, I sat at the piano and the universe gave me Cité Soleil. “Cité Soleil” was the last tune to be written for the record.

When I began to record in 2006, I wanted to have some of the baddest artists that I knew from L.A. to record with me—artists like Grammy-nominated pianist and composer Kevin Toney and saxophone great Everette Harp and trumpeter and composer Johnny Britt and keyboardist Wayne Linsey—who by the way have played with Miles. The record took me a year to record, mix and master. The mix was done by my good friend Conley Abrams. Conley has worked for Dr. Dre at Death Row records, and the mastering was done at Columbia Mastering Studio by mastering legend Ron McMaster who also worked with Miles. Cite Soleil was released on my own label the summer of 2007.

You were born in Haiti, you grew up in Jersey, and you now live in Los Angeles. How has each of these residences affected you as a person, and more importantly your art?
Well, being born in Haiti shaped who I am as a man. I have a high and strong moral standing in life, because I know what it truly feels like to have absolutely nothing and to come from nothing. So as I grew up in Jersey, I took absolutely nothing for granted. I made the best out of any opportunity that came my way, ’cause I know I was just lucky to be able to grow up in the States. And as for my music, part of Haiti is always going to be in my work.

I’m Haitian; it’s in my DNA, but growing up in Jersey I was exposed to a new world of music. I was quickly exposed to all style of music through MTV—this was way back when MTV just started and they actually played music videos. And when I started to play drums. I used to go to all the jam sessions in the neighborhood clubs, and even went to jam sessions in NYC. I think all those things affected my music; I don’t think L.A. influenced my music at all.

What are your plans, post-Cité Soleil disc release?
I wrote some new music already that I’m very excited about, and also this time around, I will be doing more writing collaborations with different artist friends of mine. I plan to start recording next year, and hopefully have a release that same year, ’cause it’s about time.

The next time you watch the award-winning TV series Beauty and the Beast, the romantic comedy Splash, The Tuskeegee Airmen movie, here is some trivia to keep in mind: the composer who contributed to their respective scores, is someone who holds Haiti close to his heart.

Born in Port-au-Prince of a Puerto Rican mother and an American father, Holdridge is a big name in Hollywood, and his contributions to television and film have forever placed him in the musical cannon of the world’s most well-known compositions. Not to mention the fact that they’ve won him Grammys and Emmys.

We thought it good idea to hit up Mr. Holdridge and discuss Haiti, ““Dulce Rosa”, a project he’s been working on for the past two years, that will come into fruition in the spring of next year. Enter the wondrous life of a composer.

Have you ever gotten composer’s block? What do you do in those cases?
The best way to deal with obstacles in composing music is to have a very sound and thorough approach to the craft of composing. This comes from years of studying harmony, counterpoint, composition and orchestration. When you are at place in your composition that seems to not be going anywhere, it is possible to use the techniques you have mastered to give yourself ideas for possible solutions. Of course inspiration is always wonderful, but after that initial brainstorm it is the patient hard work of developing the idea that pays off. That’s where the craft comes in. During my career, I’ve never had much time to procrastinate due to deadlines. I have had to learn to be quick and nimble in my creativity. However, occasional breaks from writing like walking the dog or doing a crossword puzzle or swimming, clear the mind and open it to fresh insight.

You spent much of your early years in Costa Rica. So your mom is Puerto Rican and your dad American. Somehow Haiti comes into play in all of this.
My father was American and he grew up in Connecticut and studied in science in Maine and Michigan. However during a trip to the Caribbean in his college years he first saw rain forests. He decided then and there to make the study of the tropics his life work. After college, my dad went to work for the US Forest Service as a botanist and ecologist in the 1930s. They soon assigned him to Puerto Rico where he met and married my mother. During the early 1940s they were transferred to Haiti with the task of nurturing and developing the great pine forests. I was born during that time. During the late 40s the violent chaos of revolutionary politics reared its unfortunate head and all foreigners were asked to leave Haiti. We then went to Guatemala and eventually to Costa Rica. My dad started the Tropical Science Center in Costa Rica, dedicated to research and protection of the rain forests. I grew up mostly in San Jose, where I was very exposed to classical concerts and chamber music. I started music by studying the violin and then eventually got sent to high school in Boston to study music composition. Eventually I wound up in New York to continue my studies and begin my career. My parents continued living in Costa Rica. I travelled back and forth to Costa Rica extensively and visited many of the countries in Caribbean and Central American area including, of course, Haiti.

You’re currently working on “Dulce Rosa”, an opera based on a literary work by Isabelle Allende.
I have always been interested in composing opera. I composed my first opera “Lazarus and His Beloved” in 1976, based on a play by Kahlil Gibran. Over the years my work led to arranging and composing for the great tenor Placido Domingo. When he became artistic director of the Los Angeles Opera, I got heavily involved in their outreach program, for which I collaborated with librettist Richard Sparks on 5 one act operas. During that time we discussed with Domingo the possibility of us doing a full length opera. Having come across the Allende short story “Una Venganza”, we proposed it as an opera and Mr. Domingo gave us the green light. This is the culmination of an idea that began almost 10 years ago.

You won your first Grammy nomination for your work on the TV series “Moonlighting”. Do you remember where you were when you first found out you were nominated?
I knew it was a great song. I had submitted it to the Grammy nomination process on behalf of Al Jarreau and myself. It was very exciting when I found out we did get nominated. I was at home and I got a phone call from a friend telling me that Al and I were nominated.

Once you get commissioned to work on a project, what do you do to get the inspiration going?
If it’s a film, I watch the film many times trying to get into the feel and the mood of the work. I talk to the director a lot. Usually the directors have great insight into the project as they have lived with it the longest. For a concert work I just reach into my own desires of what I would like to hear. For an opera, I tend to want to work from a written first draft of the libretto. Tons of ideas will flow from just reading or seeing something.

Speaking of awards, is there an award that mean so much more than all the other ones. You can whisper it if you’d like, lest those Grammy and Emmy and other award boards should hear.I am always touched and honored to be nominated or get an award, but seriously, it doesn’t make your life any easier. The demands and pressures of coming up with new ideas is always there. It’s not about the awards anyway. What gets me the most are the beautiful letters and e-mails I get from fans around the world who love my music.

In addition to being a one-man operation, you’ve also collaborated with others. How does collaboration usually work? How do you make sure that the two people on a team are contributing equally? What happens when there is a differing point of view, in terms of how a piece should be arranged, or handled?
Collaboration is a very sensitive issue. There has to be “chemistry”. I have been very fortunate to collaborate with so many different brilliant writers. I have a great working relationship with Richard Sparks, my opera collaborator. His gift is astonishing. We get along well and work well together and aspire for a lot of the same things in our art.

Someone as experienced as you, surely has some advice for those aspiring to be composers.
It is paramount for young aspiring composers to study the craft and the literature of music, all kinds of music. Not enough emphasis is given to this. Everyone wants the easy way. The truth is you have to learn how it is all put together in order to be able to give flight to your inspiration. You can be a genius, but you still need to learn the techniques. Studying classical composition is the best foundation of all.

Out of all the scores that you’ve worked on, is there one that is special to your heart?
I love so many of my scores; it is hard to single any of them out. Most artists tend to be wrapped up in whatever they are working on currently. I tend to be that way. I am always looking forward and trying to do better. You can never stop being a student!

How is your Kreyol?
Alas, it is gone. My mother said I spoke it quite well in my much younger days, but unfortunately I couldn’t keep it up with all our moves. That is just too bad; I wish I had it back today. I do speak Spanish fluently.

What’s your favorite Haitian dish?
I grew up on rice and beans. What kid doesn’t love that? However as I got older I discovered the wonders of Kreyol cooking, especially the herb infused cuisine with seafood or chicken. I miss the foods of my Middle Americas, but lately these wonderful foods are showing up in restaurants in places here in Los Angeles and back in New York.

Is there a job that you turned down that you ended up regretting?
There are jobs I didn’t get I wished I had, but mostly I have been very fortunate and have worked on a lot of wonderful projects.

Have you visited Haiti recently?
My last visit was in the late 80s. I would dearly love to visit again but it has been hard with my work demands since I have to travel so much with my projects. I can’t say I have taken too many trips just for myself in recent years, it’s all been work-related.

Do you have any plans for Haiti?
My heart goes out to the people of Haiti enduring so much tragedy and so much hardship. I well up with tears when I think of the extreme difficulties the kind, warm hearted and elegantly graceful people of Haiti have endured. However, the art and the music and the folkloric literature of Haiti are incredible. I have often thought about writing some kind of work dedicated to my connection with Haiti. Maybe one day soon!

Canadian rock star Corey Hart knew that he had someone special on his hand when he was introduced to singer Marie-Christine. The green-eyed, Canadian-born daughter of Haitian parents had what it took to be a big star. “She is unique because she incorporates so many varied musical influences to her sound,” affirms Hart. That sound, founded on R&B with a strong jazz influence, and gospel inflections, showcases Marie-Christine’s throaty vocals on her debut album Walk in Beauty on the Siena Records/ Warner Music Canada label.

Curiously enough, Marie-Christine included a track entitled “Port-au-Prince” on the album, about a city, whose ground until recently she had never stepped on. But naturally, the zeal with which she sings the song and the love felt in her voice, exudes native-level pride. Hart—who wrote the song—attests that this was exactly the feeling he was going for. “Port-au-Prince” is a wonderful upbeat message for Haiti adding another dimension transcending the well-documented suffering that is so often portrayed in the news,” contends the singer-performer turned record label exec.

Fellow Haitian-Canadian Luc Mervil is featured on the song; and he and Marie-Christine make quite a pair. She (er rather the narrator in the song) frantically searches for her lover in Port-au-Prince. As she does so, she delineates the beauty of gingerbread houses, the tropical heat, Haitian streets filled with tap-taps and of joyous urban dwellers content in spite of economically-driven difficulties. Mervil’s raspy voice, Marie-Christine’s hurried delivery of the lyrics, the 70s-era konpa-inflected saxophone are meant to evoke nostalgia. By the time the last notes of “Port-au-Prince are sung, it is apparent that something more than a lover’s reunion has taken place; a celebration has ensued of newly found identity.

No less than Stevie Wonder is featured on her song “Keep on Running”. Yes, that Stevie Wonder (do you know of any others?). Walk in Beauty is sectioned off into two parts: Red Soul and Blue Soul. Not surprisingly a furnace-hot rendition of Prince’s “Wanna Be Your Lover” is featured on the album, along with “Girl in the Shades”, a remake of 80s hit “Sunglasses at Night” originally recorded by well, Corey Hart.

“Grey on a Sunny Day” addresses the issue of depression. A woman feels unexpected blues on what should have been happy days. With so much denial existing about depression and mental illness in so many cultures, this song really touches a chord—no pun intended. The blues can transform into yellows and reds and if not, that’s just fine.

Q&A

You’re the protegée of Canadian rock star Corey Hart.
A friend of mine, Michael Litresits, musical director and producer in Montreal, often works with Corey Hart on different projets. So when Michael heard that Corey was looking for a singer to sign on his new label, he sent my demo, simple piano/vocal of Aretha’s classic “Natural Woman”. Corey liked what he heard, and, soon after, we met and connected. It wasn’t long before we tried some songs in studio and came to a recording agreement. Our collaboration created the album Walk in Beauty—a nice mixture of soul and pop.

One of the tracks on the album “Keep on Running” features none other than Stevie Wonder.
When Corey Hart and I started working on the songs for my album, I wanted to cover a Stevie Wonder song but I didn’t want to do what had already been done. So after doing some research I fell in love with “Keep on Running”. Funky and groovy tune. Little did I know that Corey had contacted Stevie’s team to see if he’d be interested in collaborating on my album. I couldn’t believe it when I heard that he liked my voice and wanted to do something on my album!! Another dream came true for me! It’s unreal and I’m so honored!

That song “A Little Grey On A Sunny Side” that you wrote for the album. How did it come to life?
Not every song I write comes from a real story but for this one it’s very autobiographical. It was one of those days that for no particular reason I wasn’t in good spirits. Woke up on the wrong side of the bed. So instead of wasting time feeling bad, I decided to go sit at the piano and work some music therapy!

You grew up listening to your father’s classical music. Why do you think that in the end you gravitated towards a more R&B and gospel sound?
It’s true that I listened to a lot of classical music and even studied classical piano for 14 years. But all that time I also listened to Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, En Vogue, Michael Jackson et cetera. So I’m basically a music lover period. I listen to all kind of genres. But what I always loved singing the most is Soul music. Still, I’m glad I have classical training because it proved to be very useful in the course of my career.

You recently visited Haiti for the first time. What was it like?
I’ve been wanting to go to Haiti for a long time, so when I finally got there last April, I was very moved because I was realizing a dream. I got to visit the cities where my parents were born, my dad in Pétionville and my mom from Les Cayes. I imagined in my mind what it was like to grow up there. Everyone I met was so nice, welcoming and generous. I think it’s no coincidence that it took so long for me to go because I could really appreciate every moment. This was the first trip to Haiti, but definitely not the last.

Did your parents ever promise to take you prior?
My parents haven’t been back to Haiti in many years, but always cherished the dream of going back. I think with everything we see in the news and media they were a bit discouraged. Now I feel that has changed since I’ve come back from Haiti. I showed them my pictures and videos. I’ve told them many stories and shared my memories, so it’s no secret to them that I really enjoyed my trip. To my pleasant surprise, my dad is going back to Haiti this month after almost 20 years! I can’t help but feel that my taking the step to go had a little something to do with it.

When “Port-au-Prince” was written, you had not yet landed in Haiti.
Corey Hart wrote Port-au-Prince as an ode to my haitian roots. He knew it was something I was very proud of. He wanted to write a love story taking place in Haiti because too often we hear negative things associated with this country. So this was an opportunity to send a message a love. I was immediately sold on the idea. But since I’ve gone to Haiti, this song has a totally different meaning. This is no longer a love story between a man and a woman but in fact the love story between me and Haiti—Port-au-Prince.

What did you think of the musical scene there? And will you be collaborating with any Haitian artists that you met in Haiti?
My main goal on this first trip was to visit and get a pulse for this caribbean pearl. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to scope out the music scene much. But I know that music is a very important part of the haitian people. I knew that even before my trip. I did get to do two small shows while I was there though, one in a nursing school in Leogane and the other in Belot near Kenscoff at the Montcel Hotel. I received a very warm welcome and I look forward to performing in Haiti again. I also got the chance to collaborate with a Haitian artist that creates art with what he finds in the streets—-tires, metal, cans et cetera. Now that’s raw creativity at its best. His name is André Eugene, you get a glimpse of him in my latest music video shot in Haiti of the song “Port-au-Prince”. He and I along with locals from the area are painting a typical Haitian symbol “kafou” [crossroads] on a wall at the end of the video. Magical moment.

What’s the best thing about being Haitian?
I’ve always been very proud to be Haitian but since I’ve been back from Haiti I’m even more proud because I see how resilient the people are there and how they find a way to smile even if their life conditions aren’t ideal. That is the greatest example of hope I’ve seen. I saw first hand how creative they were on a daily basis to find ways to provide for their family. The spirit of the Haitian people is very inspiring. And don’t get me started on the food!! Haha…I looooove Haitian food and love cooking it too. I tasted fruits there I never even knew existed. Eating a mango in Haiti is an experience in itself. It’s actually the first thing I did after landing in Port-au-Prince.

What do you have planned for your next album?
I’ve started writing for my second album and I feel like I’m going to reveal even more of myself to the listeners. It will have a sensual vibe and also I will push and explore more of the soul blues and funk styles.

How does one walk in beauty?
To me walking in beauty is living peacefully, with respect of yourself and others. Doing good things for people just because. That’s where real happiness comes from. Not from the material things we own or buy but from the moments we share with the people that surround us. It’s basically the philosophy of good karma: “Love is the true pursuit of the body whole.”