The Palm Beach Haitian American Music Festival is scheduled to take place in Delray Beach, Florida on July 9th (Saturday) at the Old Town School Square. If you didn’t get your Haitian music groove on in May in Miami at the Compas Haitian Music Festival, this is your chance!

Artists and bands scheduled to perform that day include ‪Djakout, Carimi, Nixon Mesidor, Klass, T-Vice, NuLook, Arly Lariviere, Gabel, Pikan Band, Xtassy, Young TDanje, H.B.Z, Mecca, Wendyyy, Jacklon Marcellus, Keed Coulgi, Misty Jean, and more.

This is the festival’s third year. May it be the third year of many to come.

Will you be going?

YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PALM BEACH HAITIAN AMERICAN FESTIVAL BY CLICKING HERE!

The legendary Alix “Buyu” Ambroise Jr’s journey has been different to say the least. It took him from Port-au-Prince, Haiti—where he was born into one of Haiti’s aristocratic families—to Africa, and then New York, where he currently resides.

During Ambroise’s early years, he found himself inspired by the music of saxophone great Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and the pianist and composer Thelonious Monk, just to name a few. Initially attracted to the flute, Ambroise eventually picked up the saxophone. He would go on to play the sax for different bands, and actually founded several—including the jazz-folklore bands Freefall, Metrosonik—but it would take years for him to go the solo route. When he did so, in the early 2000s, it was almost as if some musical waterfall burst through. His latest disc is the creatively-titled Jazzpora. That album has a track called “En Vacances” that’s very piano-heavy, with nostalgic chords meant to evoke the sun-drenched summers spent in Haiti that Ambroise recalls ever so well. The foundations of the opening track “Fifth House” were obviously laid on African-styled rhythms. The track ends with the tamed last minutes sounds of a wild Caribbean carnival of sort.

Ambroises’s other previous release Marasa was the perfect outlet for him to vomit out all the different influences that he’d been absorbing since childhood. The percussion-driven disc displayed Ambroise’s penchant for dramatic bass lines, and made use of harried west African-inspired rhythms, and yielded an overall eclectic sound.

Blues in Red, released in the mid-2000s, contained 10 tracks—mostly traditional songs from Haiti’s traditional song repertoire like “Kote Moun Yo”, “Kouzen”, and “Caravan”. The latter was a piece that bemoaned and celebrated the endless odyssey of Haitians, who pack and roam with all their cultural possessions with multiple stops. On the album’s cover, Ambroise’s downcast face is set in sepia Nephilim-like proportions, the only brightness is the Haitian flag bandana wrapped around his head. He doesn’t clutch his saxophone, but holds it away from his face, as if it’s something he’s reluctantly embracing. Happily, the cover for Jazzpora has Ambroise clutching to his instrument like a long-lost love found, and blowing passionately into it.

Passion is a trait embedded in Ambroise’s performances from the stage of the Montreal Jazz Music Festival to the New York Blue Note Jazz Brunch series. One of his latest appearances was at the Jazz Mobile, late this summer. His roots-drenched music can be heard from the performing stage of La Caye, a Haitian venue near the Brooklyn Art Museum.

Q & A

What sort of man is Buyu Ambroise?
I am an artist, parent, and educator. I have spent my life fulfilling all these roles. All of them require a full-time commitment. Sometimes I give priority to one role over another. However, the artistic me always takes precedence and has been and continues to be the guiding light that shines the pathways of my life.

You left Haiti as a child. Do you have any memories of the time you spent there?
I vividly remember my childhood years growing up in Haiti during the heyday of the Duvalier dictatorship which would later impact both my adolescent and adult life. As a child of the 1960’s era and growing up in Haiti, I attended the Petit Séminaire College St Martial—a liberal Catholic school in Port-au-Prince which prepared me academically and later helped shape my political views. Being part of a middle-class family back in those days, one easily could become a political target of the Duvalier regime. Any opposition to the government then could cost one’s life or exile. Some members of my family were targeted and became victims. Therefore, during my youth years in Haiti—as far I can remember—fear was a common denominator in my daily routine. Government terror impacted Haitian life. I first left Haiti to join my dad who was working as an educator in the Congo. I would later return to spend two more years in Haiti, but repressive political events in Haiti along with the disappearance of close relatives, brought the family to an exiled residency in the U.S. My childhood in Haiti was short but my memories limitless. As any other young boy in my neighborhood, a lot my leisure time was spent playing soccer, listening to music, exploring nature, visiting family members. I am fortunate to have been born in a family of artists. At home, there was always music. That was the seed of my music apprenticeship.

How did you get the name Buyu?
It was given to me by my grandmother, Reine Taluy. It has stuck with me since.

You spent a considerable part of your childhood in The Republic of Congo, also known as Zaire. What do you remember of those years?
My dad, who landed a job in the newly independent Congo would later have the family join him there. As a child, I attended school. The 1960’s was a period of social change for the Congolese. There was a growing sense of nationalism. Haitian educators and other professionals were recruited by the Congolese government to replace the fleeing Belgians, who once colonized that country. Our family lived in Leopoldville, the capital, which later was renamed Kinshasa. I intermittently lived there for two years. I have fond memories of the time spent there with my parents and siblings. It was a new experience as any immigrant would feel anxiety, longing for one’s country, language barrier, adaptation to a new environment, etc. However, the transition for me was somewhat smooth. There was a niche of Haitian immigrants living in the Congo. That small community somewhat bonded and was able to create a support system which was useful to the Haitian compatriots. I remember listening to African bands playing music. My dad used to go listen to live music performances by Congolese groups. It was good dancing music. It had, surprisingly, elements of Afro-Cuban influence, but with a style dominated by guitars and horns. I remember spending time listening to the radio and records that my dad would buy for his home collection. He was an avid listener and a passionate musician. He played the piano and would perform solo piano concerts for the school where he worked or wherever he could find the instrument. He would play all the Haitian repertoire that he had learned back in Haiti.

Was there a big Haitian Community in the Congo?
Yes, there was a considerable amount of Haitian professionals living in the Congo during the time I lived there. Among them, the illustrious Maurice Sixto, the great raconteur whom I had the privilege to meet. I also met Raoul Peck, one of the best Haitian filmmakers of my generation.

Later of course, following the time in the Congo, your parents moved to New York.
With Mobutu being in power in the Congo, my dad felt the need to relocate elsewhere. He decided to migrate to the United States. I moved to New York as a young adolescent. The biggest shocks? Having to adapt to a new language; a new school curriculum. It was a period of social unrest in the U.S. African-Americans were leading marches and fighting for their civil rights. The assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King; the Black Panther Movement was rampant in my neighborhood in Brooklyn; the Vietnam War; the Hippies; etc. were events that shook my world. The late 1960’s and early 1970’s were a period of major changes which happened so quickly. Being a young adolescent immigrant, I was unprepared. I was not able to understand the complexities of my environment, let alone understand the social, cultural and political phenomena which would later fashion my political, social and cultural views as an adult. I was just beginning to listen to jazz. It was also a period in which young Haitians attending school were stigmatized and being called Frenchies or immigrants. Many of them were unable to defend themselves due to language and cultural barriers. Young Haitians formed gangs. They roamed the streets of Brooklyn protecting their turfs. It was a highly combustive period where everything happened too fast but I was able to grasp a tiny bit of everything.

What attracted you to the saxophone?
I first began to play the saxophone while I attended George W. Wingate H.S. in Brooklyn, N.Y. I started while in the 10th grade. It was the time when Haitian bands like Shleu-Shleu, Fantaisistes de Carrefour, Shupa-Shupa, Les Ambassadeurs etc. were becoming popular. All of these bands were led by a saxophone. This instrument became very popular. I used to listen to their music and pay particular attention to the horn players. But the choice of playing the saxophone was purely a coincidence. I started on the flute and later switched to the saxophone because the flute had mechanical problems. The music instructor suggested that I choose and play another instrument. That’s how I began playing the alto saxophone.

Blues in Red is a rather intriguing title, and it was the name of your first musical baby. [Can you please discuss the album? The recording process of it?
There wasn’t really a plan to record an album. It began with Haiti’s Bicentennial Celebration in 2004. My cousin Patrick Plantin suggested that I form a group and do a musical tribute to our country by recording a jazz album. I agreed with the idea and followed his suggestions. In 2004, I recorded and released the CD entitled Blues in Red. It was named after the colors of the Haitian flag.

And why after playing the saxophone for such a long time on other artists’ albums, you finally decided to do one of your own?
I guess it took time for me to feel confident enough to do a recording as a leader.

Jazzpora is your latest work. Do you care to discuss it?
Jazzpora is my third CD as of date. It is a continuation of the first CD project Blues in Red. It is a collection of works that rest upon small jazz combo arrangements and compositions. I am constantly in search of a new approach in my musical journey. Obviously, the title expresses our experience of life in the diaspora through the sounds of music.

Do you think that Jazz music as you know it will die in years to come?
I don’t think so. Jazz and classical music will always be around. Jazz is not a transient form of music. It continues to evolve in so many ways and is still a popular form of music. So many young jazz artists are pushing the envelope and making a name for themselves.

Jazz greats Frank Foster, Jimmy Owens and John Lewis have all been inspirations to you. What are some of the things you learned studying under these talents?
Under each of these instructors I learned a lot: jazz theory; jazz harmony; saxophone techniques; reading music, and other music fundamentals and rudiments.

Just like you looked up to them at one point, some look up to you now. What advice do you have for the aspiring jazz musicians?
Becoming a jazz musician requires a full-time commitment to the art form. Many universities and specialized programs nowadays offer jazz curricula where one can learn and earn a degree in music. It is the best route to take.

From Marasa to your current albums, you always manage to gather a talented assorted bunch to work alongside you. How do you get them together?
Fortunately, living in New York gives one a great advantage since this is an arts mecca. There are so many talented musicians living here in NYC. Having played so many years in so many different places, my Rolodex cards are filled with names. I tend to select a bunch of great players who can respond to the music I strive to play: Haitian Jazz.

Do you think that Haitian music has influenced American music, as in music in the United States, more than most people might think?
The United states and Haiti are the two oldest republics of the western hemisphere. These two nations are intertwined in music. It is well documented by historians that Haitian slaves were taken by their owners to Louisiana during the revolutionary period of St Domingue in the late 18th century. Those slaves were said to have brought their musical heritage with them which later influenced the music which played at Congo Square. Congo Square music later became the seed that germinated and flourished into a style of music that is today called jazz.

Is the use of drugs as pervasive among musicians in the music world, as some seem to assume?
I have seen very little use of it in my circle of musicians.

You have collaborated with a great many Haitian artists. Which collaborations have been the most fruitful and satisfying in terms of musical chemistry, and output?
My musical collaboration with pianist Ernst Marcelin and guitarists Alix “Tit” Pascal, D’Ernst Emile and Albert “Beti” Ambroise were very fruitful in learning Haitian music of all genres.

As someone who was born in Haiti, and yet has spent practically an entire lifetime in the United States, when you go there now, what’s the feeling you get, what’s the vibe?
For each time I go home, I experience a total natural makeover of myself. When I perform in Haiti, I feel replenished, renewed, and a feeling of nourishing my heritage. Haiti is the reservoir of my inspiration.

When was the last time you were there, by the way?
The last time I was there was in October 2011. I did a tour that took me to the north of Haiti. I performed on the grounds the famous Sans-Souci Palace in Milot.

Let’s give our love and support to our Haitian artists. Get more acquainted with Buyu Ambroise, his music, and the latest on his performances.

Haitian American food vlogger Manie Chery is the woman behind the Love for Haitian Food website and vlog. Haitian cooking is pretty laborious, but to also have a vlog about Haitian cooking! Well, that’s a pretty huge load. But Manie Chery is up for the challenge and more. Here she is discussing the challenges that she ran across as she tried to launch the blog, and her plans for its future.

Kreyolicious: It’s one thing to start a vlog, but keeping it going is another matter. What are some challenges you’ve had, and how did you bypass and solve them?
Challenges that I’ve faced with keeping my vlogs going is basically being a one-woman team. I write the recipes, cook, film, edit, create the blog posts, photograph the pictures etc, etc. It gets hard doing it all by myself, but I wouldn’t quit, even if I take long breaks in between posting I would never quit cause I realize that it helps a lot of people. To solve those issues it takes a lot planning and giving myself the needed time to get things done. I struggle with that but I am definitely a work in progress.

Kreyolicious: What are some of the best things that have happened to you since you started your food vlog?
Some of the best things that have happened to me since starting my vlog is first learning how to cook Haitian food, that is a skill/gift that I’m proud to say I finally have, and I’m still learning. I’ve been contacted by a publisher who inquired about me writing a cookbook. Also, the love that I receive from all over the world is great and seriously makes me so happy and gives me the necessary push to move forward. Another thing that has happened is getting interviewed by awesome people like you which helps me to be more visible on the internet, I appreciate that a lot!

Kreyolicious: You’re so gracious…Where do you see yourself and your blog three years from the date of this interview?
Three years from now, my cookbook is still doing very well. I’m working on it. I see my blog having very heavy traffic from visitors all over the world. I am one of the first people that comes to mind when someone is looking for a recipe. Life is great and will continue to be so! I like to speak things into existence.

CLICK HERE to visit Haitian American food blogger Manie Chery’s I Love Haitian Food vlog| CLICK HERE to visit the I Love Haitian food website | I Love Haitian Food on Instagram |

CLICK HERE to read more articles related to Haitian cuisine.

CLICK HERE to read interviews with other Haitian-American food vloggers!

This book should be read by all. The first time I read this book, I thought it was taking place in the 1980s or 1990s. And then midway through the book, the author hits us with the fact that the story is taking place in the 1950s. The more the years pass, the more they remain the same.

So many aspects of New World Slavery is presented in this book. Jean-Robert, or Bobby, as he is called, is a chore boy in the house of Florence Cadet, passed on to her by Phillipe Sebastien, her white Frenchman lover. Bobby is not acknowledged by his white father, who sees him as disgraceful nuisance, and that has a toll on him for much of his life.

There’s so many echelons of slavery in this autobiography. Florence is kept in sexual slavery by her many lovers, which includes a priest. Bobby is in child slavery because he is not the legitimate son of Phillipe, and because his mother was an illiterate, low-class Haitian. Bobby’s mother Henriette was kept in social slavery because she was born into the wrong class. And for a long time, Bobby kept himself in mental slavery, unable to exterminate all the years of mental and physical abuse he suffered at the hands of Florence and her entourage.

I think that there may be people who might argue that Bobby’s survival has a lot to do with his immigration to the United States, a move that may not have been possible, had it not been for his biological father, the very source of his miseries. That his transition, as the subtitled states, from Haitian slave child to middle-class has more to do with his father, than his own assertion. To me, that wouldn’t be too good of an argument.

Once in New York, Bobby didn’t have to succeed. He could have subjected himself to drug abuse. He could have prostituted himself when Denis, Florence’s son and Lise wanted him out of the Brooklyn apartment, and he had to fend for himself. But instead, he chose to make it through life through hard work and perseverance. He could have been one of those people who blame their dysfunctional upbringing on how dismally their lives turned out, but he chose to take responsibility for himself.

It’s true that his father gave him a big boost by using his connections to get him a visa to the USA, but without Bobby’s own determination to find himself, to make his past oppressors proud, that passage into the USA and all the opportunities that the Land of the Free provides could have gone by Bobby. Once in the USA, Bobby is able to assert himself, to rid himself of his programmed inferiority complex little by little. But he’s faced head to head with racism. And he did move to the United States, pre-Civil Rights era, and as someone who is black and an immigrant, the path wasn’t exactly smooth.

And, oh, if you’ve read the book, please share your thoughts on it. Restavek deserves a sequel truly. Since I’ve read the book, I’ve wondered how Bobby is doing. If his father is still alive. As a matter of fact, we’re going to try to track down Mr. Jean-Robert Cadet. Surely you have some questions for him too. We’ll assemble them all, and make it part of a Q&A.

Sandra Pierre, the entrepreneur behind the venture Haitian Businesses LLC, has had a great run as a business woman, and she wants to spread the love. This Sunday April 23rd, in Atlanta, the Haitian-American entrepreneur will gather along with other female entrepreneurs for her organization’s Women in Leadership Business Brunch Empowering Networking Workshop.

Sandra Pierre, the founder of Haitian Businesses LLC, has held several business workshops and events. The Women’s Leadership Brunch will be her first this year in Atlanta.

Not only will attendees have the opportunity to learn from established entrepreneurs, but will they also be able to support vendors showcased at the event. Fatima Altieri, a singer arriving directly from Haiti, will lend some musical fun to the business-focused event. Eavesdrop on the conversation I had with Sandra!

Kreyolicious: Haitian Businesses LLC has been devoted to promoting entrepreneurs since its foundation. What sort of feedback have you gotten in the past year?
Let’s just say I have had a wonderful past year with Haitian Businesses, LLC. I recently had to add more people on my team and so far it has been a super move. Higher demands have certainly been a factor we had to accommodate and prepare for this past year as well. With each day more and more entrepreneurs are finding out about the opportunities I offer and I am grateful to have earned the trust of the Haitian community at home and abroad.

Nadine Duplessy Kearns, the founder of Haitian Ladies Brunch in D.C., is scheduled to appear as one of the key speakers at the event.

Kreyolicious: What made you choose Atlanta?
The mission of Haitian Businesses, LLC is to be the platform for Haitian owned businesses globally. I strongly believe in reaching out to the community and by hosting an event to Atlanta, we are creating more opportunities to bridge the gap between our community and the businesses. The Haitian community in Atlanta has grown extensively in the last few years and it was a due diligence to connect, network and highlight the outstanding accomplishments of the Haitian Community in Atlanta.

Mimi Mora, the entrepreneur behind Mimi’s Boutiq will be in attendance.

Kreyolicious: More and more entrepreneurs are looking to congregate. Why do you think that is?
We as a community has come to a point where we realize that collaboration is an exceptional and unique opportunity for growth. I always share this thought at my events, and it’s the simple fact that, someone else may have walked the same path that you’re on now and can guide you while collaborating. Another might have just the contact person you need to make the next big move for your business. In order for these amazing things to happen in your life, you have to be willing to expose yourself and open up by preparing yourself for the perfect opportunity.

Arriving directly from Haiti for the event, singer Fatima Altieri shall provide the musical component of the business affair. Photo Credit: Edouard Monereau

Kreyolicious: What resources were most helpful to you when you were starting out?
After realizing the necessity to start with Haitian Businesses, LLC, I then noticed that most businesses has an online presence more specifically a social media platform. I quickly embarked on a mission to educate my self on the process of effectively communicating with your social media audience by e-courses besides having studied in Business Administration.

Consultant and motivational speaker Joanne Marc among the speakers on the Haitian Businesses LLC Women’s Leadership Brunch.

Kreyolicious: What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned this year?
Making good connections and having had the opportunity to collaborate with several others have been a pivotal to the expansion of Haitian Businesses. I’m eager to push forward with many great ventures which are the results of the collaboration made in the past year.

Entrepreneur Kara Vaval Ferrier and author of the motivational book 28 Day…Make it Count is among the guest speakers for the event!

Kreyolicious: What if the whole world became entrepreneurial?
Oh, that would be heaven! I truly feel each of us have something we can bring to the table. Reaching one’s full potential would definitely involve entrepreneurship. If you think of it, every single one of us have had a business idea crossed our minds. I’m a firm believer of if you can think and dream of it, it’s because it’s already done. Now it is up to the individual to lay down the work it takes to get there.

State of Georgia official Erica Thomas will be in attendance as an honorary guest.

Kreyolicious: What city will be next?
Should I or should I not? Oh well. You’re first to know that our next event will be bigger and better, and of course, we will keep it in the City of Miami. It is an idea that has been brewing for two years, and I am excited to bring it to life on September 9. Now as far as to find out what it is, you’ll have to keep a close eye on our website, social media platforms and of course right here on kreyolicious.com.

DJ Final will provide all the turntable action for the day.

Keep up with Haitian Businesses LLC and its founder here! | CLICK HERE to get your tickets to the event.

Meet Mitzi Coaker, the recipe developer and licensed caterer behind MCatering LLC, a Chicago-based food service company. But it’s not just any catering company. Coaker serves up ethnic foods in general, but the Haitian-American entrepreneur’s specialty is, well…Haitian cuisine! Read on to find out how she’s bringing Haitian-American cuisine to Chicago and surrounding areas.

Kreyolicious: How did your passion for cooking begin?
Mitzi Coaker: My passion for cooking begin in Haiti when I tasted a pate. The flavors exploded in my mouth and to this day I’ve been trying to recreate that taste.

Kreyolicious: What made you start your catering business?
Mitzi Coaker: I started my catering business because it gave me the opportunity and luxury to serve great food and not feel pressured to perform every day if I own a restaurant right now. Also as a caterer, my events will be a showcase in itself especially since I’m introducing an unknown cuisine (Haitian) to the Chicagoland area.

Kreyolicious: What’s the best meal you had growing up?
Mitzi Coaker: The best meal I had growing up was sauce poi rouge avec du riz blanc [rice and beans with white bean dip] and of course Haitian chicken and sauce.

Kreyolicious: Any ideas on how great cooks can take their cooking to the next level?
Mitzi Coaker: Never stop learning. Do your research on your cuisine. Watch great chefs learn from their techniques. Take advice you don’t know it all. Do a survey on your market audience.

Kreyolicious: How do you stay on top of your game?
Mitzi Coaker: Keep your business relevant. Broaden your horizons. Try a new venue. Reach a new market. Best of all practice on making your dishes the best it can be.

Kreyolicious: What’s the Haitian-American community like in Chicago?
Mitzi Coaker: The Haitian-American community is pretty segregated. It’s mostly on the east side of Chicago and far north almost Evanston. Nothing in the Metropolitan Chicago Area, that’s where my passion is.

Kreyolicious: Some people are probably thinking…a Haitian dude Jean-Baptiste du Sable founded Chicago and all. That city should be receptive to a little Haitian food. What are your thoughts?
Mitzi Coaker: Most people have not had Haitian food. They compare it to Jamaican food, don’t like that. We don’t even have a Haitian restaurant in Chicago. The only one is in Evanston.

Kreyolicious: In your food adventures in Chicago, what do you note about other people of African descent….are they embracing Haitian cuisine…what do they think of the dishes…
Mitzi Coaker: I’m known for my rice, so my immediate circle is aware of it. On a larger scale, choices are so many that it would take much capital to be on the map.

Kreyolicious: What challenges do you come across with your clientele?
Mitzi Coaker: Challenges with my clienteles. Consistency…Money.

Kreyolicious: Do you go to Haiti often?
Mitzi Coaker: I’ve been to Haiti seven times in six years with my church on missions trip. I’ve been inspired each time to showcase Haitian cuisine to the Chicagoland area. I would bring spices, bread, essence and coffee. I would share them with my friends and families. Unfortunately the best thing Haiti has that I can’t bring are the mangoes. Last time I was there I bought three of the pots that you would see the ladies cooking on the streets.

Kreyolicious: Looking back at your career and business…who gave you the best advice ever?
Mitzi Coaker: The best advice that I’ve gotten was from my mom. She said she used to cook for free. but I’m cooking and getting paid for it. I see it as each generation is breaking a barrier. Also clean up as you cook.

Kreyolicious: What’s next for you?
Mitzi Coaker: What’s next for me? In five years I plan on having at least one paid employee and a small i

CLICK HERE to visit the M Catering LLC website and to learn more about Haitian American cuisine fusion!

It’s one thing to be Haitian-American, balancing the Haitian culture with the dynamics of having been born in the USA, or mostly raised in the USA! But what of those who are of that background, and are also part of another culture. Tara M, a lifestyle and fashion blogger is such a person! She was born in the USA with a Haitian parent and a Filipino parent. What did she have to say? What was it like growing up as a US-born daughter of a Haitian and a Filipino? Haitian Filipino. Filipino Haitian. Filipina and Haitian. Your fave chick Kreyolicious investigates!

Kreyolicious: As an American with both Filipino and Haitian heritage, how did you handle the duality of cultures?
Tara M: To be honest, I think I handle the duality of both cultures like most biracial people. I was raised Americanized. My parents both came here when they were toddlers so when they raised my brother and I, they did not really teach us much about our ethnic backgrounds. I do sometimes wish I did know more, but I can understand how they probably thought raising us in the American culture was easier.

Kreyolicious: Were there times when you felt like you had to gravitate towards one or the other?
Tara M: I definitely don’t feel like I gravitate to one or the other. I don’t associate with one more than the other. Yes, most people see me as the Filipino side but my hair definitely is “mixed girl hair”. I did not inherit the typical Asian hair, so even though I look in the mirror and see I do look mostly Filipino, the struggle with my hair everyday is a constant reminder that I am mixed. My hair is what keeps my association with the Haitian side strong.

Kreyolicious: Do the two cultures have anything in common?
Tara M: The thing I feel is the common factor for both places is that both Haitian and the Philippines are islands, so it’s pretty cool to know I have “island blood” from both sides. Makes a lot of sense cause I love the heat.

Kreyolicious: You’ve been to Haiti or the Philippines?
Tara M: I have not been to either the Philippines or Haiti. Both those places are on my bucket list. A lot of people ask me if I have ever been to those places and I always regret saying No. One day I will make a trip out there and really learn about both my cultures.

Kreyolicious: What’s the best advice you’ve been given from each side?
Tara M: The best advice I have been given from both sides is to embrace the fact that I have these two completely different cultures in me. It is a blessing to represent both of those countries.

Ahem, readers…I smell a new series from Kreyolicious…Don’t you? We’ll call it…When You’re Haitian and Something Else…Hooray!

CLICK HERE to view Tara M’s videos on Youtube.

“We need diverse books,” is the cry of the book community. Well, Haitian-American Ibi Zoboi is meeting that need with her Young Adult novel American Street, released this spring. In the tome, Zoboi writes about Fabiola Toussaint, a teen who leaves Haiti with her mother, but who ultimately has to fend for herself in the United States when her mother is detained by immigration authorities.

Kreyolicious: When did you decide, “Okay, I’m going to write a Young Adult novel!”
Ibi Zoboi: There wasn’t any one moment that I decided that I would write a Young Adult novel. I think I’ve always written YA because my characters were mostly teens. The first novel I wrote featured seventeen year-olds, and I never thought it was Young Adult fiction. I’ve written other novels featuring twelve year-olds as well. Also, Young Adult novels can cover a broad range of topics and issues, and it’s for any reader. The only thing that makes it YA is that the story is told from a teen’s perspective. Teenhood is such an important time where you’re just discovering the world and your place in it, and you make stupid mistakes. That’s why the genre is so popular right now. Young adulthood was when we asked questions and everything was brand new.

Kreyolicious: You call your novel American Street, and the last name of the heroine Fabiola is Toussaint. These aren’t simple coincidences?
Ibi Zoboi: Of course, not. Everything is symbolic in my stories. American Street is an actual street in Detroit. The story takes place on the corner of American Street and Joy Road, an actual intersection on the west side of Detroit. This is, in fact, an American story. And I’ve always known that Toussaint means “all saints” and it’s the first name of our Haitian revolutionary hero, Toussaint L’ouverture. The novel features some saints or lwas [voodoo gods], and my character has to write a paper on Toussaint. These are just symbolic seeds that I plant here and there so that culture and history continue to live on through story.

Kreyolicious: Is there a part of Ibi that’s in Fabiola, or is there some Fabiola in Ibi?
Ibi Zoboi: Yes, Ibi can be just as naive as Fabiola. Sometimes I see the world wide-eyed and with lots of wonder and awe. And I will also fight for a loved one as Fabiola does. At times, I don’t always know the rules of the game. Or maybe, I choose to ignore them. But like Fabiola, I care deeply about family and culture, and I’ve very observant and thoughtful.

Kreyolicious: Even the most confident writer has their moments. Were there challenging times for you as to put your plot together and were working towards the finished product?
Ibi Zoboi: I was very worried about how I presented my characters. I’m writing about Haitians and Haitian-Americans in ways I haven’t seen before. I was careful about perpetuating stereotypes. But I know for a fact that we all have experienced immigration and assimilation in different ways. I tried to remedy that by literally giving each of my characters a voice. I had step into their shoes for a moment in order to humanize them. I have a responsibility as a writer to provide context for the violence and trauma so that my characters are not one-dimensional.

This concludes Part I of the interview with Ibi Zoboi. Be on the look out for PART II of the interview.

CLICK HERE to visit Ibi Zoboi’s website! CLICK HERE to purchase her book from Amazon.

The Agronomist is a 2003 American documentary directed by Jonathan Demme about Jean Dominique. The documentary follows the life of Dominique, who ran Haiti’s first independent radio station, Radio Haiti-Inter, during multiple repressive regimes. The documentary starts with an interview where Jean Dominique recounts a day when he was able to broadcast gunfire outside Radio Haiti-Inter. –

The Agronomist est un documentaire américain réalisé en 2003 par Jonathan Demme sur Jean Dominique. Le documentaire suit la vie de Dominique, qui dirigeait la première station de radio indépendante d’Haïti, Radio Haiti-Inter, au cours de multiples régimes répressifs. Le documentaire commence par une interview où Jean Dominique relate une journée au cours de laquelle il a pu diffuser des coups de feu devant Radio Haiti-Inter. –

Agwonòm la se yon dokimantè Ameriken 2003 ki te dirije pa Jonatan Demme sou Jean Dominique. Dokimantè a swiv lavi Dominique, ki te fè premye estasyon radyo endepandan Ayiti, Radyo Ayiti-Inter, pandan plizyè rejim represif. Dokimantè sa a kòmanse avèk yon entèvyou kote Jean Dominique rakonte yon jou lè li te kapab difize bal deyò deyò Radio Haiti-Inter. . . . . . . .

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