Oswald Durand was born in Cap-Haitian on September 17, 1840, he was a poet and a politician. He was a writer of French and Creole expression, considered as the national poet of Haiti. In 1842 an earthquake devastated the city, which made him an orphan when he was nearly two years old. Oswald Durand and her sister were raised by their maternal grandmother. His most famous works are Choucoune, a lyrical poem praising the beauty of a Haitian woman, and Chant National, a lyrical historic poem which became as popular as the presidential hymn. He died on April 22, 1906. More facts to come, stay tuned!
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Oswald Durand est né au Cap-Haïtien le 17 septembre 1840. Il était un poète, un homme politique et un écrivain d’expression française et créole, considéré comme le poète national d’Haïti. En 1842, un tremblement de terre a dévasté la ville, ce qui a fait de lui un orphelin alors qu’il avait presque deux ans. Oswald Durand et sa soeur ont été élevés par leur grand-mère maternelle. Ses œuvres les plus célèbres sont “Choucoune”, un poème lyrique vantant la beauté d’une femme haïtienne, et “Chant National”, un poème historique lyrique devenu aussi populaire que l’hymne présidentiel. Il est mort le 22 avril 1906. Plus de faits à venir, suivez-nous et activez vos alertes!
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Oswald Durand te fèt Okap, 17 septanm 1840, li te yon powèt ak yon politisyen. Li te yon ekriven ki te eksprime li an franse ak kreyòl, konsidere kòm powèt nasyonal Ayiti. Nan 1842 yon tranbleman tè devaste vil la, ki te fè li vinn yon òfelen lè li te prèske gen 2 lane de ane. Oswald Durand ak sè li te leve nan men grann matènèl yo. Pwojè ki pi popilè li yo se Choucoune, yon powèm lirik ki louwanje bote yon fanm ayisyen, ak Chant Nasyonal, yon powèm lirik istorik ki te vin popilè tankou kantik prezidansyèl la. Li te mouri 22 avril, 1906. Swiv nou pou lòt enfamasyon nap ba nou!
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#2)Choucoune by/par Celia Cruz
#3)Choucoune par Issa El Saieh
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#istwa1804 #istwa #1804 #ayiti #haiti #hayti #oswalddurand #durand #haitians #okap #caphaitien #caphaitian #haitiens #choucoune #chantnational #poets #poetes #artiste #haitianartist #atis #orphans #francais #french #creole #kreyol #talent #issaelsaieh #celiacru

Song: Triye. Artist: Kreyol La

According to the relationship coach Bruce Muzik, relationships have 5 stages. The song “Triye”, by this band named Kreyol La reflects the second stage—the power struggle stage. According to Mr. Bruce Muzik (interesting that this should be his last name), couples going through that particular stage tend to try to change their partners. And, when the change they try to impose on their partner doesn’t happen, they punish their partners. At which point, there’s all sort of havoc. What’s more, contends Bruce Muzik, couples in the second stage resort to focusing on a partner’s flaws and shortcomings and begin to withdraw emotionally from the relationship.

This song “Triye”, credited to singer-songwriter Joe Zenny, Jr., practically describes this stage word for word.

The first couple of times I listened to “Triye”, I thought it was preaching that people should settle and put up with a partner’s crap (infidelity, physical abuse, etc). But that isn’t what the song is saying. It’s not encouraging anyone to stay in a toxic relationship (I think). What it’s saying is that nowadays folks give up too easily when difficulties arise. The idea of starting over with someone else seems much more appealing, than trying to work things out with the current partner. But as the singer says in the song, it’s best to smooth out the creases in a wrinkled relationship, then going out there in search of lawns where the grass is greener. For, to go in search of greener grass…well…who knows if you won’t get hit by some serious pesticide…Who knows if there aren’t any broken glass buried in that greener grass, or some nails…or some other toxin, just sitting there and waiting for the bottom of your feet…and before you know it…So, as Kreyol La contends in “Triye”, it’s best if you stay put, and try to rekindle the passion and work out the problems. Triye!

Pa vinn di mwen
Ke ou ka leve kite yon relasyon
Pou ninpòt stipidite
Pa vinn di mwen
Ke li fasil pou rekòmanse
San menm eseye
Jwen mwayen pou sa mache
Mounn yo telman chanje
Lanmou tèlman chanje
Mounn yo tèlman chanje

Don’t come telling me
That you can just get up and leave a relationship
For just any petty reason
Don’t come telling me
That’s it’s easy to start over
Without even giving a second go at it
Folks nowadays have changed so drastically
Find a way to make it work
Love nowadays isn’t the way it used to be
People have changed so drastically

Gade bien
Gade lari a bien
Dim si-w gen chwa
Fèm wèw fon chwa
Fanm pa bezwen gason
Gason pa bezwen fanm se tout vis kap devlope
On dirait tout mounn deraye
Gade lari a bien
Dim si’w gen chwa
fem wew fonw chwa Gason kou fanm nan tout sak pa bon
youn twonpe lòt san rezon
on sosyete san moralite
au nom de la modernite

Take a good look
Take a look at what’s out there
Does it look like you have a choice
Let me see you pick someone else out
Women swear they don’t need men
Men claim they don’t need women
It’s like the whole world’s gone haywire
Look at what’s out there, and look at it good
Does it look like you have a choice
Let me see you pick someone else out
Men and women are all up to no good
They creep on each other for no reason
It’s truly a world without scruples
All in the name of being with the times

Triye, triye pouw jwen on bon grenn
Pour la nuit li fasil
Pour la vie li difisil
Triye

Pick and choose, pick and choose so you can land a good one
One night stands are easy to come by
But the “Til death do us apart” is another matter
Pick and choose

Bon grenn yo deja gen mèt
All the good ones are already taken

Fow triye pouw jwen on bon grenn
Pick and choose, pick and choose so you can land a good one

Viv a saw genyen an
Rete a saw genyen an
Si wak on mounn ki renmenw e ki chwazi respekte w
Pa pran defol sou preteks ke ou ka jwen pi bon pasel
Lari a telman pieje ke chwa nou vrèman limite
Si’w pral chachonw mennaj,
Ki pa gen mennaj,
on ti mounn ki saj,
Ki pap tounonw loraj fow triye

Live with the one you’re with
Stay with the one you’re with
If you’re sharing your life with someone who loves you and respects you
Don’t take their little weaknesses as an alibi that there’s someone better otu there
It’s dangerous out there
You don’t really have any good picks
If you’re going to get someone
Who’s not already attached
Someone who has sanity of the mind
That’s not gonna turn into a thorn in your flesh
You gotta pick and choose

Triye, triye pouw jwenn on bon grenn
Jwenn yon bon pa fasil
Fòk ou chache anpil, triye

Pick and choose, so you can get hold of someone good
Finding a good one ain’t easy You’ve got to search a whole lot
Be picky

Ret a saw genyen an eh eh
Viv a saw genyen an eh eh….

Stay with the one you’re with, hey, hey
Get along with the one you’re with, he-hey

Lyrics (c) Kreyol La/Joe Zenny. Transl: K
CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE KREYOL LA WEBSITE |

Kreyolicious Music…in which…in which I review a kreyolicious album—

Album: Invictus, Kreyol La,
Lead Vocals: Joseph Zenny, Jr
Musicians: Joseph Zenny Jr (lead singer) Stanley Herisse ( Bassist) Lhoman Jean ( Guitarist) Theophile Jadotte ( Bass) Antonio Guillaume ( Drums) Edler St Cyr ( Gongs). Information Credit: Band’s Facebook page

The first thing you want to know about Invictus from the band Kreyol La isn’t whether the album is decent or not…it’s what Invictus means exactly. It probably has something to do with the Roman Empire, I tell myself. So up to the ‘pedias I go. So, it turns out that in the 19th Century, British poet William Ernest Henley wrote a poem that was included in The Oxford Book of English Verse. Nowhere in the poem does the word “invictus” appear.

So, here I am as a person living in the 21st Century, trying to see if there’s a connection, a bridge of sorts between a poem written in 1892 by a British poet and a musical album released in the mid-2010s by a Haitian band.

In the last two verses of the poem, Henley wrote:

My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul

So, “Invictus” is about being invincible, and taking responsibility for one’s life. Well, that’s the poem…let’s see about the album.

Kreyol La’s Invictus album introductory song “Men Jazz La” (There Goes The Band) sets the tone. Further down the line, there’s yet another song entitled “Tout Mounn Suiv Mwen” (“Errrbody Follow Me”)…more bragging and horn-tooting.

“Before And After” got me from its very first verses with that speed-talking-singing that the lead singer does. “Before” and “after” are words that are often used to describe makeovers and welcomed changes, and sometimes negative development over time. The song “Before and After” paints two paintings before us. The first is of a couple’s relationship when they’ve first going at it. Each person tries to depict themselves as the ideal mate, and tries to conceal all their shortcomings. Total misrepresentation of one’s personalities, wishes, and tendencies! The second painting is the aftermath of when all the misrepresentations have come undone.

There’s a telling part from Mikaelle Cartwright, Zenny’s duet partner in the bridge of the song:

I don’t know why these other girls be trippin’
Calling their men the whole night
I don’t even go out…so…you don’t have to worry about a thing
And I trust you
Baby, I’m yours…one-hundred-percent

Then…it’s the 180—

Suddenly the patient boyfriend-candidate has become the impatient husband.

Fòm tann ou abiye
Makiye
Pa bliye pafime
Apre sa pou ou change lide

So wait, I have to wait for you to dress up
Put on makeup
And let’s not forget the perfuming
And you to keep changing your mind

Gee, whatever happened to the patience you displayed in the beginning? And what about the non-jealous attitude? And the controlling begins too…

Ou veye sa’m mete
Ou veye sa’m depanse
Ou pa vle wè zanmi’m
Kòmsi yo te nwi’w

You stay watching what I wear
You keep close watch on my spending
You can’t stand my friends
You act like they bother you

Ou bonbade’m avèk kout fil…

You keep blowing up my phone…

Cheri, ou jalou twòp
Depi telefonn mwen sonnen
Ou plenyen
Ou sispèk
Ou pale tenten

Ugh, you’re so freaking jealous
The minute my phone rings
You start complaining
You get all suspicious
You talk trash

Cheri, ou chanje
Se pa konsa’w te ye

Honeykins, you done changed
That’s not how you used to be

In the last verses, the song advises us all to show our cards at the beginning of a relationship, so that we don’t get unpleasant—very unpleasant surprises—in the end. How ironic, then, that the song that follows “Before and After” is a track called “Triye” that counsels men and women to be excessively picky when choosing—and exhorts them to try hard to work at things before throwing the towel. If “Triye” does it job, there will be less divorces, but a whole lot less new relationships since folks will be making better “chwa”.

The song “Fòk Ou Kwe” (You Gotta Believe) might as well as been called “Invictus”. Its motivating lyrics about being courageous and adapting to life’s difficulties with grace certainly makes it “invictus” material.

The track “Lanmou Engra” (Ungrateful Love) takes the prize for best song—lyrically speaking on Invictus. Ahem, “Triye” and “Before and After” can share the honorary prize in that category. I don’t know. It seems like the songwriter behind “Lanmou Engra” song has attention for details when it comes to love and emotions. “Lanmou Engra” addresses how we tend to forget all the great things about love when there’s a breakup or a major disagreement.

Ou pap menm sonje tout bon moman nou pase
Ou pap menm sonje menm ki jan mwen rele

You’ll have amnesia about our best moments
You probably won’t remember my name

Once this song concludes, it’s clear that a mid-way verdict can be made regarding Invictus. This whole album is like a course in love psychology with music in the background. Really. The lyrics of most of the songs are rather fresh. No corny and trite lyrics here, barely. In a song like “Rendevou”, the games men play is center stage. A known man whore is trying to charm the newest addition to his harem. He’s barely trying to avoid places where he’ll be recognized. I always have a problem with these player songs. They’re made out to be funny, but it’s hard to find them amusing…women are getting played and emotions are being played with. Featuring Michel Dulix, the song “Turn Me On” proves to be one of the most upbeat track on Invictus. I definitely can see it doing considerable damage on the dance floor. And is that a bit of/ a close cousin of autotune towards the beginning? Those sound effects are totally unnecessary.

Nap fèl an kachèt
Moun pa bezwen konnen
Ki jan nou renmen

We’re going to do it on the down-low
Nobody needs to know
The degree that we do our loving

Fanm nan mete sou sa
Sou sa o sou sa

This chick puts me in the mood
In the mood…in the mood

“Cheri Map File’w” completes the huge flirt/man-whore trilogy. This song differs from “Rendevou” and “Turn Me On” in that the girl is somewhat in on the antics.

Invictus is nearly all ballads with some few exceptions. “Peyi Cho Pa Pou Mwen” could be a great workout song…if you can do 12 steps at a time on a treadmill. Would you be able to keep up? Goodness! I call it the “Stay Awake” song on the album. If you have to pull an all-night to study for a test or a certification exam, this song should be on your playlist. That singer Mikaelle Cartwright that’s featured on the song “Before and After”…I wonder what she would be capable of if she were given songs of her own. Her voice has this jazzy feel.

William Ernest Henley’s “Invictus” was about being unconquerable. Being emotionally bulletproof in love is the theme that permeates Kreyol La’s Invictus . I suppose that the British poet and scribe of the 1800s, and the album of the 2010s demonstrate that over time, over the centuries little has changed. There’s still a need for one to gather up emotional courage in order to conquer life’s and love’s biggest hurdles.

Let’s do our best to support Haitian music. CLICK HERE to purchase Invictus from Amazon | On CD BABY | ON iTunes|
CLICK HERE to visit the KREYOL LA WEBSITE | KREYOL LA ON FACEBOOK

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.”

CLICK HERE to keep up with the rapper on Twitter!

Like most hair and beauty-based firms, Kreyol Essence started off with a beauty disaster. Yve-Car Momperousse was having her hair done at a salon, when the stylist, using an overheated iron, burned her hair. Momperousse found herself with a hair dilemma and couldn’t help but think back to lwil maskriti, the Palma Christi oil her mother used on her hair when she was a little girl. The Philadelphia resident made the rounds of the natural and Caribbean stores in her area, in search of the product, but turned up empty-handed. She wanted to make the organic product available to herself and other women facing hair who needed it. Creating her own product line seemed to be the solution.

Yve-Car Momperousse and Stephane Jean-Baptiste showcase Kreyol Essence products at an event.

From the outset, Momperousse knew she wanted a name that would embody the essence of Haiti. She and her fiancee Stephane Jean-Baptiste had a pressure-filled debate over whether they should choose a French name, or a Kreyol name. Some individuals advising them, were clamoring for the former, arguing that it would have a more elegant and luxurious image in the minds of potential customers. The entrepreneurial team decided to go with their gut feeling. “As a lover of history,” says Jean-Baptiste, “I’ve always seen the elegance and luxury of the Haitian heritage. While the French roots are part of our culture, it’s certainly not the core of our history.” Thus, the name Kreyol Essence was born. “For me, the term Kreyol Essence is the culmination of the spirit of the Taino people, the will of our African forefathers and the regal tradition of our French imperial vestiges. We wanted to show that not only can pride be conjured up from an authentically Haitian brand, but also a strong sense of sophistication and Caribbean elegance.”

What started off as a one-woman operation, then a two-person operation focusing on hair, has expanded to a skin care line as well and now employs an estimated 400 people in Haiti. It is of utmost importance to Jean-Baptiste and Momperousse that their business help grow Haiti’s economy, and help repair its environment. The Kreyol Essence team in Haiti are heavily involved in a seeding and planting program, raw ingredient cultivation, and overall sustaining women entrepreneurs on the island.

Although Kreyol Essence is based in New York, you have a castor oil farm in Haiti that employs people there.
Kreyol Essence is an agri-business that endeavors to tackle the socioeconomic disparities plaguing Haiti by developing a business model that benefits the country economically and environmentally.  We currently produce the Haitian Black Castor Oil on our own farm in Thiotte, which is in the South Eastern department of the country. We purchase seeds at above market rate from small farm holders in the area and employ local women to clean, hull and extract the oil by hand. Additionally, we have a strategic partnership with the Organization for the Rehabilitation of the Environment (ORE), a grassroots organization established in Haiti in 1985, who hires and manages a network of local women in Camp-Perrin for the production of our Castor Oil. By hiring local women and sourcing castor seeds from small farm holders, we are on track to creating 400 jobs in 3-4 years.

Can you tell us more about your products?
I truly love all of our products because they are practical, luxurious and affordable. Most of our products came from a need that we, as busy professionals, had for personal care maintenance routine. Through Haitian Black Castor Oil, I feel as though we are letting the world in on our little secret of Haitian vitality and hair growth. As you know, it is an amazing curative and therapeutic solution for a variety of hair and skin ailments. Developing products anchored by Haitian Black Castor Oil was an amazing journey of discovery as we learned all the different medicinal uses.

When Yve-Car proposed the creation of the Palma Shea line, I thought it was genius! Our Palma Shea: Organic Hair and Body Butter is the perfect union of Haitian Black Castor Oil, West African Shea Butter and essential oils. The inspiration for this product line is based in the idea that you don’t have to shuffle between multiple products when getting ready in the morning. This organic blend is perfect for the entire family because the combined power of the two ingredients rejuvenates and rehydrates hair and skin. We also have a Pomad Kreyòl, Goat and Coconut Krèm ak Lèt and Savon Kreyòl.

Above: Entrepreneur Yves-Car Momperousse, the Founder of Kreyol Essence, flashes a smile as brilliant as the castor oil that her company is founded on! Photo: Nouveau Concepts LLC ]

What aspects of your background was especially useful in starting Kreyol Essence?
I’ve called upon a myriad of experiences to help me launch new creative ideas, plan and coordinate shipping logistics, and provide need based analysis for each step of our growth. We spent this past summer on our Launch Tour, which provided our customers the opportunity to experience our brand through our celebrated Beauty Bar. Having started my professional career as a recruiter and marketing coordinator for the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, I’m no stranger to being on the road engaging various communities. The skills that I gained developing marketing strategies for Penn Graduate School to attract and recruit ambitious leaders nationwide is at the foundation of what I do every day. My experience as an Account Executive for Azuna, a media firm based in South Korea gave me an immediate advantage in understanding the often complicated world of supply chain management and the much needed patience when dealing with international shipping logistics. Understanding the passion, culture and uniqueness of the Haitian community came as a direct result of my work as Communication Director for the National Haitian Student Alliance and Community Development Chair for the Haitian Professionals of Philadelphia. Both experiences rekindled my drive to mobilize and bring about systemic change within the Haitian community. I draw on this same drive every day to remember our mission at Kreyol Essence.

From the feedback you’ve gotten from your customers, which of your products are the most popular with them?
We in the Haitian community, complain a lot about us needing to do a better job supporting each other but I can actually say that that I am overwhelmed by the support of Haitians from the U.S., France, Canada, the Caribbean and the Middle East. Our bestseller is, by far, Goat and Coconut Krèm ak Lèt Moisturizer. Customers rave about this rich and creamy remedy that boasts the power of organic goat’s milk and coconut cream that effectively hydrates. The one and only, Pomad Kreyòl is another fan favorite – folks love the unique and exotic Haitian ingredients.

What have you learned along the road of entrepreneurship that you would like to share with others who are contemplating becoming travelers along that same road?
Wow, there have been so many lessons, but if I could narrow it down to my top three it would be: follow your instincts, believe in yourself and just get out there! When I didn’t follow my instincts or believe in myself, I think I’ve made many mistakes and missed out on many opportunities because I “faked” myself out. I have learned to go with my gut. Often, if you take that leap, you will make it through the journey.

What’s the one thing about having your own company that you’ve observed, that no one told you?
No one told me how much of a personal journey and exploration that comes with being an entrepreneur. Furthermore, when you have partners no one really tells you how to pick the right partner and that it is a marriage. Strengths and weakness need to be discovered so you can have good partnerships and vendor relationships. It’s hard work to maintain these relationships. You realize what makes you really happy and discover self. You realize what you are capable of.

Launching Kreyol Essence is a big risk that’s paid off. Where do you think the strength of the company lies?
Our core strength can be found in our founder and CEO. I’m truly inspired by Yve-Car’s keen instincts and the lucid vision that she has for the company. I’m constantly amazed of the precision that she has for understanding the needs and interest of our customers. Because this endeavor is so personal, her shrewd business sense is magnified by her innate compassion for helping others. Her leadership in business and the galvanization of others is truly innovative. Too often she’s in the driver’s seat pushing me creatively and providing a platform for me to explore my crazy ideas. Over the years we have developed a kinetic energy that seemingly wills me the ability to carry out and conceptualize her creative ideas that are sometimes obscure notes. This force was birthed when we first came together to organize the National Haitian Student Conference in Pennsylvania seven years ago. Our shared passion and dreams for Haiti was our relationship matchmaker and continues to be a core that drives and strengthens our company. We wake up early in the morning believing that our shared aspirations and sacrifices is part of that transformational movement that our generation can support in order to resurrect Haiti.

There are people out there with huge ideas, but little faith on what might await them if they take the plunge and start a business of their own. What’s your advice to them?
Having passion and conviction are certainly the catalysts needed to get a business idea off the ground. But what I’ve learned along the way is the importance of proper planning and having a good effective strategy in order to have a sustainable business. Take the time out to do the research – interview friends and family in order to ensure that your idea is meeting a need, a solution or a demand. We live in the information age so a quick Google search will provide you with information needed to learn about market trends and the viability of your idea. It’s also important to slow down in order to speed up, meaning take the time out to develop your system. To often we rush into a business idea without thinking about how it’s going to work; this leads to a fast burn out. Try to setup your business to run effectively even if you aren’t there. It took us about two years of research and development in order for us to bring Kreyol Essence to market. Both Yve-Car and I are perfectionists, so we are always tweaking and making enhancements, but I feel because of we took time out in the beginning we will never stray away from our vision.

Kreyol Essence is a venture of your company Nouveau Concepts LLC. Are you branching out to other arenas as well?
At the core our missions are the same, but the medium for disseminating our values are slightly different. My vision for Nouveau Concepts has always been to be a key storyteller in the development of multi-ethnic narratives, especially that of our Haitian culture. We have lost control of our visual and historical narrative and I’d like to help reclaim that with whatever mass media tools I have access to. Nouveau Concepts, has given me the ability to develop visual communication and marketing strategies for various clients using the creative palette that has been molded by my cultural lens. We are doing the same thing through Kreyòl Essence. Our sourcing of natural and organic ingredients from Haiti and crafting a luxury brand is our way of starting the paradigm shift and rewriting our narrative. The fact that our packaging has been inspired by the vibrant and bold imagery of tap-taps that zip through the lively streets of Port-au-Prince is a testament that we are capable of expounding upon the notions of what we have traditionally considered to be beautiful. Rather than branching out, I consider this an opportunity to develop new marketing strategies to help me visually communicate our multi-cultural perspective with all people.

What’s next for Kreyol Essence as a brand?
I can’t give away all our secrets! As we grow we strive to continue to be a brand that continues to provide unparalleled service and continue to have an intimate relationship with our customers. We are thrilled to know that our community embraces our mission and takes ownership in the type of products we develop. To that avail, we will continue to develop products based on the demand of our customers. The one piece of info I’ll share is that we plan on taking this initiative global! We are obsessed with reinventing old and unique ingredients. Not only do we want to source the great agricultural wonders of Haiti, but we want to bring Haiti to the rest of the world.

[Photos Credit: Nouveau Concepts LLC ]

Get to know the Kreyol Essence products. Visit the company’s website HERE.

The artist who goes by the name of MrJeffDess fits the template perfectly for what a spoken-word artist ought to be. Professorship—check. Some background in literature—Dess received a BA and and an MA in English Literature from St. John’s University—check. Handy with words—check. MrJeffDess is going to be the headline poet at Kreyol Corner, a collaboration between the poet and hip Brooklyn eatery La Caye Restaurant.

Dess has been experimenting with a plethora of literary genres since college. Thus far, the Queens-born son of Haitian parents has published four books of poetry. His multi-faceted platform has taken him to universities and institutions around the nation. In his role as the Assistant Director of Campus Life at New Jersey City University, he regularly implements poetry and literature in student activities and, in his own words, “keeps it funky”.

Kreyolicious: Who introduced you to poetry?

I was introduced to poetry through hip-hop. The first poem I ever wrote was a rap verse. It wasn’t until college that I began to study and write various other types of poetry.

Kreyolicious: “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost was first introduced to me in elementary school. As I grew older, it became more meaningful to me. Do you ever think of what your life would be like, had you not been on the path that you’re on currently—had you chosen another career route?

My career revolves around education, creativity and expression. I’ve worked as a college professor, a college administrator, a residence hall director, a public speaker, a rapper, a poet and somehow, some way I’ve found myself aligned with those key principles. I’m still not 100% certain about the path that I am on and where it will take me, but I am fully convinced that those ideals will dictate my travels.

Kreyolicious: Let’s talk about poetry versus text messages. Do you think that poetry is an art form that will go bye-bye? Text messages are abrupt, usually composed in a hurry, and under red lights, void a lot of times of the gentleness that we’ve come to expect of poetry, but compared to the 19th Century days when Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning would woo each other with long, fluid poems, this generation and generations to come are investing in text.

Kreyolicious: Each generation has their own ways of communicating and I don’t think poetry gets affected by that.

I think memes on social media is poetry. I think effective use of text emoticons is poetry. Tweets can be poetic. I am a writer of haiku poems and in their ancient nature; they’ve always been short and abrupt. The beauty of poetry is its fluidity. You never know what shape or form it comes in, but it will always be present.

Kreyolicious: How did the idea for the Kreyol Corner poetry series come about?

I used to live right down the block from La Caye Restaurant and became friendly with one of the owners. I had been working on some new projects and was looking for an opportunity to collaborate. We spoke and eventually we came together to create this idea. It’s been a great success and a lot of fun.

Kreyolicious: What have you learned from the other editions?

I’ve learned that are so many talented Haitian and Haitian American poets around the New York City area. At Kreyol Korner we have seen some first time poets hit the stage and getting to see that is always an invigorating experience.

Kreyolicious: When you’re standing on stage performing, you can see things people in the audience may not see. What do you usually see in terms of how people react to spoken word poetry? What seems to move them?

It varies with each audience. I prefer my words to impact more than my performance. At the end of the day understanding your audience is important. Knowing what will move, excite and teach your audience is important. I like to interact with my audience beforehand if possible to help gauge what will work best with them.

Kreyolicious: And going back to performance, let’s talk about pre-performance. How do you get ready to hit the stage?

I don’t do much preparation. I get this tingle in my fingers that happens literally every time I perform and that’s when I know it’s time for the show.

Kreyolicious: Dude, when was the last time you went to Haiti? This is a staple question around here, by the way. [Smiles]

I always surprise people with this answer and I’m not the proudest of it, but I have never been. I’ll be working on that though. I have plans to go in 2015.

Kreyolicious: And what does MrJeffDess have in store for those who are following his career, and those who’ve just discovered him?

My latest book Deconstructing Ratchet is currently available. I have two one-man shows coming up soon and I’m also working on a new book of comedic short stories about dating in the black community. I’m always working on projects and you can find out more about them by following my social media outlets and checking out my website.

Connect with MrJeffDess on Instagram| Mr. Jeff Dess on Tumblr | Connect with the artist on Twitter | See about him on Facebook |

By the time he was 69 years old, Hyppolite had not been in good health for some time. Nonetheless, he refused to rest as he had been advised to do. Against the advice of his doctor he decided to undertake a long journey to Jacmel to put down an uprising there. He started on March 24, 1896, at three o’clock in the morning, but before he even had time to leave Port-au-Prince he fell from his horse dead, in a “fit of apoplexy”, at a short distance from the Executive Mansion. His funeral took place on the March 26.
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Lè li gen 69 lane, sante Présidan Hyppolite pat two bon dépi kèk tan déja. Malgre doktè li te konséye li pou li te pran repo li te déside pa tande li. Li déside antreprann yon vwayaj nan Jakmèl pou tèt yon soulèvman popilè. Nan maten 24 Mas, 1896, a twa è nan maten , anvan li menm gen tan kite Pòtoprens li te tonbe pandan li te sou chwal li, li te fè yon kriz kadyak ki koz li tou mouri. Finéray li te fèt 26 mas.
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-Source/Sous: Wikipedia
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#haiti #hayti #general #president #istwa #istwa1804 #1804 #24march #haitians #history #hyppolite #caphaitien #okap #kreyol #poison #jacmel #apoplexy

Group and Song Name: Kreyol La, “Turn Me On”
Production House: Lux Media and Marketing
Director: Abdias Laguerre
Editor: Oriol Variela
Stylist: Abigal Petit
Makeup: Christina Lory
Production Manager: Ketia Fequiere/KPR Solutions

Kreyolicious Music Video…in which…in which I write about the random thoughts that come in my mind, as I watch a music video made by a Haitian artist or group…Today’s video is “Turn Me On” by this group named Kreyol La from an album entitled Invictus.

Dude is in a reclining position, with a pair of highly sophisticated binoculars on his lap.

He’s facing a couple of high-rise buildings. Miami? New York? Probably the former….Wonder what he’s looking at…wonder what he’s dreaming about in this deep slumber…Hmmm.

Ooh, I have to comment on that flannel shirt…Nice pattern. So kreyolicious. You guys know I’m a fashion-type-of-girl.

Oh, wait. He’s up now. Let’s see what he’s up to.

He has this really reflective look on his face. Wonder what he’s thinking about. What’s out there…near that ocean?

Ooh, he’s grabbed them binoculars, ya’ll.

What could he be looking at?

Oh, a logo.

But what else? Cut to…a different time and place…

Oh, look! A woman’s rear end.

We see her rear end. We get a mid-shot that gives us a little bit more of it. We don’t see her face.

We move on to these two dudes. Oh, the Kreyol La dudes. How nicely outfitted they are. No rear end shots. None at all.

A closer look at the two dudes.

Who is this guy? Hmm…so stylish in his little red jacket and nude undershirt. Interesting mohawk, he’s got there. Or a A-Rat-Ate-Both-Sides haircut, as my grann would call it.

Oh, so now we’re being introduced to her face. How nice. And she’s licking a rainbow-colored popsicle.

Look at those two. They’re plotting something.

So, he’s got a girl at home.

They both do…

But he’s got his eyes on her.

This henna-tattooed, wrist watch-wearing, pixie haircut-sporting, sleeping-in-late, little number.

Is this music video an indictment against working women? Because here we have this hard-working malerèz in her pencil skirt, going to work with her huge malèt. Is she the breadwinner of the family? They must be raking in a huge salary collectively for them to be living in that high-rise building. Does she make more than him? Is he unemployed, because he sure has a lot of time on his hands…to be walking down the street to meet the ice cream truck…to hang out with his homie. Because here she is leaving this guy home alone…she thinks he’s going to be watching the ten o’clock boating parade with those binoculars?

Now back to his homie.

Gade li, flirting with the ice cream bar-licking, rear-end-revealing other chick.

Look at him, living vicariously through his friend. Could it be only a matter of time before he searches out for his own diversion while his malerèz, hard-working wife is busting her gluteus maximus to pay the mortgage and property taxes at that high-rise condo?

But let me not judge the dude so swiftly. Perhaps he’s in the real estate business, and he’s working at home. But shouldn’t he have some sort of mobile device on hand, and fielding calls from clients, and prospects?

So, the ice cream girl is an ex he never quite got over.

He’s still seeing her after settling down with another, and she’s apparently settling for that.

So, in this scene he admits that he’s getting love and affection at home, but he lies and makes up excuses to go prowling.

You have to admit that he looks good in this little outfit, and those kicks. That girl Abigail Petit!

Oh, he’s looking at her—the forbidden woman—through the binoculars. Your associations count for a lot in life. If you have trifling friends, it’s rare that you won’t be trifling yourself. Objectifying and checking out another woman when you have a wife of your own! Drink from thy own cistern, my goodness!

So, she’s a writer. No wonder she looked so tired when she was waking up.

Ooh, what’s this? Some public showering with fireworks on the side?

That Obadiah Laguerre got visuals.

Ooh, more men fashions. That black leather glistens. Abigail Petit…chile, you done did it.

Uh-oh. She’s aware now that she’s being the subject of intense voyeurism. She seems flattered rather than repulsed. Look at her painted lips. They are set in meditation and reflection…no annoyance at all. What if she’s been aware for some time that he had been watching, but is just now making it obvious.

She’s a writer…maybe she’s amused at him, because that would make a good plot line for the hood novel she’s probably writing.

She’s getting up from the sofa. What could she be up to? Will she turn the tables on him, and get her own set of binoculars to watch him? Did she get up to give her a more seducing view? Is she putting herself out of his view?

Oh goodness…scarlet dress…stripper pole…

Meanwhile, his friend is wildin’

Straight wildin’.

Oh, no. She’s now on the inside looking out. She’s playing the voyeur role now. And why is she wearing a man’s shirt.

She had been wearing her slit-to-the-side, slip-dress, and now she’s suddendly donning a masculine top that’s nearly half-off.

Oh, at least he’s still looking like King David. But those of us who’ve bothered to leaf through the book of Samuel know how things ended for King David and his muse Bathsheba.

She’s going in her closet.

All this just to go to sleep?

Meanwhile, the pole dancer prances in the rain, while the adulterer watches.

But isn’t that wifey?

Where is she heading, exactly?

She’s looking out there….

Yeah, put it down.

Wifey isn’t exactly an idiot. At least she doesn’t look like one.

Yes, girl. Grab them binoculars.

Ooh, she got them now. Wonder what she’ll see.

Ooh…wah-bah-wah-bah!

Look at wifey. Her hair looks like it’s about to get uprooted. And her eyes about to fall off…

Now, she’s got her own view of the peep show.

Look at him, trying to look innocent. Looking out there to see if the chick from across is going to be undressing again?

Not this time…it’s confrontation time!

That look on her face says it all.

It reads: “Negus, I know you…I’m on to you and your shenanigans.”

Oh, Lawdie. Now, he’s trying to tell her that he was watching boats? Dude, she ain’t a dim-wit.

She took it rather well. I was expecting her to use those binoculars as a weapon of sorts.

Thought she’s give him a hood facial surgery, or something.

At the .16 to the .21 mark of the video, the song’s narrator wags his fingers at men who have a good thing going at home, but who go on the prowl. It would have been nice for the director to show a scene, or at least some hint of castigation for the leading man in the video, and his friend. The cynical way both homies went about their ingratitude, and their lack of appreciation for the women in their lives is just plain appalling. Perhaps, in the next video?

This has been an episode of Kreyolicious Music Video…in which—in which I discuss a Haitian music video. CLICK HERE TO READ PAST ENTRIES.

CLICK HERE FOR THE KREYOL LA YOUTUBE CHANNEL| CLICK HERE TO BUY THEIR MUSIC| KREYOL LA ON INSTAGRAM