This past Saturday, May 18th, 2019, I attended the 21st Annual Haitian Compas Festival, at Mana Wynwood Convention Center, Miami, Florida, the same venue the event was held last year. As I’m always excited to be around art, being at the Wynwood Art District for the HCF, I thought would be worthwhile and it was. I knew I would get the opportunity to walk around and admire some beautiful graffiti and murals before the Fest starts, so I made sure I went early enough to get a good parking area and do my tour. My art appreciation was at an all-time high by the time I decided to go in the Fest; it was 5:11 PM — beautiful rainless South Florida vibe.

Driving to the HCF, I was streaming Father Of Asahd — DJ Khaled’s new album. I was inspired, motivated and ready for some Compas music and watch some good performances. I have had to opportunity to attend the festival at least 8 times throughout the years, starting in 2004, the year I performed. Because of my experience with the event and who I am naturally, I usually take my critical eyes and ears with me every time I attend the festival. Hence, I always end up walking away feeling disappointed with the same question: Is That The Best We Can Do? This year, I kept my expectations very low because I didn’t want to feel disappointed once again. I made peace with myself that I would be less judgmental, give everyone a chance, and enjoy the show.

To me, the HCF is still the biggest and the most popular event we have in the Haitian Music Industry (HMI). The event may have had its share of lows over the years; however, it has had more highs according to people close to the organization. Doing something of this magnitude for 21 consecutive years is tremendous no matter how you put it. Some things just can’t be quantified. We should all appreciate the fact that we have an event as such in the city of Miami that promotes our Haitian culture.

I must give props to the organization for being consistent in many ways for so many years. Yes, there were some things I thought could have been better. The question of whether or not some of the people who are in key positions are good enough at what they’re hired to do for the organization still traveled my mind. However, I think the organization as a whole is still doing a good job. I do think though it needs to spend a significant amount of time brainstorming how to re-brand the event moving forward and making a tremendous effort to appeal to the young generation of Haitian Americans.

Still, It’s not clear whether or not the festival is a Haitian Flag Day celebration event or simply an event to present the “Best Compas Playlist” every year around that time. I could not put my finger on what exactly the theme of the day was other than different acts got on stage and do what they normally do. Time really begs for some fresh ideas.

Rodly “Oz’mosis” Madeus

HMI Buzz: The Number One Source For The Haitian American Experience.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In conjunction with Haitian Heritage Month, the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami (MOCA) will display “PÒTOPRENS: The Urban Artists of Port-au-Prince” which brings together the work of over 20 artists working in the Haitian capital. The exhibition, on view April 23 to August 11, 2019, highlights Port-au-Prince’s many diverse centers of cultural production, informal street life, religious heritage and mythologies to create a compelling portrait of a historically significant and intensely complex city in flux.

Co-curated by Haitian-American artist and curator Edouard Duval-Carrié and British artist and curator Leah Gordon, and organized by Pioneer Works Founding Artistic Director Gabriel Florenz with special advisor Jean-Daniel Lafontant. PÒTOPRENS is a large-scale exhibition of sculptures, photographs, and films, accompanied by a recreated Port-au-Prince barbershop as well as extensive public programming. The entire exhibition is depicted in the native Haitian tongue Creole.

Port-au-Prince is a polyphonic city declaring its cultural history via multiple voices. Representing one of the most vibrant and creative cities in the Caribbean, PÒTOPRENS is not simply a survey show, nor is it a comprehensive snapshot of contemporary Haitian art. It is an exhibition that uses the city of Port-au-Prince as a lens through which to view the chaotic intersections of history, music, politics, religion, magic, architecture, art, and literature— to enable the viewer to reflect upon the past and speculate about the future of this vital city and its country.

The exhibition presents a diverse group of sculptures including sequined Vodou flags, stone and wood carvings, and found object assemblages, most of which have never before been seen in the United States. The sculptural installation mirrors the organization of the city itself by highlighting specific districts in Port-au-Prince where art is produced—each with its own particular subjects, forms, and materials. The neighborhood of Bel Air, situated on a hill that rises behind the remains of the Catholic Cathedral in downtown Port-au- Prince, has a rich concentration of Vodou flag artists and sequin sculptors—a tradition alleged to have originated from the royal flags and banners of Benin.

Read more on www.mocanomi.org

Pascale Rowe may be known by the cutesy-playful moniker Ms. Bling Miami, but she doesn’t play when it comes to business. She’s a successful retail entrepreneur and accessories designer, and the author of Boss Up, Or Get Bossed Around,, a self-help business book. These days she’s a self-made millionaire, traveling the world on her own whim. If she wakes up on a Tuesday, and feels like staying in bed all day and sipping a bit of Barbancourt, she can. She doesn’t have to worry about a smaller paycheck as a result. She’s her own boss, thank you very much. If she wants to give her son his dream gift, she can, with the snap of a finger tip. The Haiti-born, New York-bred and Miami-residing mogul didn’t start out that way. In the late 2000s, she was in a disintegrating marriage, and made the leap to the life of a single woman with nothing but her clothes and her savings. She went from a negative balance to an annual income of $300,000 (to start). But what principles did she apply to get to where she is? Let your girl Kreyolicious tell you.

1. Jump, just jump—even if you don’t see a drape cushion when you’re looking down.
Pascale Rowe was working for an insurance firm, earning $70,000 a year. My, that’s a lofty little salary. And the perks…always looking forward to a bi-weekly pay stub, an attractive 401K firm, and the pride of being steadily employed. But the desire to be an entrepreneur and be her own boss was always gnawing at her like a tapeworm. But what do do, what to do? Jump, that’s what! And faith and courage will be the cushion.

2. You’ve got a product? Get it out there.
And the best way to get it out there effectively? It’s by getting people with higher visibility than you to use it. Or in Pascale’s case…to wear it. Pascale used her contacts to get her Bling bangles on the wrists of such celebrities as Lauren London, Trina, Gabrielle Union, Kim Kardashian to name a few. And these celebrities, in turn, helped spread positive buzz and intrigue about her brand.

3. Don’t flex aimlessly on social media. Make it work for you.
Some waste hours on social media, but seem oblivious to the opportunities that social media bring. Pascale’s presence has helped her business grow, and by having consistently updated profiles on social media—especially Instagram—she’s contributed to the mushroom-like growth of her brand. Speaking of which…

4. Talk is just that…talk.
Putting yourself on the internet can be hazardous to your reputation and your health, but if it’s a risk you just have to take. At any time, on any given day, someone is staring at your profile and gossiping about you. But, oh well. At the end of the day, your success will remain your own. Let people wag their tongues, while new zeroes get added to your bank account balance. Life is short. Why spend it being sad over people’s ill-intentioned comments, inaccurate speculations and intended-to-be-hurtful opinions. The majority of people badmouthing you have never met you, weren’t with you during your struggles, but feel entitled to judge you…so let them. This won’t stop you from prospering. Pascale Rowe detractors are just unpaid House of Bling employees creating word-of-mouth buzz for the brand and its creator…see it that way!

5. Be the teacher you didn’t have when you were starting out.
From Memphis, to Detroit, to Milwaukee, to Atlanta, Pascale addresses hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs at hosting gigs, conferences, brunches and retreats. When she was grinding stone and bricks to create her own lane, she didn’t have certain resources available to assist her. But that’s to be expected when one is carving out self-created opportunities that were unknown to the world of entrepreneurship. Through the Bling Bootcamp, Pascale puts participants through informational intensives lasting from a day to several weeks and teaches them the ropes to success.

There you have it, kreyolicous cheries, 5 Success Principles We Can Learn From Pascale Rowe, better known as Ms. Bling Miami.

MSBLINGMIAMI ON INSTAGRAM|PASCALE ROWE’S WEBSITE | CLICK HERE TO BUY PASCALE “MSBLINGMIAMI” ROWE’S BOOK | SHOP PASCALE ROWE’S BLING COLLECTION FOR FALL | PASCALE ROWE ON PINTEREST

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT OTHER ENTRIES IN THE YAP MENNEN SERIES.

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT OTHER FOLKS IN THE 5 SUCCESS PRINCIPLES WE CAN LEARN FROM…SERIES.

Eight authors of Haitian descent will be participating at the Miami International Book Fair, taking place from November 20-22 at several venues in Miami. They include Angie Bell, Fabienne Josaphat, Dimitry Elias Leger, Edwidge Danticat, Carl Jean-Juste, Katia Ulysse, Michele Jessica (MJ) Fievre, Rebecca Carmant.

Bell, Fievre, Carmant—along with spoken word poet Naomiel—will be taking part in a symposium entitled EXPATS! Haitian Women Poets in Exile: A Trilingual Reading in English, French, and Haitian Creole—alongside Rebecca Carmant and Naomiel, and MJ Fievre. Fievre released A Sky the Color of Chaos earlier this month.

Famed photographer Carl Jean-Juste (photo right), whose book Havana and Haiti: Two Cultures, One Community, is a collection of essays and photographs chronicling the relational and cultural ties of the two countries, will be part of “Havana and Haiti: Reshaping the New Americas and the World” on November 21. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PROGRAM.

Award-winning author Edwidge Danticat will be on several panels, including the one Jean-Juste will be headlining. CLICK HERE TO SEE HER FULL SCHEDULE.

Dimitri Elias Leger

God Loves Haiti author Dimitry Elias Leger will be taking part in “Fiction of Place: A Reading”. Leger is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and grew up in New York, and resided in Florida for a time. CLICK HERE to see full details about this event.

Katia D. Ulysse penned the children’s book Fabiola Can Count (2012), and published her first novel Drifting in 2014. She will be among the panelists for “Land of Upheaval: A Literary Journey through Haiti’s Modern History”, with Fievre and Fabienne Josaphat.

Fabienne Josaphat is a new name to me. But apparently, she’s a long-timer in the literature game. One of her short stories was featured in the anthology So Spoke the Earth, edited by MJ Fievre, and she has a novel set to be released in early Spring 2016.

You can CLICK HERE to check the Miami International Book Fair’s entire program.

Carl Juste photo: Al Diaz

Gelan Lambert was conceived in Haiti and born in Miami. Because of a paperwork issue, his father was prevented from boarding the plane with the family, and his mother, arriving in Florida with baby Gelan in her stomach, raised him alone for a time.

The enthusiastic clapping during a school performance set a precedent to thunderous applause and standing ovations for later performances by Lambert, most notably for his latest role in the acclaimed musical Fela! Fela!—based on the life of famed African music legend Fela Kuti.

From Miami to Seattle to Atlanta to Sacramento, The Julliard School graduate is an electrifying figure on the stage. He was recently honored in his hometown by Mayor Andre D. Pierre, with the ultimate honor to a native son—he was given the Key to the City of North Miami.

Q & A

How’d you learn to tap dance?
My early beginnings of tap dance was taught to me by Linda Rogers Albritton at a studio in North Miami called Dancexchange Inc., which she co-owned with Yayi Faretta. She was my very first dance teacher in jazz as well as I was twelve years old when I received my first instructions. My training at the studio was a work scholarship, in exchange for dance classes. I learned more than money would’ve buy from that place, such as professionalism, good work ethic, camaraderie, performance history and quality. I’m truly grateful to them for opening their doors and allowing me to be a student there.

Do your parents give you the side eye because you’re a performer?
Yes, my parents gave me the side eye when I began training because they didn’t understand how passionate I was about performing and the extent of my talent. They eventually turned around because I won many competitions through the years and was awarded full scholarships to train at The Ailey School, The Joffrey Ballet in NYC, School of American Ballet in NYC, Urdang Academy in London, etc. It was something I pursued on my own and it frightened them to an extent, since they had aspirations for me to be either a doctor, engineer or lawyer.

You graduated from Julliard with a BFA in dance. Is the school as intense as it is portrayed in practically every dance movie we’ve seen?
I graduated at the top of my class at The Juilliard School with a BFA and the Martha Hill Prize, the highest award given to a graduating senior in dance. Yes, this institution is more intense than any film can truly capture. It’s a top bottom building up of individuals, to meet the demands of a very competitive art world and I am proud to have studied there.

So how did you come to be Fela on Broadway?
My agent called me up to say that Bill T. Jones was looking for someone to play the role of JK (best friend to Fela Kuti) that can dance modern, ballet, African dance, tap dance, act and sing within his gestural movement vocabulary. I auditioned with over a 100 people vying for a spot in the show and I won the position.

This was your first Broadway role, and it’s quite a role.
It was very demanding role, where I had to train everyday to keep my body supple, loose and ready. We did 8 shows a week, from Tuesday through Sunday; two on Sat, and two on Sunday. It’s very taxing on the body, however due to my training, commitment and work ethic I was able to sustain a high level of artistry and excellence.

How do you manage to bring the best of yourself night after night and give the audience a fresh performance every night?
I always keep in mind the sacrifices of our ancestors, such as Toussaint L’Ouverture, Jacques Roumain and Ti Manno and a host of others. Throughout history there have been women and men challenging forces that are contrary to equality on all levels and by their forthrightness they have given our generation the opportunity to be expressive with dignity, freedom and integrity; so knowing this enables me to give my very best every performance.

Did you do any special preparations for the role of JK?
Yes, I had a personal trainer Taaj Jaharah workout with me everyday at the theater on Broadway for over a year to ensure that I perform all of my shows without injury; so we would meet three hours before curtain. Also, I’d get up earlier than usual in the morning to work on creating a unique style of tap dancing that complimented Fela Kuti’s music.

Do you have a special regiment to tune your voice?
I vocalize everyday before performance and I have a voice teacher that I see regularly.

Do you happen to have a favorite song of Fela’s?
My two favorite songs of Fela are “Black Man’s Cry” and “Trouble Sleep”.

At which point did you realize that you had talent as a performer?
I knew when I was eight years old, when doing a talent show at Buena Vista Elementary School. I felt a very positive response from the audience when I was performing and the feedback was incredible; so I knew it was something I needed to pursue further with proper training and guidance.

Which actor-dancer do you look up to the most?
I love God and my vertical relationship to him is the most important aspect of my life and I allow that to be on display horizontally. The person I admire the most is my mentor Dr. Reginald Yates, a Guggenheim Fellow. His engagement of the world is through so many contexts and it is awesome; which is to make positive contributions to people’s lives and the world.

What’s your message to actors and performers just starting out?
Find your passion, hold on to it and keep fine tuning your craft.

Do you think that the fact that you were the son of immigrants made you want to work extra harder?
My parents made a great sacrifice by leaving their country of birth and origin, Haiti. I witnessed how hard they worked to keep a roof over my head, food on the table and clothes on my back; so I had no choice but to find what I wanted to do in life and to do it to the best of my ability. By making that choice, I honor them and those who have come before me.

This is an oft-asked question, but oh well. When was the last time you were in Haiti?
I haven’t been back to Haiti for a long time and I sincerely want to return immediately. We’ve been trying to find time to bring me back over the years but my schedule hasn’t allowed that to happen yet. It’s in the planning stages.

You grew up in Miami. Were you teased as a kid for your love of the arts?
The funny thing is that the kids that I grew up with around my neighborhood, knew I could throw down at parties; so when they found out I was training in ballet no one messed with me and furthermore I’ve always had a tough demeanor, so growing up folks thought twice before saying something off the cuff. What I did hear often growing up were disparaging remarks of me being Haitian and that hurt more. It took much resolve and reading to know that my ancestors are greater than any derisive comment.

What’s next for you?
I’m in negotiations for another project and I hope to announce that soon. Secondly, I’m exploring opportunities to be a guest speaker throughout the world with my art, sensibilities and knowledge.

Visit the artist’s personal blog HERE.

[Photo Credit: provided by She Got Game Media]

Miami Caribbean Code, the tech conference that bridges Miami to the rest of the Caribbean, is taking place on June 24th in Miami. Check out this interview with techie Henry Beaucejour, who will be one of the speakers at the event. Beaucejour is the editor of Haiti Tech News, and the Chairman of Haitian Caribbean Information Tech Council (Hacarabtech). Get a first-person handle on the conference through his eyes!

Kreyolicious: Tell us about yourself and what drew you to tech?
Henry Beaucejour is a dreamer, a visionary. I fall in love with anything related to technology. Understanding that technology is the backbone of organizations and companies around the world, especially developing countries. A couple of years ago, as I emigrated from Haiti to the United States, I found myself in a situation to bring [about] some changes. What drew me [to tech] was the passion to innovate and look at a better future for the youth. Our young people represent the future of this generation.

Kreyolicious: How did you get involved with Miami Caribbean Code?
I got involved after a briefing with Firmin Backer, one of the co-founders of the Haiti Renewal Alliance, a non-profit that promotes business development and investment in Haiti. Once Firmin Backer was in it…with his expertise in technical innovation, strategy development, along with his history in investment management, I thought it was something special.

Kreyolicious: Why do you think attending an event like this is important?
An event like this will allow the attendees to have a better exposure [to] and better understanding [of] how technology can bring people together…How technology can change the world to make it a better place to live as human beings, and also how new technology is being used to save lives.

Kreyolicious: What do you think attendees will learn from your session?
I am certain [that] after those attendees leave the session, they will change their minds, be more awakened to the vision that I have been sharing to the world for years in newspapers, different articles and social media. And they can also learn about the experiences of Haitian radio hosts Carel Pedre and JUNO7 who used Twitter and [other] social media [platforms] to inform the world about the earthquake and the cholera outbreak which ravaged their country, Haiti.

Henry Beaucejour being interviewed on his favorite subject…tech!

Kreyolicious: From what you can observe, why is tech so important in the Caribbean and Latin America?
As I said in the beginning, this is a vision. I hope other leaders in the Caribbean and Latin America share that vision to make those places a reference where Microsoft, Google, and others to come and recruit the best programmers and developers.
The Caribbean—and especially my homeland Haiti—needs foreign and local tech investment and technological knowledge diffusion. Creating the requisite infrastructure—from [a] techno park to better interne—would be significant steps. Jacmel, for example, with [its] arts community, walkable architecture and beautiful beaches, might be an attractive place for concentrated technology hub and a tech incubator. Haiti can create a special economic zone to attract foreign companies, with the aforementioned conditions. In return for any incentives, tech giants companies can open doors in Jacmel or Cap Haitian and employ or train local Haitians. I wish the same for beautiful islands Aruba, Jamaica and Trinidad and so on.

CLICK HERE to go on the Miami Caribbean Code website to keep up with the movement and to purchase tickets to this year’s edition of Miami Caribbean Code.