Michael Brun. Musical Prodigy. DJ. Producer. And now…music fest producer? Yes, siree, that is correct. And in accordance to his heritage-pushing agenda, he’s not having it at Miami Beach, Virginia Beach, one of the Great Lakes, or the New York Harbor for that matter, but in, well, Haiti.

Haiti!

At Wahoo Baby Beach to be precise. Ain’t that ain’t Port-au-Prince either. I think. Okay, just double-checked… Wahoo Bay Beach is in a place called Cotes des Arcadins, and that’s miles away from Port-au-Prince.

On the roster are a load of artists based in Haiti including Belo, JPerry, Gardy Girault, DJ Bullet, DJ Tony Mixx, as well as other artists traveling to Haiti for the event: Roy English, DZGot, Roy English, Eden Prince, and Third Party.

There’s even a placeholder on the flyers for the Beachfest. OGun, TPO, Mikaben, or Wanito perhaps? Or an EDM figure, as Michael Brun does stem from the electronic dance music scene?

The beachside fest also has a philanthropic angle. Profits will go towards scholarships for an educational program administered by the Ciné Institute, Haiti’s film school. The concert is being held in partnership with Artists for Justice and Peace. The event’s sponsors include: Rhum Barbancourt, Prestige, Chokarella and Noctem.

Above: Michael Brun in straight DJ mode. Photo Credit: MenBar Photos

Michael Brun has created an entire culture-based campaign with his single “#WhereverIGo”, released earlier this year. The DJ and producer has toured several cities in the USA and around the world, and during each stop, he has made it a point to make grandiose display of the Haitian flag. The purpose of “#Wherever I Go” was to make a point about the nature of cultural identity, and Michael Brun has turned it into one of the most popular cultural memes of the year.

Haven’t been to Haiti? Well, this might be your chance! CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS and get your #WhereverIGo groove on on the beach in Haiti.

FOLLOW MICHAEL BRUN’S JOURNEY HERE! | CLICK HERE TO BUY THIS SONG FROM ITUNES| FROM SPOTIFY| FROM GOOGLEPLAY

CLICK HERE TO READ OTHER STRAIGHT OUTTA HAITI ARTICLES!

Wonder DJ and uber-producer Michael Brun has always sparked conversations in the music world, whether it’s for his prodigy-skills as a turn-table spinner, or as the founder of Haiti’s much-talked-about beachside festival at Wahoo Bay, or his impressive resume that includes production work for some of the world’s biggest musical acts. Now, he’s getting folks buzzing again, this time about Haitian Heat, his playlist partnership with music giant Spotify that highlights Haitian music and Haiti’s artists. Brun credits Spotify’s Austin Kramer with making the initiative a reality. Join your fave chick Kreyolicious as we get into the workings of what has got to be one of the best promotional opportunities for Haitian music ever. Michael Brun speaks on Haitian Heat!

Kreyolicious: This joint venture with Spotify is more than a major push for Haiti’s music. How did it come about?
I’ve been working closely with Spotify over the last year and they showed a lot of interest in developing some of the projects I had been working on in Haiti. They brought up the chance to create the Haitian Heat playlist and I know it would be an amazing way to promote Haitian culture on an international scale. Also, very importantly, it was a step towards establishing an artist economy around music streaming as Spotify is the largest music streaming service in the world.

Kreyolicious: Before you settled on Haitian Heat, did you consider other names?
It was the first that came to mind and I think it exemplifies the drive and passion that Haitian music is all about.

Kreyolicious: What has the response been so far from the artists involved, Spotify users, and Spotify itself?
Very strong! I’ve gotten really nice messages from some of the artists on the list and that’s been cool to see. Spotify is a big reason for where I am today as an artist so to be able to extend that opportunity to the rest of the Haitian community was very special to me. The fact that the playlist was created, and that it’s the first of its kind as a country specific playlist on the service, is a huge statement from Spotify. This is a testament to their support of Haitian culture.

Kreyolicious: You’ve got so many things going on. You travel and perform a lot…not to mention your responsibilities as owner of Kid Coconut, your own record label. How do you stay grounded and keep a cool head?
I spend a lot of time with family. I also try to remind myself constantly that everything that I’ve received in my life is a gift and that I have to pass on that energy to the people and places around me. I genuinely believe that every action counts and that creating community is the way forward.

At the offices of Billboard magazine!

Kreyolicious: Where do you get your unbelievable drive from?
I think it was a combination of my family, going to military school, and the feeling that I have a responsibility to my country to represent it in the best way possible.

Kreyolicious: What are your parents’ thoughts on your career thus far?
They’ve been extremely supportive of it all and I’m thankful for that.

Kreyolicious: You launched your own beachside festival in Haiti this year. What do you have in store for its return next year?
The first edition of Wherever I Go Beach Fest was amazing and aside from it being my favorite show I’ve ever played at home, we created 33 scholarships for the Artists Institute. We have some really exciting plans for next year that are in the works and I’ll hopefully be bale to reveal more soon.

[Photo Credit: Yasi]

Kreyolicious: What role do you think music can play in Haiti’s tourism sector?
Music is one of the main ways that Haitians have expressed themselves over the course of our history, so I think that developing the culture and arts sector of the country would give us more opportunities to express ourselves in unique ways and share our culture with the world.

Kreyolicious: Do you see Haitian Heat expanding to bigger things?
Definitely and it’s already happening! Stay tuned!

[Main photo Credit: NAFT Photography]

CLICK HERE TO VISIT MICHAEL BRUN’S WEBSITE| CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT HAITIAN HEAT ON SPOTIFY!

The Michael Brun Bayo Little Haiti Block Party is where it’s at! The Little Haiti Cultural Complex to be exact…March 24th, from 6pm-10pm. Acts like DJ Whoo Kid, Zoey Dollaz, Rara Lakay are all set to perform. And arriving directly from Port-au-Prince are Haiti’s very own JPerry, Tonymix, Balalatet, Lakou Mizik. Ada Ayiti is said to also be part of the line-up. Brun has promised lots of other surprises.

Will the Little Haiti Cultural Center be able to hold all this musical madness? Hope so, as the crowd that will be coming out to this event will be vast! While we’re on this subject, I have to say…The Little Haiti Cultural Center is really living up to its name. Bayo!

Michael Brun is truly a musical ambassador for the A-Y-I-T-I. Last year, the uber-producer held a beachfront festival in Haiti, featuring several music acts from the island, in addition to musical acts from all over. He recently worked with One Republic on a remix for that band’s song “Oh My My”, which has yet to be released to the masses. But count on hearing it any day now, and count on it being another listenable hit.

To say that Michael Brun is on a roll is practically an understatement.

Back in February, Brun gave eargasms to everyone with an eardrum with his song “Gaya” created and released for Haiti’s famed carnival. The song’s release was immediately followed by a video that captured modern Haiti and all its beauty and effervescence.

Consistently great musical output, combined with his undeniable talent, and jolly image have made him a favorite of many. He’s in a category of his own making.

The Michael Brun Bayo Little Haiti Block Party is where it’s at! If you’re in Miami, and can make it, be sure to come down. You can use your student loans as an excuse not to come…it’s free!

This has been a special edition of Kreyolicious Music.

Main Photo Credit: Kerby Jean

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT MICHAEL BRUN!

Michael Brun. Say that name in any circle and the words and phrases that get thrown out might include: wonderchild, uber deejay, trendsetter, and musical influencer. Michael Brun fits these descriptions like a built-in light show fits in a DJ Controller set.

Join me, your favorite chick Kreyolicious, as I examine 5 success principles we can Learn from this artist. Let’s get started…

1. Create on a consistent basis and show your work.
And don’t just focus on quality, but quantity as well. Moreover, promote yourself and promote yourself some more. It’s not bragging. You can’t help it if you’re great. Let the whole world know about it. Like. Every. Day.

As an individual living in the 21st Century and as a child of Web 3.0, Michael Brun made use of all the social media platforms and musician-friendly websites available to him. Promoting his tracks regularly on the web helped him catch the eye—or rather the ear—of music fans around the world, not to mention decision makers and major musical artists.
Main Photo: Michael Brun doing his thing at an event. Photo Credit: WorldEye.

2. Age ain’t got nothing to do with nothin’.

So don’t let how young you or or how old you are deter you from your goals, darn it. It’s never too late to learn something new. It’s never too early to get into what you hope to do for the rest of your life. While still in his late teens, the wonderchild had already established himself as a major force in the electronic dance music circuit through his vigorous application of Principle #1. At one point, he was pursuing a medical degree at a major university. He had earned more than half of the credits he needed to graduate. Would it be wise to stop and pursue his greater passion? After weighing the pros and cons, the wonder DJ decided that the answer was in the affirmative. He’s never looked back (maybe to fix his hair).

3. Create relationships and maintain them.
Do you burn your bridges with gasoline or blow them up with TNT? Good luck with that. Actually, you should do your utmost to never to burn your bridges at all. Tread softly on them bridges, chile. For, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing in life—you will require human resources.

Michael Brun let his work speak for himself, and in producing great tracks for people like Aviicii and Mako, he created solid working relationships with them. One good relationship leads to another. When he was orchestrating a festival in Haiti, dozens of big-names wanted to help. Imagine if he had burned these people. I doubt they would have come through for him.

4. Bread down redtape and create your own breakthroughs.
Don’t wait for others to make things happen to you. Red tape is just that…red tape. Kick those doors down (ahem, firmly yet politely). Eliminate barriers (most of which are self-created or imagined anyway by us humans). Michael Brun formed his own record label Kid Coconut to promote and distribute his own music. It’s a fair wager that he’ll sign other artists and musical acts to Kid Coconut.

5. Use any fame or visibility you get for the good of others.
A little good deed ain’t never hurt nobody. It didn’t hurt Michael Brun to give the revenue from the aforementioned beach-side festival to Haiti’s Audio Institute, and towards scholarships for students in Haiti. What’s more, by having the festival in Haiti, rather than…say New York, Los Angeles, or Miami, the artist put the spotlight on Haiti and this resulted in positive news stories about Haiti in high-profile publications including Billboard. In giving back to Haiti’s youth, Michael Brun gave back to Haiti, while winning himself an entire new legion of fans.

Above: Michael Brun and some admirers at a Fashion Ayiti event.

There you have it kreyolicious cheries, the 5 SUCCESS PRINCIPLES WE CAN LEARN FROM MICHAEL BRUN! Which of these principles do you most look forward to applying to your own life? Let me know!

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