When Paul Clammer was initially commissioned to write a Haiti edition of the famous Bradt Travel Guides, things were looking somewhat promising, but not altogether bright for Haiti tourism. It was the early 2010s, and Haiti had just gone through a catastrophic earthquake. A few years later, not only are there more than one bright spots on the Haiti tourism horizon, but Clammer is writing an updated version of his book.

Kreyolicious: Ooh, I see that the ​new cover features a lady in traditional costume, whereas the first edition showed a young boy at the beach, with a canoe on deck. Does this mean that the new edition will be more culture-focused?

We had various photographers pitch images to us for the cover, and this was the cover that got picked from the shortlist! It’s a discussion between the editors, the marketing people and myself. The main idea for the cover of the first edition was to announce that despite certain media preconceptions, Haiti is a really beautiful country that happens to be in the Caribbean – a really beautiful part of the planet. So let’s highlight that! This time around the book is established, and maybe the idea of travel to Haiti is a little more established too, so we can approach it more like a regular travel guide.

As to having a more of a focus on culture, I’ve tried to continue what we started in the last edition and make the content deeper. The book’s bibliography has a lot more Haitian writers in it this time around, and we’ve got shout-outs to lots of things like Plezikanaval and Carel Pedre to why kremas is such a popular drink. Hopefully all those little things add up to make the book stronger.

Above: Paul Clammer in Haiti.

Kreyolicious: What are some of the feedback that you received for the first?

I think a lot of people were surprised just to see it to be honest! Even when I was researching the first edition I don’t think a lot of people I met thought the book was going to be a real thing. So getting any feedback at all was nice! But I think the best reaction has been that the book has somehow been part of the narrative that Haiti can be a genuine travel destination now. We hear a lot from the Ministry of Tourism of course, but having a guidebook publisher come along completely independently is a bit of extra recognition. A number of times I was at a hotel or guesthouse and the manager told me that they’d had bookings because people have read about them in my book. Being able to direct readers to new places or experiences is my favourite part of writing guidebooks. If people go and have a good time, support those businesses and put money into the local economy, that’s a pretty virtuous travel circle as far as I’m concerned.

Above: The author tries on a carnival mask in Jacmel. Photo Credit: Paul Clammer.

Kreyolicious: I remember the last time I interviewed you, if I remember correctly, you said that Jacmel is your fave spot in Haiti. Is that still the case? Or has another area in Haiti stolen that honor?

Jacmel remains somewhere very close to my heart! What I particularly loved about my visit this time was seeing how it’s developed in the last few years in terms of facilities for visitors. The new boardwalk along the seafront is a delight, there are all the mosaics dotted around the town, the tourist information office, new restaurants and bars. And it was great to see a new local tour company, Experience Jacmel running really professional trips – everything from food tours to getting to paint your own papier-maché carnival mask.

Above: The cover of the upcoming guide, second edition. Image Credit: Bradt Travel Guide.

Kreyolicious: Your first foray into Haiti when you were writing a dual guide to Haiti and the Dominican Republic. And then, of course there was the first edition of your book. Was your approach be different this time around…in terms of information gathering?

No. It’s more about building on the existing book really. I was pretty pleased with what I’d written when it first came out, so this trip was about testing in the field – what stands up, what needs to change. For example, the book had quite a lot of historic sites listed in the north, especially near Cap-Haitien. But when I was there a for the update I realized that they were strewn throughout the text in a way that made them quite hard to find. So I’ve reorganised it all completely and added a new map that highlights them all to make it easier to access. So if people are in Cap they’ll know that you can make some pretty interesting day trips and not just go and see the Citadelle and think, well – what now?

Kreyolicious: You’re based in Britain. Do you think that Londoners are keen to Haiti at this point, the way they were during what historians called Haiti’s golden age?

I’m going to be honest – Haiti isn’t really on the UK’s radar all that much, although Haiti did open an embassy in London a couple of years ago. However, the British travel market has long been pretty good at recognizing new destinations, and there are several companies there selling Haiti as a cultural or adventure travel destination. I actually ran into a tour group while I was in Port-au-Prince. They were having a great time but were actually starting and finishing their trip in Santo Domingo, because flight connections from the UK to Haiti usually involve an awkward layover in Miami or New York.

Kreyolicious: For sure…Out of all the touristic developments that have taken place in the past year, which do you feel is the most conducive to Haiti tourism.

I’m going to take my hat off to the Ministry of Tourism here. They’ve done a great job marketing Haiti. But from the perspective of someone who has worked in the travel industry a long time, what impressed me most was that this hasn’t just been a cute line for social media, they’re trying to follow it up with real action on the ground. The travel industry in Haiti is professionalizing in a way that’s very heartening to see. Obviously, there are the international brands like Marriott, Best Western and Decameron who have decided that Haiti is somewhere worth investing, but in terms of logistics and infrastructure there have been some big concrete improvements.

This also filters down to the roots. I mentioned the tour company I spent time with in Jacmel. At the end of my time with them, they gave me a questionnaire and as well as asking me what I liked. They asked what they got wrong and how they could change that. They weren’t content just to rest on their laurels, they wanted to improve their business so they could grow it. Another example is in Dondon. It’s not a town a lot of people go to, but they’ve got some really interesting caves with Taino carvings. So some people got together and formed a local tourist association so they could get organised to attract visitors so that those assets benefit the whole community. They weren’t waiting for the tourism minister to give them their blessing or for an NGO to come and do some capacity building, they just went ahead and set it up themselves. I was thrilled to be able to write about them in the new guidebook.

[Photo Credit: All photos by Paul Clammer, unless otherwise noted.]

CLICK HERE TO VISIT PAUL CLAMMER’S WEBSITE! CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER HIS HAITI TRAVEL GUIDE!

What has Paul Beaubrun been up to? Answering that question with the word, “plenty” would certainly do that question justice. But there must be a more splashy adjective to convey the degree of achievements he’s been piling up of late. For starters, he’s been performing on stages with artists he grew up listening to and admiring—artists like Lauryn Hill, Jackson Browne, Sheryl Crow, Arcade Fire, Brad Paisley and David Byrne. There’s a collaboration with Artists for Peace and Justice on an album that includes Jackson Browne, Jon Russell, Jonathan Wilson and Raul Rodriguez. That is to say nothing of his recent album Vilnerab that was released last year, and that topped iTunes’ World Music category.

Photo Credit: Paul Beaubrun…freestyle…John Midley

And if you aren’t out of breath by now, there’s also the award nomination for The Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Sound/Composition for the play ESPOIR/ESPWA–earned alongside collaborator Tamsir Seck. Oh, and the live performance on the highly-rated entertainment news show “Hollywood Live”, a platform that Haiti’s artists rarely get access to.

At the moment, the singer who’s also the founder Zing Experience—a reggae/roots band—is working on his next musical project—a set of songs in Creole and in English. He hopes to release it “soon”, though from the accelerated speed things are going for him, “soon” may mean next year.

Above: Paul Beaubrun as captured by David Belle.

Kreyolicious: When you look back at your life so far, is there anything you wish you had done differently?
Absolutely nothing. I believe everything that you do, that happens to you, the choices you make–are all for a reason. I don’t believe in regret or to look back and wish anything had been done differently. You learn from it all. And, you always have a choice–maybe not in what happens, but always in how you handle it and what you do with the teachings. I am always thankful, regardless of whether anything is perceived as good or bad. To me, life is about learning and growing and to truly be successful you only need to be appreciative and constantly focus on your goals. Doing that, you can achieve anything.

Photo Credit: Paul Beaubrun showing off some on-stage energy. Kafe Photo

Kreyolicious: It’s rare to see a photo of you without you having a guitar on hand. Which guitarists have influenced your style?
There are so many it’s hard to name them all and feel as though I am doing them justice. Off the top of my head; Jimi Hendrix, Santana, B.B. King and Eric Clapton have had major influences on my sound.

Kreyolicious: What do you feel is the best track you’ve ever recorded in your life?
Similar to my guitars, it is impossible for me to single out any one song. They are all special to me for different reasons. I guess it may also be a personality trait of mine. I don’t think that way about anything, I don’t ever create a hierarchical system or put more meaning on one thing over another; it’s just not how I live or how I think. Every song, like every guitar, holds meaning for me. I can say that recently the song “Ayizan” was very much in my thoughts, as it was sung by a good friend of mine, Eric Charles, who passed away. It will always remind me of him. May he rest in peace.

Photo Credit: There’s no better friend than one’s guitar. Kafe Photo

Kreyolicious: You have currently on tour. How do you stay sane between the airplane climbs, and stage performances, and the like?
Ah yes, touring can definitely be tough. I am grateful to have been exposed to it young with my parents. I think often times musicians who were not exposed young get a bit of a shock when they begin touring because it is so demanding. Demanding on your body, your mind, everything. Way more then anyone really knows until they are in it.
I make sure that I eat properly. I try and run every day when I can. I meditate as often as possible and I keep in close contact with my family. I think that is probably the most important thing to do. When you are on tour, life is crazy, and in order to succeed you need to have your family there to keep you sane and support you.

Kreyolicious: Is there anyone you haven’t collaborated with that you’d like to team with for a song?
That’s a tough question. Some of my greatest idols have unfortunately passed away—[Jimmy] Hendrix, Prince, Bob Marley, B.B. King, and so on—but there are others like Eric Clapton with whom I would love to play with some day. I am so blessed and honored to already be playing with great Rock and Roll hall of Fame musicians like Jackson Browne and Sheryl Crow. It’s truly a dream come true. I remain open to anything and anyone who crosses my path. I think that any collaboration of musicians can create incredible music and can lead to truly musical nirvana. My goal in life is to spread my sound, to always be collaborating with other musicians and making music for the people.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE ARTIST’S WEBSITE!| CHECK OUT PAUL BEAUBRUN ON TWITTER

Girls like Liz Paul weren’t supposed to grow up to be savvy business women running retail empires. If anything, they’re supposed to be unstable adult wards of the state. Growing up in Florida as the neglected daughter of a business woman and an artist, Liz Paul recalls that she often had to fend for herself and her siblings. She beat statistics, and is the proud owner of the wildly successful retail shoe empire, U.B.U Shoes.

The business woman’s success can be partly attributed to her tenacity when it comes to taking note of neglected markets. Paul often noticed that the bigger shoes sizes get, the less stylish they tend to be. So in addition to smaller sizes, her self-honed shoe retailer also sells affordable yet trendy shoes for women whose shoe size is above a size 8.

In addition to running U.B.U. Shoes, Paul runs Simply U.B.U—which sells trendy clothing for women.

Kreyolicious: At a young age, you had to fend for yourself and take care of your siblings. I know I’ve read stories where a person would be given huge responsibilities at a young age, and become resentful as a result. Did you have to deal with that? Feeling that you had to grow up too quickly??

I was very resentful and mad at the world. At a young age, my parents left me which caused a very strained relationship with them. It caused me to be mad and happy at the same time. Not only did I have to take care of my siblings—who still live with me today, but I had businesses that I had to learn and operate. I had to learn to drive at the age of 13 so that I could get my little brothers to and from school. I can even remember forging documents just so that I could make deposits in the bank; these were responsibilities that were forced upon me. It’s sad, because I look back and I didn’t learn how to ride a bicycle until two years ago—something that most kids learn at an early age. In fact, my daughter is the reason that I learned to ride a bike. I didn’t want my daughter to learn how to ride a bike before me, and she still learned a day early. My parents were so business oriented and into that life. My father was a musician, and was never around and my mom owned her own businesses and centered her life on that and money. At an early age, I became disconnected from my biological parents. Business is all that I know. The man I considered by father owned three boats that imported and exported goods to and from Haiti and Florida. My little brother was very sickly from the day he was born and because everyone was so concerned with their own lives, I had to raise him myself.

Kreyolicious: How’d you overcome all of this?

In order to overcome everything and deal with it, I just learned to get over it. When I look at my brothers and my daughter, I’m proud and it just makes me smile and makes everything worth it. I made many mistakes on my journey. I didn’t have a roadmap, I just created it as I went along. I’m proud to say that both of my boys—my brothers—graduated and went to college and my daughter is 10 going on 30. As far as my parents and everything that they put me through, I wish them the best. I pray for them daily. I don’t want to block my blessings by being angry.

Kreyolicious: You went through a depression at one point. What helped you go through those rough times?

Two things…My daughter and my boys—brothers. They don’t have anyone else, only me and after my dad died (not her biological father), that’s when I went into depression. My daughter’s nanny took my daughter away for 3-6 months because I just couldn’t function. At that time, I had a job that paid $80,000 a year, and I lost it because I couldn’t go to work or eat. Luckily, I had enough in my savings to get by and to continue to put my daughter through school. But, being depressed is an understatement! Though he wasn’t my biological father, it felt like he was and he has been a rock and strong and positive figure in my life. To lose that, was devastating.

The second thing that helped me get through was thinking of my dad always saying, “Manje. Manje. Manje”—which means eat, eat, eat. I remember that no matter what was going on, he would tell us that, he meant it literally and he meant it figuratively, but thinking about it definitely helped me and to this day gets me through. Every time I get down I think about that literally and think about his drive and hustle and how hard he went for us every day!

Kreyolicious: As you built your business, were there times when you felt that maybe it wasn’t mean to be? How did you get through those times?

I originally started my company off with a business partner. However, I saw very early on that we had two different visions. My main priorities were growth, branding and helping women that felt like they had to be accepted through society by being fashion forward and trendy. I wanted to do it for that girl who felt she needed to spend her entire check, or forgo paying her light bill to fit in—whether it be to buy Christian Louboutin or whatever. So my whole point was to make sure all women felt beautiful, good and trendy without having to sacrifice so much. I just wanted all women to be themselves at any budget. However, my business partner didn’t see it that way. She was more, “Let’s make money and pocket it”. So when the opportunity arose, I bought my partner out, and it was definitely one of the hardest decisions that I’ve ever had to make. When I was contemplating doing it, I got on my knees and prayed for weeks, “Dear God please give me a sign you want me to do this.” It’s crazy because one day all the resources became available to me, and available to me for free! Everything I wanted and needed to make UBU Shoes a success on my own! It was if nothing could go wrong and God just opened every door.

Above: A sampling of some of the merchandise sold by U.B.U. Shoes.

Kreyolicious: What would you say to someone who’s trying to build a business, but who has personal problems to deal with that keep on getting in the way?

One thing about me is that I’m a runner. If I don’t feel something is right, I run. But nothing will stop me from doing what I want. What I want people to understand is that personal issues will arise. But you have to ask yourself, “What’s more important?” What you want for yourself or the negative things? It gets tiring, but you have to dig deep and find out what’s important to you. Exclude everything that prevents you from being Number One.

Kreyolicious: Where do you draw your strength from?

I would be lying to you if I said some days weren’t easier or harder than others. I’m not a failure; I’m a go-getter. So failure is not an option. If I have to do things, I get them done. My dad never lost. So my goal every day is to make my dad proud and live how he taught me. When I’m tired and can’t go on anymore, that’s when I dig deeper and keep going. I’m always on go-mode.

Kreyolicious: How do you stay connected to Haiti?

My dad is originally from Saint-Louis-du-Nord. To be honest, I have not been back to Haiti since my dad passed. I never had a need or want when he was around; I vacationed at Coco Beach, Haiti; Labadee, Haiti and the Citadel in Haiti. My dad was very prominent. When I retire, I want to buy a big house in Haiti. But to be honest, I’m scared. I’m scared that when I touch down at the airport, my dad won’t be there to pick me up and I don’t know how I can deal with that. My boys brothers frequent Haiti all the time. In fact, I sponsored a trip for the oldest in January where he stayed until June. I support him and his endeavors to follow my dad’s footsteps in the import-export business. I physically want to go back. Haiti made me whole. When I think about it, it may be the void I’m missing. But I don’t want to breakdown. Nevertheless, I have plans to go back. I send stuff back such as clothes, shoes, money, all the time. However, I know the moment I put my foot back there, I can make a difference—especially in the Cap-Haitien area. But my dad is the only thing that is stopping me from physically going there. I love Haiti.

Kreyolicious: You’re a single mom, a friend and a business owner. What do you do to keep everything balanced out?

I make sure that I make time for my family first and foremost. My daughter is always first priority. But it’s about being balanced and making time.

Kreyolicious: If you could give Kreyolicious readers some tips about handling money and finances, what would it be?

Currently, I’m reading The Richest Man in Babylon. In fact, I’m on the last chapter. One of the key themes in the book is to build a lean first. This means you start off small, take 10% of your income or salary and put it away—as if it never existed. When that number is what you want, invest it. Make sure you’re investing with a person that specializes in the field that you’re trying to get into. Make sure you invest in something you truly believe in—and make it work for you. You always want to be better than last year. An example can be with Christmas. Were you struggling last year and are you still struggling this year to get gifts for everyone? If so, you’re doing something wrong. If you feel you’re headed backwards, start small and start saving for your savings or for a rainy day. Once you have enough to invest, you need to re-invest. Your job won’t make you rich, but investing will—real estate, property, stock, insurance, business, etc. Re-invest, invest and re-invest.

Kreyolicious: Sounds good to me…What’s next for you?

I want to continue building U.B.U Shoes and telling my story. I strongly believe that if I can do it, anyone can. I know everyone has obstacles…ups and downs. I get it. My mom gave me up for money at one time! I remember she gave me condoms to go sleep with men for money. When I refused, she took away everything and disowned me. I had no money, no phone, no place to live, nothing. So, if I can come back from a situation like that and get this far and raised a child and raised my brothers at such a young age, anyone can. I’m 30 and I’ve experienced more than a sixty-year-old, and I still have more experiencing to do. I just hope I can motivate someone to do something they thought they couldn’t do—and help motivate them to follow all of their dreams.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT UBU SHOES|

Welcome dearest readers to another edition of the Haitian Book Club, where we spotlight a book about Haiti, written by Haitians or written about Haiti.

Today’s book selection is Of Rice and Blood, by Paul Anvers (Harcourt and Brace, 144pp) and translated by translation genius Carrol F. Coates (the original title was Rizières de Sang).

Of Rice and Blood takes us in Haiti in the early 1990s. The opening setting is the little town of Jean-Denis where Jacques Rameau, an agronomist and Marlène Auguste, a schoolteacher, find themselves part of a barricade-filled, tire-burning, curfew-setting, coup d’etat filled world. Marlène’s father has been murdered because of his political leanings, and after successfully hitching a ride with the agronomist Jacques, the life of Marlène and her mother Lisemène alter drastically.

Although he works in the humble hills of Jean-Denis, Jacques belongs to Haiti’s aristocracy in Port-au-Prince, in a family who for generations have thrived on marrying foreigners. From the beginning, when Jacques begins to throw Marlène furtive glances after rescuing her and her mother from paramilitary men hunting them, one knows that if this develop in a full-pledged relationship, things will not be easy.

And they aren’t, not just where their love is concerned, but with everything. The army pursuing Marlène’s family, eventually have its way with most of her family members, and Matthieu, the newly-wed brother of Jacques and his photographer-wife Judith will become preys too.

Of Rice and Blood captures the paranoia, the uncertainty and the violence of a particularly tumultuous period in the history of Haiti. In the back notes of the novel, it is indicated that at one point Jonathan Demme had optioned the novel. Hopefully one day, there is a film version.