Haiti-based singer Rutshelle Guillaume performed at Maiwan Productions’ Festivale Mondiale De Musique in Montreal, Canada this past weekend. The singer performed songs from her album Emotions for her fans in Montreal.

Angelo Dèyè, Beaudin Clarens and Sébastien Roc, known collectively as AyitiMakaya—designed this dress for the singer—worn for her final performance.

The singer wore this black bodycon dress and sported her trademark buzz cut.

Also performing during the three day festival were other women performers from the African Diaspora, Kertha Georges, Joyce, Nancy Ann, Danielle Thermidor, Naila, Marlene N’garo, Queen Beez, MivYv, Mouna, and Tatie Rebecca.

What time is it? It’s time for me to sit down and watch a music video by a Haitian artist. Today’s treat: Haiti-based singer Rutshelle Rendez-Vous Au Sommet.

The music video, directed by Abdias Laguerre and edited by Oriol Variela, opens up with a shot of the songstress crouched on the tip of a valley. Slowly, she rises, and at first it’s unclear if we’re viewing her face or something else. She’s looking ahead. Her face is neither joyful, nor particularly sad. She’s staring wide into the horizons…what is she seeing exactly? Not the past, not exactly the future…but what’s in front of her right now. The expression on her face makes you feel like she’s blocked all distractions, she’s deaf to everything within her hearing.

The singer Rutshelle is dressed like a warrior. But she’s not going to take part in some physical war. She looks too glamorous for that…with her beaded forehead jewelry, her long velvety black dress with the tufted sleeves, and dangling earrings. Her lips are pursed up in dark burgundy red.
Lesson: Some of the biggest battles in this life aren’t fought with swords, machetes, Magnums, or weapons of mass destruction. They can be fought with smiles, with a firm head, and a indomitable spirit.

Arrows seem to be flying everywhere, hurled by hands unseen. On each arrow, there’s a vituperative word. Each more insulting, revolting, demeaning than the last one.

Lesson: People can place labels on you. You can try to brush them off, and they’ll still persist. They can throw discouragement your way. What matters is that you stay focused. Duck past the labels people try to impose on you. They can define you only if you let them.

In the next shot, the singer bounces down a desolate road with skimpy shorts, long, thick braids. She’s jaunty, radiant, and carefree.

A smile decorates her face.

Wearing a skintight romper, she bounces through valleys and peaks. These valleys and peaks are undoubtedly the ups and downs thrown her way, and in our way as women. But she rummages through them effortlessly.

Lesson: A subtle piece of advice to all of us perhaps? You’re walking, you do your best not to dip your feet in quicksand, but even in daylight you may not always control where your steps land. The essential thing to do is to give your best strides, to thread lightly—but firmly.

Then the singer reaches the peak of the valley. She’s dancing…she’s bouncing…she’s joined by several other women who help her celebrate her feat.

Lesson: Your victory is not too far behind. Yes, not too far behind. You can either let others bring you down or you can make the choice to uplift yourself. If you focus on the victory, all the thorns you meet on the way won’t matter.

You can watch the video below…

This has been another music video watching episode from your favorite chick Kreyolicious. Until next time.

With her head shaved, Haiti-singer Rutshelle Guillaume defies beauty standards and mane-growing expectations. Listen, she’s not conventional by the thesaurus definition of the word. Last year when she released her debut album, she wore a robe with symmetrical designs for a music video for “Kite’m Kriye”, one of the songs on her album. Her full lips, painted with fuschia lipstick, mouthed the empowering lyrics, while she stared boldly at her reflection in the mirror.

So, without further ado, here is singer Rutshelle Guillaume discussing music, Haiti’s music scene, and dating Roody Roodboy, an artist who’s also based in Haiti. Read on…

K. St. Fort: The last time we did an interview, you had just released your album. What’s up with the album?
My first album—which is calledEmotions—has been really working. I have a great connection with my fans, especially when I play live. It is always almost a shock when they started signing every word of my song which is a great feeling. I cannot complain [about] how my album is working out here. I am grateful.

K. St. Fort: Do you already have another album on the horizon?
I am still pushing my first album, but I am now working on my next one. I am working with some great people so I can deliver a great product.

K. St. Fort: You had said that you didn’t participate in the writing and composing of the Emotions album. Will things be different the next time around?
No. I did participate greatly in my first album. Text arrangements, lyrics, melody etc…of course with the help of people like BIC and Poppy Duverne ect… As for the next album, so far, I have a song that I wrote called “Pa kite mounn yo” [Don’t Let Those Folks]. I cannot wait to share it with my fans. I will be more present in the next project so my fans can have the best of me.

K. St. Fort: Are you happy pretty much with the way your career is going?
I am very happy with career and where I am in life. I have encountered some obstacles but I will never allow the mosquito kill the elephant. I try to take any negative and turn it into a positive outcome in order to move forward.

K. St. Fort: How’s the entertainment scene in Haiti right now?
We have high and low seasons in this business. One has to find a way during slow season to stay relevant as an artist…making videos, having a collaboration in order to avoid getting hit by the slow season.

Right: The singer in top form. [Photo Credit: Jumenes Mike Coreus/Dezobri]

K. St. Fort: If you were to make a list of five people who’ve helped you advance in your career, who would figure on the list?
Oh, I have more than just five…and they all know who they are and what they did for me. They do know how grateful I am too.

K. St. Fort: You had said in your last interview that you didn’t feel a particular camaderie with the other female singers? What about now, do you still feel that way?
Well, I work with a lot of young artists like myself. It is hard to have all of them as friends. But I can count on one hand the very few I can call “friends”. The very few ones I can actually call “friend”, I would not trade them for anything.

K. St. Fort: When someone examines your presence on the internet, they can observe that you share a great deal of your personal life. From what you can see and have observed, what are the plus and minuses of doing so?
I never wanted to make my private life public. It just happened. As an artist, you might try the best you can to be private,[but] a part of your life will be exposed…somehow.

K. St. Fort: Out of all the relationships you’ve had in your life, which has been the best and which has hurt you the most?
My best relationship is obviously the one I am in right now [with Roody Roodboy]. If I am not longer with an ex, it’s because things didn’t work out. I don’t dwell on anything. Everything that happens in my life is a lesson–not a regret.

K. St. Fort: Have you ever been in an abusive relationship, whether physically or mentally?
Fortunately, no. I have not been exposed to anything [like that].

K. St. Fort: In the life of any entertainer, there’s difficult moments. What’s the most trying moment you’ve had to endure?
Not that I haven’t had trials and tribulations…luckily, I always get up and keep fighting. I’ve never had a catastrophe happen for it to mark me. I let go and let God [handle it].

K. St. Fort: What would you say to someone who’s new to the scene, on how to handle being an artist?
It’s a tough world out there. People will try to block you out [of] fear. They will come at you. Don’t let them take you down. Keep your focus. Remember why you entered this business. Always remember your purpose. It will keep you going.

K. St. Fort: What would the Rutshelle of today tell the Rutshelle of yesterday in terms of being a celebrity?
They’ll say good things about you. They’ll say bad things about you. What matters is that they’re talking about you. People will talk, let them. Don’t lose focus.

Above: The singer dons a pose. [Photo Credit: Jumenes Mike Coreus/Dezobri]

K. St. Fort: God forbid, but if you were to die tonight, what would you feel the proudest about…what would you feel is your ultimate legacy?
Being a great mother…That is really my proudest achievement. My daughter has allowed me to be such a better human, a better woman, just better.

K. St. Fort: What are some of the things you’re hoping to accomplish in your career and in your life overall in the next five years?
Work on my second album. I would like for my music to go further and for me to be able to tour internationally.

[Main photo credit: Jumenes Mike Coreus/Dezobri]
CLICK HERE TO VISIT RUTSHELLE GUILLAUME’S WEBSITE | RUTSHELLE GUILLAUME ON INSTAGRAM | RUTSHELLE GUILLAUME ON TWITTER

Haiti diva Rutshelle performed in the Congo this week. The singer has fans everywhere, it seems! Prior to her trip to the Congo, the singer rehearsed nonstop at a musical studio in order to give her fans on that side of Africa to very best of herself.

Here is the singer as she arrives in the Congo.

While she was there, the singer-songwriter was courted by Congo media. Here she is formally launching her latest album Rebelle to host Mori Tore of Radio Africa, one of the continent’s widest-reaching media outlet.

The singer gladly performed selections past and present from her repertoire.

Here she is setting the stage afire…

Of course, it wasn’t just performances after performances.

The singer took the time to visit some cultural sites in the Congo. Here she is posing next to a lion monument while exploring Pointe-Noire, a cultural city in the Congo.

And there was also time to nurture the sisterhood. Here is the singer again with Veeby, an artist from Cameroon.

Rebelle was released in late summer, and contains 11 full tracks. In addition to her own album, Rutshelle can be heard as part of a duo on the Kai album, the group launched by former Carimi member Rich Cave.

CLICK HERE to purchase Rutshelle’s album. Remember to leave some reviews on Amazon to help other music lovers find it.

CLICK HERE to read other articles about Haiti diva Rutshelle.

CLICK HERE to read other articles in the STRAIGHT OUTTA HAITI series, brought to you by your fave chick Kreyolicious.