Wikimizik is what happened when two techies (later joined by a third), with a love of Haitian music, came together. Florida State University graduate Guignard Vilmar, Florida A&M University grad Darryl Dieudonné, and South Florida-educated Sergio Seide are the webpreneurs behind Wikimizik, the fastest growing Haitian music lyrics site on the internet.

There was a previous interview with Vilmar. Now, it’s Boston-bred Darryl Dieudonné’s turn. A self-described “lover of all things konpa”, who will never have enough sòspwa in his system, the one-time public relations student primarily takes care of the communications aspect of Wikimizik.

Kreyolicious: Did you have any educational/work experience that has helped you in running Wikimizik?
My background in storytelling, advertising and branding has been a huge help. Whether it’s designing our logo and identity or coming up with new ways to push our brand. For example, we amplified our launch with “From Hi to I Do”—a short story that uses different songs to propel the narrative.

Kreyolicious: Did you come across any obstacles as you prepared to launch?
Figuring out the technical details of the site’s architecture and functionality gave us a few headaches. We were fortunate to connect with Georges Dugué. With his help, we were able to iron out the kinks. Some lyrics were impossible to decipher and when we’d ask artists to send the text, we’d get a Soundcloud link in our inbox.

Kreyolicious: What sort of feedback have you been getting from users of the platform?
It’s been overwhelmingly positive. People are excited about the platform’s potential and how it puts the focus on the drama in the songs, rather than the drama in the bands.

Kreyolicious: What are your favorite lyrics from a Haitian song?
Nu Look, Souvenirs. When Arly belts out, “Ou se yon istwa, yon istwa ke gòm lavi a pap janm efase menm si ou pa bò kote mwen” [You’re a story that life’s eraser can never erase/Even when you’re not around] I’m usually singing along. Pirogue – “L’Escalier”. This Hans Peters classic distills so much wisdom. These are words to live by: “Tout otan w pa mi, pa jwe ak lavi / W aprann pasyans, aprann lasyans / Dlo lavi ka pouri w, dlo lavi ka beni w. [Don’t mess with life/If you’re not old enough/Learn patience/Learn some science/Life’s water won’t rot you/Life’s water’ll bless you].

Kreyolicious: Do you think Wikimizik has gone as you envisioned it?
Our primary goal is to elevate the conversation and we feel that we’ve been doing just that. We’re able to provide historical and personal context that enrich people’s understanding of their favorite songs.

CHECK OUT THE WIKIMIZIK TEAM AT WORK BY CLICKING HERE TO VISIT THE WIKIMIZIK WEBSITE!

If you’re an entrepreneur, hacker, or consider yourself a techie of any sort, you should make it a point to attend the Miami Caribbean Code, a regional tech summit taking place June 24 in the Miami Design District. Think about it: you’ll have the chance to check out the stunning city of Miami and surrounding areas (say…Little Haiti, Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach), while mingling and networking with business-minded folks.

Check out my interview with Haitian-American entrepreneur Eveline Pierre, one of the co-founders of the event!

Kreyolicious: What made you launch Miami Caribbean Code?
We launched Miami Caribbean Code as we believe the Caribbean and Miami should be cross regional partners and that the technology sector is the best creator of innovation and wealth.

Kreyolicious: Why Miami of all cities?
Miami’s strategic geographic position, has led to it’s title: “Gateway of the Americas”, which includes the Caribbean. In addition, Miami’s demographics has the largest amount of Caribbean nationals and 50% of all households in the State of Florida are headed by a Caribbean national. So, the Caribbean Market is here in South Florida, and the emerging region has great potential for innovation, entrepreneurship and growth.

Kreyolicious: Why do you think technology and technology use is growing so fast in regions of the Caribbean?
Today, technology is affecting every sector of the economy. As an emerging region, the Caribbean has its own unique opportunities to implement technology and innovation that can help foster diversified economic growth in the region. In addition, as other countries experience exponential advancements in technology, there is the urgency within the Caribbean to address the growing digital divide that can impact the regions competitiveness. Technology is now the paintbrush that is changing our society today. In this context, technology is more of a socio-economic tool that can empower the Caribbean community to propel it’s business sectors by becoming producers of innovation rather than just consumers. Technology is providing accessibility to the Caribbean Community to become a stakeholders in it’s economic well being, locally and regionally.

Kreyolicious: Moving forward, do you see Miami Caribbean Code Week having editions in other parts of the Caribbean?
We are planning some announcements during the conference and we definitely believe in cross- border partnerships in the Caribbean region.

Kreyolicious: How can attendees expect to benefit from the conference?
The attendees can expect to gain valuable insights on what the market needs of the region are, and how Tech can facilitate new business opportunities and solutions in the market. Attendees will also benefit from the networking opportunity that can lead to potential regional collaborations.

Check out a snippet from a previous edition in the video below…

Miami Caribbean Code Regional Tech Summit (MC2) from Eveline Pierre on Vimeo.

CLICK HERE to visit the event’s website!

CLICK HERE to keep up with the Miami Caribbean Code on Facebook!

CLICK HERE to purchase your ticket to the event!