WikiMizik? What’s that? If you’ve ever looked up the lyrics to a song in Haitian Creole, the website WikiMizik probably figured on the first page of your search results. Managed by three techies, the site is a lyrical factory of some of the most popular Haitian konpa songs, as well as songs from other musical genres in Haitian music, and by Caribbean artists.

This is the first of three interviews that I will be conducting with the founders of WikiMizik. We will first start by having a discussion with Guignard Vilmar, the industrial engineer and techie and graduate of Florida State University on the Wikimizik team.

Kreyolicious: First things, first. How did the idea for the platform come about?
Throughout our college days friends would always ask what certain words or phrases from songs meant. Then one night someone called me at 2 a.m. asking what a line from a zouk track meant. This call disturbed my sleep, and created a train of thought that would eventually turn into Wikimizik.com The next day, Darryl and I spoke and our conversation led to project wikimizik. As a net junkie, Darryl usually knows what’s already out there. This time, he couldn’t find a site that did what we wanted to do: translate and explain Creole lyrics. So, we researched some more and brought the project to life.

Kreyolicious: Anything about your background…whether educational or work experience that has helped you in running Wikimizik?
My undergraduate degree was in Management Information Systems and a large portion of my course work dealt with computer programming. My very first career job was working as a developer. I think that background helped me design and develop the Wikimizik platform.

Kreyolicious: When did you first realize the website was taking off?
I can think of a few. Someone from New Orleans reached out to us on Facebook asking us to add an explanation for the word “chovi” from one of Belo’s songs. She spoke New Orleans Creole and loved Haitian music. She explained how their Creole is very close to ours, but there were certain words that she couldn’t understand. That made us realize Wikimizik wasn’t just for Haitians and Haitian-Americans. Folks from around the world are eager to understand Haitian lyrics and Haitian Creole. We now have hits from places like Morocco, New Caledonia, Congo, Netherlands, etc.

Another time that comes to mind is when Jean-Winer Pascal created an account and added a song on wikimizik.com. I reached out to the user because of an issue with the lyrics he had added, only to realize he was the Jean-Winer Pascal, writer of several hit songs for Beethova Obas, Emeline Michel and Belo. When we reached out, he didn’t shy away from showing how amazed and appreciative he was for the work we were doing. His words of encouragement boosted us to work even harder.
A year ago, we reached out to Michel Degraff, linguistic professor in MIT and founding member of Akademi Kreyol Ayisyen [Haitian Creole Academy]. We wanted to get his take on the concept. Mr. Degraff was amazed by the large set of searchable Kreyòl lyrics available in the Wikimizik database. Throughout the lunch meeting, he never ceased to reiterate how this idea could contribute to serious academic research. Using our relational database, we’ve now provided Mr. Degraff with several data sets that contribute to his research on the Kreyòl language.

Kreyolicious: What are your favorite lyrics from a Haitian song?
So many great songs to choose from, but if I had to pick one I would say Detripay (wikimizik.com/lyrics?song=251) by BelO. It was co-written by BelO and Jean Winer Pascal. It’s a beautiful poetic description of a sad reality. The metaphors in the lyrics are powerful, and cannot be understood without profound thinking. Every time I listen to this track it solidifies the idea behind the Wikimizik concept. Here’s an excerpt: “Yon kout kleren nou an zig zag/Lavi yon pèp tounen yon blag / Vètij grenpe tèt Maryela / Poto san fil/Jwenn madigra” [A shot of alcohol sends us astray/People’s lives done turned to a big joke/Maryela got vertigo/A street pole with no electrical wires clashed with a Mardi Gras parade]

Kreyolicious: Where do you see Wikimizik five years from now?
In five years, we want the Wikimizik brand to be fully developed and deployed. Wikimizik is more than just a website. We have several key elements that will accompany the site. Among them is the mobile app. It will provide users with some of the same features from the site on mobile devices, but it will also complement Wikimizik with a unique, exciting features. We recently hosted the first Yon Ti Koze Sou Pawòl [A Conversation About Lyrics], a series of panel discussions with artists and thinkers about lyrics and texts. We have several other projects in the pipeline that we can’t share yet. We are so excited for what’s to come!

This concludes PART I of the interview with the Wikimizik team. Be sure to check out PART 2 and PART 3.

Meanwhile, be sure to CLICK HERE to check out the WIKIMIZIK website!

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!

Wikimizik ranks as the fastest-growing Haitian music lyrics sites on the web. Started by two friends Darryl Dieudone and Guignard Vilmar, and later joined by a third entrepreneur Sergio Seide, Wikimizik features lyrics transcriptions of hundreds of Haitian konpa songs. Like its mainstream counterpart RapGenius, Wikimizik is slowly but surely hopping and changing lanes in terms of what it has to offer to users. And like other websites like Pogasa (for Korean pop lyrics), and Don Quijote (Latino music lyrics) that feature non-English lyrical sites, Wikimizik finds itself being very much in demand, and highly-trafficked by users in its niche target market.

Previously, the two original co-founders shared their thoughts about Wikimizik. Now it’s Sergio Seide, the third co-founder, who’s in the hot seat. Sergio contends that he’s been fascinated with how things work ever since he was a little boy. This curiosity led him to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology. When he’s not taking care of Wikimizik business, he works as a Business Systems Analyst at one of the biggest healthcare systems in Florida.

But now on to Wikimizik business…

Kreyolicious: What made you come aboard as a key player in the organization?
Well, for me it was an easy decision. For a long time, I’ve been looking for an opportunity to build something. I’ve had many great ideas, but never made the final push to bring them to life. Once Guignard and Darryl extended the invitation, it was a no brainer. 

Kreyolicious: What advice would you give to teams and partners who are trying to launch?
I think one of the key things is to make sure you do your research. Extensive research is a great way to protect your ideas, time and  money. Also, make sure everything is on paper. Believe in the goals of the company and be committed.

Kreyolicious: Where do you see Wikimizik five years from now?
We’re constantly brainstorming on how to improve and extend the brand. There are so many things in the pipeline. I can’t share them just yet.

Kreyolicious: What’s your favorite song by a Haitian artist…lyrically-speaking?
This is a tough question. I can only list one?

Kreyolicious: Yeah…
My brother is an artist. Would it be biased if it’s one of his songs?

Kreyolicious: Of course not!
My all-time favorite: “Ou se Frè m” [You’re My Bro] by Joel Decat. “Nou pa t sot nan menm ren/ Nou pa t bwè nan menm sen / Nou pa t konn fè menm tyas / Ni pot menm kalbas” [We didn’t come from the same loins/We didn’t get breastfed by the same breasts/We never had the same haircut/Or held out the same cup]. Thank you so much for your time. Not only for this interview, but for what you Kreyolicious is doing for our community.