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A 100% Lakay Pap Jazz for 2025

On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, the Haïti Jazz Foundation officially announced the launch of the 18th edition of Pap Jazz during a press conference with festival partners, such as the Canadian Embassy, represented by H.E. Mr. André François Giroux, the French Embassy represented by H.E. Mr. Antoine Michon, the Spanish Embassy represented by H.E. Mr. Marco Peñin Toledano, and the Mexican Embassy, represented by Mr. Jesús Cisneros, Chargé d’Affaires ad hoc of Mexico in Haiti. The Bank of the Republic of Haiti, represented by Mr. Rotchild Jean François Junior and Mrs. Stéphanie St Louis from the Direction of Artistic and Literary Creation, Ministry of Culture and Communication, Mr. Joel Widmaier, Artistic Director of the festival, along with the General Director of the Haïti Jazz Foundation, took the time to explain the details of this 18th edition, including the logistical complexities involved in organizing the festival this year due to the country’s precarious security situation. This edition will take place from March 20 to 22, 2025, across four venues: Quartier Latin, the Brazil-Haïti Cultural Center, the French Institute in Haiti, and the Karibe Hotel.

Montreal celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of King Coupé Cloué and Queen Celia Cruz

The Légendaires collective, based in Montreal, announces the celebration and commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the births of Coupé Cloué and Celia Cruz, born on May 16th for Coupé Cloué and October 21st for Celia Cruz. This highly deserved gesture of appreciation for these two major figures of Caribbean music is a demonstration of the bright legacy they left behind after their time on this earth. When referring to their contributions to the musical world and the magnificent symbolism their voices represent for their respective countries, this commemoration is indeed an opportunity to celebrate their identity alongside their music. The main events scheduled for this commemoration will take place on February 28th, May 10th, and October 18th. The event on February 28th at the Maison d’Haïti located at #3245, Émile-Journault Avenue will mark the launch of the celebrations honoring both artists. There will also be a Gala on May 10th in honor of King Coupé and October 18th in honor of the Cuban Queen.

Emeline Michel, the diva of Haitian music

Emeline Michel was born on March 21, 1966 in Dubedou, a small town located in the 5th communal section of Gonaïves, the city of Haitian independence. Both a singer and composer, today her influence transcends and goes beyond the borders of Haïti and the French-speaking world. After starting secondary studies at the Lycée Louis Diaquoi commonly known as the Lycée de jeunes filles des Gonaïves, she entered Port-au-Prince, at one point, to continue her studies at the Collège St Pierre de Port-au-Prince. It was in the Haitian capital, more precisely at the Baptiste de Bolosse church, that her talent was discovered and supported by religious leaders, who offered her scholarships to study music. It is his steps that will be the basis of his exceptional musical career, placing his name among the proudest Haitians and alongside the greatest names in Haitian music, such as Lionel Benjamin, Beethova Obas and Yole Dérose his mentor.

Mache Ayisyen: An Initiative by Phanord Cabé to Boost Haitian National Production

Local trade in Haiti, while rich in diversity and potential, faces numerous challenges, including the low visibility of local producers and the lack of adequate infrastructure for marketing their products. This includes the massive influx of products from foreign countries, which unfairly overwhelms the small Haitian market with very poor-quality products. It is in this context that Phanord Cabé, CEO of the online media Hebdo24, unveiled his ambitious project, "Mache Ayisyen." It is a digital platform dedicated to the promotion and sale of local Haitian products. Scheduled for launch in April 2025, Mache Ayisyen aims to connect Haitian producers and consumers through an online platform. The objective is clear: to encourage the consumption of local products while providing much-needed visibility to the country’s small businesses. By focusing on the growth of local commerce, this initiative could be a catalyst for boosting the Haitian economy.

Edikanèt, a Digital Initiative in Favor of Haitian Creole

Edikanèt is an association dedicated to education in the Haitian Creole language on the Internet. Founded in 2019 at Lycée Toussaint Louverture, the organization works to promote, recognize, and use Haitian Creole in all educational, social, and institutional spaces in the country. It was created by three young activists committed to this cause: Luc Cadet FIGARO, Alan Joe JEAN, and Marcus JUSMA. From the beginning, Edikanèt set itself key goals: promoting education in Creole across all regions of Haiti; creating educational materials in Creole; fighting against linguistic discrimination toward Creole speakers; and elevating Creole as a language of instruction, culture, and prestige. This initiative was born out of awareness of the persistent marginalization of Haitian Creole in Haitian society. Their most recent major initiative was a quiz competition held in July 2025, focused on general knowledge—such as Haitian history, geography, culture, mathematics, Creole grammar, and other subjects related to learning in Creole. The winner, Roobens D. Victor, came out first among 113 participants.

Pap Jazz 2025, a Celebration of Haiti’s Great Musical Richness

On Sunday, April 6, 2025, the Karibe Convention Center in Juvenat transformed into a true cultural temple to close the 18th edition of the Port-au-Prince International Jazz Festival (PAPJAZZ). This year, the festival took place under the evocative theme "PAP JAZZ it UP", and it was held in three sites primarily located in the Pétion-Ville commune. The festival took place entirely at these wonderful musical venues: a reference was made to the Latin Quarter, the Haiti-Brazil Cultural Center, and the Karibe Hotel. Due to the deteriorating situation in downtown Port-au-Prince in recent times, the French Institute site had to be abandoned by the festival organizers. Nevertheless, we can absolutely call this 18th edition of Pap Jazz a success. Indeed, this festival, now a major event of the Haitian year, was especially marked this year by the great resilience and determination of the organizers who were able to adapt to the country’s rhythm in order to satisfy their loyal festival-goers. Despite the difficult context, these festival-goers did not miss the opportunity to escape their harsh daily lives through music. It’s also important to note that this 18th edition of Pap Jazz took place after two postponements, at the very beginning of this year, with the last one occurring in March due to insecurity. In this regard, it is appropriate to call the monumental achievement of the Haïti Jazz Foundation and their partners an exceptional feat, as they were not discouraged and showed remarkable tenacity, while adapting to offer Port-au-Prince and its surroundings this moment of growth, beyond the city’s great sorrow, through music.

The Haitian Revolution: A MAJOR Event in History

With the arrival of Christopher Columbus in Haïti in 1492, life on this small piece of peaceful territory would radically change into the most sinister chaos. Experiencing a major dive into crime, and the darkest barbarity, known as slavery. The arrival of black people captured in Africa, violently crossing the Atlantic to end up on Haitian soil, is part of this tragic story. The Amerindians (the first inhabitants of Haiti) having suffered a large-scale genocide, under the weight of European slavery, were unable to resist and were replaced by these Africans, who centuries later would arrive to put an end to this shameful system, through an unparalleled revolution.

Anténor Firmin, the genius of the 19th century Haitian

Joseph-Auguste Anténor Firmin was born on October 28, 1850 in Cap-Haïtien, in a Haïti recently emancipated from the colonial yoke, he died on September 19, 1911 at the age of 60 in exile. He is undoubtedly one of the most emblematic intellectual figures of his time. His life, marked by an exceptional career in the political, literary and diplomatic fields, illustrates the genius of a Haitian intellectual whose contributions have left an indelible mark on history.

Port-au-Prince Book Fair: Triumph of books in the Haitian capital

The second edition of the Port-au-Prince Book Fair is scheduled for Friday, December 13, 2024, at the premises of the French Institute in Haiti, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. "Politics, dictatorship and literature in Haiti" is the theme chosen for this second edition. "We chose this theme because of the senior authors who should be with us for this edition. These themes are very present through their works," Emmanuel Pacorme, general coordinator of the organization behind the fair, told us. Indeed, this great literary celebration, which is mainly for the benefit of young authors, will be delighted with the presence of three of the greatest contemporary Haitian writers, a reference to the immortals Marc Exavier, Évelyne Trouillot and Dédé Dorcely.