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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260212
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260330
DTSTAMP:20260421T135919
CREATED:20260124T002642Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260303T173528Z
UID:18008-1770854400-1774828799@haiticulturalx.org
SUMMARY:Vizyon Atistik: JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval
DESCRIPTION:“I think we all wear some kind of mask. There are masks that shield us from others\, but there are masks that embolden us\, and you see that in carnival. The shiest child puts on a mask and can do anything and be anybody.” \n— Edwidge Danticat\, quoted from the book “After the Dance: A Walk Through Jacmel Carnival” \n  \nOpening February 12\, 2026\, Haiti Cultural Exchange\, Vizyon Atistik is pleased to present JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval. An exhibition exploring the historical\, artistic\, and cultural significance of Jacmel’s Carnival in Haiti. \nCurated by HCX fellow Yvena Despagne and Executive Director Régine M. Roumain\, this exhibition examines Carnival as a vital form of cultural expression and underscores the importance of its history for members of the Haitian diaspora and broader global audiences. Through visual art\, mixed media\, and cultural storytelling\, the exhibition highlights why Jacmel’s Carnival is not only a cornerstone of Haitian cultural identity\, but an essential history for the Haitian diaspora to learn\, preserve\, and pass on. \nRenowned worldwide for its elaborate papier-mâché masks\, political satire\, and community driven artistry\, JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval is more than a celebration\, it is a living archive of survival stories\, memory\, and self-expression. Born from Haiti’s revolutionary past and shaped by generations of local artisans\, the carnival has long served as a platform for social commentary\, collective healing\, and cultural pride. \n  \nOn view from February 12 through March 29\nHaiti Cultural Exchange\n35 Lafayette Ave. Brooklyn\, NY \n\nVisit the HCX Gallery to view this exhibition and join the artists & curators at activations taking place as part of this exhibition.  \nThur. February 12 | 6-9pm\nOpening Reception: Jakmèl: The Unveiling of Kanaval\nRSVP Here »  \nSat. February 28 | 3-5pm\nPapier-mâché Workshop\nRSVP Here » \n \nSat. March 7 | 4-6pm\nAn n Pale with Steven Baboun\, Charles Philippe Jean-Pierre\, and Lori Martineau\nRSVP Here » \n \nSat. March 14 | 3-5pm\nAn n Pale with Tania L. Balan-Gaubert\, Bacheler Jean-Pierre\, Christina Rateau\, and Kedler St-Hilaire (Virtual)\nRSVP Here »  \nSat. March 28 |  4-6pm\nClosing Reception: Jakmèl: The Unveiling of Kanaval\nRSVP Here » \n \n  \n—\nAbout The Exhibition \nJAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval tells the story of a people who have always used art as a language of survival and freedom. Migration\, displacement\, and generational distance have often disrupted the transmission of traditions like Carnival. This exhibition is about honoring that legacy and ensuring it remains visible\, especially for those in the diaspora who may feel disconnected from Haiti’s cultural history. \nThrough paintings\, sculptural works\, archival materials\, and contemporary interpretations\, this exhibition bridges past and present\, showing how Jacmel’s Carnival continues to influence global art\, and political expression while remaining deeply grounded in local community traditions. For the Haitian diaspora\, the exhibition emphasizes the urgency of cultural preservation and reclamation. By engaging with Jacmel’s artistic practices and historical narratives\, the exhibition encourages diasporic audiences to reconnect with their roots and recognize Carnival as a powerful symbol of identity\, and continuity of Haitian culture. \n  \n—\nFeatured Artists \nSteven Baboun | Website \nSteven Baboun is an artist\, photographer\, and creative director from Port-au-Prince\, Haiti\, based in New York City. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Film and Media Arts and a minor in Education Studies from American University\, as well as a Master of Fine Arts in Photography from Parsons School of Design. Baboun works in photography\, video\, performance\, textile + multimedia installation\, and design. Currently\, Baboun is the founder and creative director of Studio Baboun\, a creative house based in Brooklyn\, New York. He is the co-founder and CEO of NativRoots Collective\, a creative agency specializing in visual production and solutions across entertainment\, nonprofits\, live experiences\, and businesses. \nTania L. Balan-Gaubert | Website \nTania L. Balan-Gaubert is a conceptual artist\, cultural producer\, and writer based between  Lenapehoking (Brooklyn\, NY) and Shikaawa (Chicago\, Illinois). Her practice weaves together personal narrative\, diasporic memory\, and speculative world-building\, moving through histories of displacement and survival while honoring practices of belonging.  \nBorn to Haitian parents on the Council of the Three Fires and Miami lands of present-day Illinois\, she was raised between Chicago’s South Side and Brooklyn’s Flatlands neighborhood. These geographies continue to shape her artistic practice\, which is guided by Haitian\, African\, and Indigenous traditions. Working across mixed media\, installation\, photography\, painting\, and social practice\, she assembles found objects\, folklore\, craft\, and spirituality into hybrid forms that move between the material and immaterial. Her work creates spaces where ancestral memory intersects with contemporary experience and where imagination becomes a tool for reclamation and transformation.  \nBacheler Jean-Pierre | Website \nMiami-based artist Bacheler Jean-Pierre\, known for his love of the statement “NOTHING VENTURED NOTHING GAINED”\, diversifies self-expression through mediums of music\, art\, architecture\, and fashion. His Caribbean Afro-beat vibe invites you in for a closer look at the personal journey navigating and embracing the essence of an ambitious creative. His creations reveal an intimate rendition of one’s highest self\, initiated through strife and strength.  \nAs a survivor of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake\, Bacheler’s will to live cultivates a continuing freedom to establish uniqueness conveyed in his visionary works. Bacheler’s belief in the power of words speaks to vibrations of expansion and growth. His loyalty to being a student of creation demonstrates the voyages in humility of the shadow self thus validating art as “a reason to triumph” where consciousness evolves. \nCharles Jean-Pierre | Website \nCharles Philippe Jean-Pierre is a Haitian-American artist groomed on Chicago’s south side. Charles Philippe Jean-Pierre’s most tangible connections to his Haitian roots were the paintings and sculptures in his family’s home. He often overheard passionate debates on abuses of power and continual regression in Haiti\, but the art that hung on their walls were beautiful contradictions to his homeland’s hopeless narrative. The stark contradictions of beauty and power\, as a theme\, are ever-present as a theoretical and methodological struggle within Jean-Pierre’s overall body of work.  \nHis art and work has been featured at many institutions\, including the U.S. State Department; the U.S. Embassy in Cotonou\, Benin; the Obama White House; The Smithsonian; the Mamelodi Project; and International Monetary Fund. His work has been highlighted by numerous media outlets including: The Washington Post\, Ebony Magazine\, Black Enterprise\, NHK Japan\, The Village Voice\, BET\, NBC\, Netflix and FOX. Jean Pierre holds a Masters of Arts from Howard University and has created public art murals in South Africa\, Panama\, New York\, Chicago\, Washington\, Istanbul\, Montreal\, Port-au-Prince\, London\, and Paris. He is currently a professor at Howard University in Fine Arts. \nLori Martineau  \nLori Martineau is a writer\, aspiring mermaid and creativity junkie. Her professional background is in Education and Expressive Arts Therapy. Born and raised in the Pearl of the Caribbean\, her work revolves around a ceaseless curiosity in Haiti’s oral history and cultural traditions. Martieau’s fixation on capturing the tiny pieces of larger stories began with her first camera in her youth documenting the bustling activity of Mache Petyonvil. Martineau was exhilarated by the small moments within the mache’s buzzing activity – piles and piles of merchandise and food\, every color\, smell\, and noise imaginable\, and humans moving like foumi fou. She remains fascinated by Haitian culture bearers and her images are a collection of bearing witness to little moments within expansive Kanaval traditions. Lori can be found hopping a flight to soak in water\, managing a Haitian restaurant in New Orleans or spending quality time with her home in Haiti. \nChristina Rateau | Website \nChristina Rateau\, born in Port-au-Prince\, Haiti\, is a visual artist and photographer based in Amsterdam. With a background in Economics from Donghua University (Shanghai\, China)\, her journey spans modeling\, creative direction\, and analogue photography\, reflecting her passion for storytelling and self-expression. Her practice\, Occhio del Ciclone (“The Eye of the Storm”)\, explores identity\, memory\, and cultural heritage through conceptual\, tactile narratives. Drawing on her Haitian roots and global experiences\, Christina crafts evocative works using analogue photography\, bold colors\, and portraiture\, often featuring self-portraits to explore themes personally. \nChristina’s work has been featured in Photovogue and The New York Times and debuted her first solo exhibition in 2022 at Studio Baboun. She has also participated in group shows like Our Collective Future at Kunstlinie (Almere\, Netherlands) and many other shows in Indianapolis. Committed to preserving Haiti’s cultural heritage\, Christina aims to inspire strength and belonging in her audience while empowering the Haitian community and the Black diaspora. Her goal is to serve as a cultural archivist\, amplifying Haiti’s stories and traditions for future generations. \nKedler St-Hilaire | Website \nKedler St-Hilaire is a Haitian visual artist and graphic designer whose artistic approach lies at the crossroads of formal rigor and chromatic emotion. A graduate of the École Nationale des Arts (ENARTS)\, he has developed a singular visual language where line\, structure\, and color interact. Art is neither decorative nor passive: it is a vital necessity\, an act of affirmation and resistance against a world often marked by social and moral bleakness. He is driven by a clear mission: to bring originality\, dignity\, and meaning to places where degradation prevails. \nSt-Hilaire trained at the Centre d’Art and continues his artistic research by studying tattoo\, enriching his visual and textural vocabulary. St-Hilaire is also an accomplished graphic designer\, having collaborated with several leading institutions including CARE Haiti\, LEGS ÉDITIONS\, FOKAL\, the Pyepoudre Cultural Center\, the Festival 4 Chemins\, La Famille Joseph\, and Pascale Théard Créations. Based in Carrefour\, St-Hilaire\, stands out as a unique voice in the contemporary Haitian art scene\, building worlds that are colorful\, structured\, and profoundly human.  \n—\nWith sculpture works provided by the Tequila Minsky Private Collection
URL:https://haiticulturalx.org/event/vizyon-atistikjakmel-the-unveiling-of-kanaval/
LOCATION:Haiti Cultural Exchange\, 35 Lafayette Ave\, Brooklyn\, NY\, 11217\, United States
CATEGORIES:Vizyon Atistik
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://haiticulturalx.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/HCX_FY26_Web_Event_Feat_JAKMEL_1.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260219
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260327
DTSTAMP:20260421T135919
CREATED:20260204T230458Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260204T230458Z
UID:18048-1771459200-1774569599@haiticulturalx.org
SUMMARY:Mizik Ayiti! Residency Winter Series | Mikaëlle Aimée
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Thursdays for the Mizik Ayiti! Residency Series. The Winter residency will be held by Haitian-American singer-songwriter Mikaëlle Aimée. \nMikaëlle Aimée is a New York–based musician who brings jazz\, folk\, soul\, and vibrant Haitian musical traditions to life through her voice and guitar. \nMikaëlle Aimée’s six week residency at HCX will feature unique performances weekly. \n—\nDates & Tickets \nGet your tickets today and don’t miss out on these incredible performances!\nPerformances will take place on Thursdays from February 19\, 2026–March 26\, 2026\, 6-9pm.  \nGet your tickets to one\, or all these performances\, here »\nTickets include a complimentary beverage.\nSpecial pop-up offerings with local Haitian restaurants.\nLimited capacity\, RSVP strongly recommended. \n—\nAbout the musician \nMikaëlle Aimée is a Haitian-American singer-songwriter based in New York. She sings and plays guitar and has become known for her dazzling performance styles ranging from Jazz\, Folk\, Soul\, and across Haitian musical genres.  \nMikaëlle Aimée first debuted on the Haitian Music scene in 2009 where she began performing regularly for the variety shows Ayiti Deploge\, and Havana Guitar Night. She also participated heavily in the Port-au-Prince Jazz music scene between 2010 and 2014.  \nAs lead singer of the jazz band Kayel\, Mikaëlle Aimée held residence at the well-known Quartier Latin in Pétion-Ville\, Haiti from 2010 to 2013.  \nShe also hosted the popular television show “Metro Night” on Haiti’s Tele Metropole station between 2012 and 2014.  \nMikaëlle’s journey took an unexpected pivot when she found herself stranded in the US\, in Summer 2014\, due to passport complications. As luck would have it\, the travel delays would be the catalyst that jumpstarted her music career here in the US.     \nShe quickly plugged into the Haitian Jazz community and eventually joined some New York-based ensembles. She would later participate in the 2018 Apollo Theater Amateur Night\, where she reached the semi-finals\, marking her first major accomplishment on US soil. \nHer musical pursuits have taken her throughout the 5 boroughs\, New Jersey\, Philadelphia\, Connecticut\, Miami and Atlanta. Her international performances include Spain\, Jamaica\, and the Dominican Republic.  \nMikaëlle Aimée released the soulful ballad “Lay me Down” in 2019 and Kreyol Funk tune\, “Adye” in 2021.  \nShe is currently in the process of completing her first EP “Hope in Disguise”\, with Queens based Producer Gurpal X\, and is also working towards the release of several tracks in Haitian Creole.  \nIn 2025\, she created “Soirée Sérénade”\, a compilation of Haitian traditional and folk music\, french chansonettes\, jazz and bossa nova. It serves as a representation of what would be popular on the radio when she was a child. The purpose of this show is to unite Haitians with a voyage through time\, a bit of nostalgia for the exiled.  \nFor more information or booking\, please contact Mikaëlle Aimée at MikaelleAimee@gmail.com or visit her on Instagram @MikaelleAimee \n—\nHCX | Mizik Ayiti! Residency \nHCX positions this invitational residency as an opportunity to innovate and workshop concepts and works-in-progress\, showcase new work\, and build networks for artists’ future presentation (e.g. booking\, touring) at other cultural institutions and stages. \nRarely do artists receive a consistent opportunity to create and share in “real time”–to develop their ideas in a beta form\, experiment\, and refine amidst presenting publicly. Over the course of 6 weeks\, resident artists receive a platform to fine tune approaches\, activate jam sessions\, and explore sonic possibilities while developing relationships with their audiences. \nOn Thursday evenings\, artist-composers host unique sets joined by a rotation of guest artists and ensembles. Performances offer the opportunity to showcase new work and workshop arrangements across the musical landscape\, from traditional genres reverberating the strength of the tanbou to the contemporary sound like fusion jazz and electronic music carrying Haitian vibration into the future.
URL:https://haiticulturalx.org/event/mizik-ayiti-residency-winter-series-mikaelle-aimee/
LOCATION:Haiti Cultural Exchange\, 35 Lafayette Ave\, Brooklyn\, NY\, 11217\, United States
CATEGORIES:Mizik Ayiti! Residency Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://haiticulturalx.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MizikAyiti_FY26_Website_Graphic_Mikaelle-Aimee.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260307T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260307T180000
DTSTAMP:20260421T135919
CREATED:20260216T202638Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260227T191933Z
UID:18133-1772899200-1772906400@haiticulturalx.org
SUMMARY:Vizyon Atistik | An n Pale with Steven Baboun\, Charles Philippe Jean-Pierre\, and Lori Martineau
DESCRIPTION:Join this in-person conversation with featured artists of the current exhibition Jakmèl: The Unveiling of Kanaval on view now in the HCX: Steven Baboun\, Charles Philippe Jean-Pierre\, and Lori Martineau.\nThis event is part of the Vizyon Atistik public programming for JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval on view until March 29\, 2026. \nSaturday\, March 7\n4–6pm\nHaiti Cultural Exchange\n35 Lafayette Ave. Brooklyn\, NY \nLimited capacity\, RSVP strongly suggested.\nSeating first come\, first served. \n—\nAbout The Exhibition \nJAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval is more than a celebration\, it is a living archive of survival stories\, memory\, and self-expression. \nLearn more about the exhibition and artists here »\nJoin the artists & curators for other activations taking place as part of this exhibition »  
URL:https://haiticulturalx.org/event/vizyon-atistik-an-n-pale-with-steven-baboun-tania-l-balan-gaubert-charles-philippe-jean-pierre-and-lori-martineau/
LOCATION:Haiti Cultural Exchange\, 35 Lafayette Ave\, Brooklyn\, NY\, 11217\, United States
CATEGORIES:An n Pale,Vizyon Atistik
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://haiticulturalx.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/HCX_FY26_Web_Event_Feat_JAKMEL_1.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260314T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260314T160000
DTSTAMP:20260421T135919
CREATED:20260127T211751Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260304T170951Z
UID:18023-1773496800-1773504000@haiticulturalx.org
SUMMARY:Ti Atis Second Saturdays: Haitian Folkloric Dance with Robenson Mathurin
DESCRIPTION:Through music\, rhythm\, and creative play\, families will learn the basics of Haitian folkloric dance while discovering the stories and meanings behind each step. This Ti Atis dance class will nurture self-expression\, cooperation\, and cultural pride\, helping children connect with Haiti’s spirit of resilience and joy in a fun and supportive environment. Led by caring and experienced teaching artist Robenson Mathurin\, families will dance\, learn\, and celebrate together—honoring their heritage while creating something new.\nSaturday\, March 14\, 2026\n2-4pm\nBrooklyn Children’s Museum\n145 Brooklyn Ave\, Brooklyn\, NY 11213 \n— \nAttendance free with museum admission.  \nLimited number of free tickets provided to the HCX community.\nRSVP below while availability lasts! \nPurchase a ticket to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum here »  \n— \nArtist Bio \nRobenson Mathurin is a New York–based dancer\, choreographer\, and teacher who shares the beauty and spirit of Haitian culture through dance. Trained in many styles and having performed around the world\, he continues to teach and inspire students of all ages. In 2022\, he founded NANM\, his own dance company\, which uses movement and storytelling to celebrate Haitian traditions\, honor personal stories\, and bring families and communities together through the joy of dance. \n— \nAbout Ti Atis \nTi Atis returns to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum for a new season of interactive youth and family programming! Ti Atis (Little Artists) engages youth of Haitian descent and their peers with Haitian history and heritage via the arts\, giving young people the tools to build an inclusive and culturally informed future as they learn about diverse art forms from professional Haitian artists. \nMark your calendars! Happening on the second Saturday of every month from November 2025 to May 2026. \n 
URL:https://haiticulturalx.org/event/ti-atis-second-saturdays-robenson-mathurin/
LOCATION:Brooklyn Children’s Museum\, 145 Brooklyn Avenue\, Brooklyn\, New York\, 11213
CATEGORIES:Ti Atis
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260314T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260314T170000
DTSTAMP:20260421T135919
CREATED:20260218T215056Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T140409Z
UID:18142-1773500400-1773507600@haiticulturalx.org
SUMMARY:Vizyon Atistik | An n Pale with Steven Baboun\, Tania L. Balan-Gaubert\, Bacheler Jean-Pierre\, Christina Rateau\, and Kedler St-Hilaire (Virtual)
DESCRIPTION:Join this virtual conversation with featured artists of the current exhibition Jakmèl: The Unveiling of Kanaval on view now in the HCX: Steven Baboun\, Tania L. Balan-Gaubert\, Bacheler Jean-Pierre\, Christina Rateau\, and Kedler St-Hilaire. \nThis event is part of the Vizyon Atistik public programming for JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval on view until March 29\, 2026. \nSaturday\, March 14\n3–5pm\nVirtual. Register for the webinar here »  \n—\nAbout The Exhibition \nJAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval is more than a celebration\, it is a living archive of survival stories\, memory\, and self-expression. \nLearn more about the exhibition and artists here »\nJoin the artists & curators for other activations taking place as part of this exhibition »  
URL:https://haiticulturalx.org/event/vizyon-atistik-an-n-pale-virtual/
LOCATION:NY
CATEGORIES:An n Pale,Vizyon Atistik
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://haiticulturalx.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/HCX_FY26_Web_Event_Feat_JAKMEL_1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260328T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260328T180000
DTSTAMP:20260421T135919
CREATED:20260218T215755Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260320T155326Z
UID:18150-1774713600-1774720800@haiticulturalx.org
SUMMARY:Vizyon Atistik | Closing Reception: Jakmèl: The Unveiling of Kanaval
DESCRIPTION:Kanaval season wraps at HCX! Join artists and curators for a special night of rara\, light refreshments and a last look at Jakmèl: The Unveiling of Kanaval. Special performance by Bacheler Jean-Pierre.\nThis event is part of the Vizyon Atistik public programming for JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval on view until March 29\, 2026. \nSaturday\, March 28\n4–6pm\nHaiti Cultural Exchange\n35 Lafayette Ave\, Brooklyn NY \n—\nAbout The Exhibition \nJAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval is more than a celebration\, it is a living archive of survival stories\, memory\, and self-expression. \nLearn more about the exhibition and artists here »\nJoin the artists & curators for other activations taking place as part of this exhibition »  
URL:https://haiticulturalx.org/event/jakmel-closing-reception/
LOCATION:Haiti Cultural Exchange\, 35 Lafayette Ave\, Brooklyn\, NY\, 11217\, United States
CATEGORIES:An n Pale,Vizyon Atistik
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://haiticulturalx.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/HCX_FY26_Web_Event_Feat_JAKMEL_1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260329T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260329T190000
DTSTAMP:20260421T135919
CREATED:20260227T175150Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260303T221605Z
UID:18164-1774792800-1774810800@haiticulturalx.org
SUMMARY:An n Pale | Mini-Jazz: An Immigration Story with Hervé Sabin
DESCRIPTION:In this interactive salon\, reimagine the classic Haitian immigrant living room: sofas covered in squeaky plastic protecting the fabric below\, the ceramic decorations and the photo albums and the China and the bars with Rhum Barbancourt\, crémas\, Manischewitz\, and tranpe lined up in a neat row. In the corner of the room: a record player.\nScholar\, archivist\, and artist Hervé Sabin brings us together to reminisce on iconic musical genres of mini-jazz and konpa direk and how they made their way to Brooklyn in our suitcases\, bals\, and right here in recording studios across the US.  \nFor this session\, serenade us with your memories of Haitian mini-jazz as we listen to vinyls from the Ace Frape collection of Jean H. Marcelin and Hervé Sabin’s inherited collections from Montreal\, New York\, Miami\, and Port-au-Prince.  \nPatrice Espérant joins as the afternoon’s DJ to keep the vinyl spinning! \nWe welcome you to sit a while\, listen to a few of iconic albums\, and share stories of home – old and new. \nSunday\, March 29\, 2026\n2-7pm\nHaiti Cultural Exchange\n35 Lafayette Ave  BK\, NY 11217 \n2pm: Welcome & Flip through Marcelin & Sabin’s Records Archive. Sign up to share your Mini-Jazz music memory!\n2:30pm: Story Sharing with Hervé Sabin & Patrice Espérant\n3-7pm: Community Story Sharing Cycles  \n—\nAbout Orchestre et Mini-Jazz: An Immigration Story Through Music by Hervé Sabin \nDuring the late sixties compas direct/konpa direk which was founded in July 1955 by Nemours Jean-Baptiste* began transforming from a big band orchestra format to a more compact unit of five to eight  members called Mini-Jazz. To this very day most Haitians refer to a compas band as jazz la or the Jazz!   \nThe bands developed structures and distinct sounds. The typical instruments were electric guitars\, bass\, drums\, keyboard\, and sometimes brass instruments like saxophones and trumpets. The electric guitar was dominant with intricate solos. Mini-Jazz retained Compas’ distinctive rhythm of steady beat and syncopated bass lines\, played at a faster tempo danceable groove.  \nThey were from various neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince and other Haitian cities. In Port-au-Prince\, certain bands were known as king of their neighborhood: Les Shleu Shleu were in Bas-Peu-de-Chose; Les Fantaisistes were from Carrefour; in Petionville the bands Les Difficiles which became Les Gypsies\, Tabou Combo which was born from Los Incognitos\, Les Frères Dejean\, Choupa Choupa all dominated the hills of Carrefour Feuille. \nThe early seventies saw many bands emigrating to the United States in parallel with the great migration spurred by the entrenchment of the Duvalier regime. They settled predominantly in the northeast where Tabou Combo had established itself and became an international superstar (even adding Superstars to the name of the band). They did it with hits such as “New York City”\, “Juicy Lucy”\, “Chercher la Femme” and “Let’s Dance” which married funk\, early hip hop\, and Compas to create a hybrid sound representing the era. The city of Boston hatched Volo Volo de Boston and Djet-X\, both products of migration. \nHere in New York City\, Prospect-Lefferts\, Flatbush and Crown Heights became the epicenter of the Haitian migration. Franklin\, Nostrand\, and Flatbush Avenues became the hubs where many record labels erected domicile.  Geronimo records\, Marc records\, Mini Records and Fred Paul were the big players. Albert Chancy from Tabou Combo started Chancy Records which became at one point the label for the band. \nThis project looks to tell the parallel stories of a musical genre\, its transformation along stories of migration that transformed neighborhoods in cities on both sides of the Atlantic in the US and Haiti. It looks at the lives of Haitian in the US and Haiti\, particularly their connections to the music and how Haitian urbanism was been shaped by political and economic immigration. \n*The famous Sicot vs Nemours konpa direk origin story battles with Sicot developing a nuanced merengue style called Cadence or Cadence Rampa and Nemours having created a more direct 1\,2 rhythm.
URL:https://haiticulturalx.org/event/an-n-pale-mini-jazz-an-immigration-story-through-les-shleu-shleu-with-herve-sabin/
LOCATION:Haiti Cultural Exchange\, 35 Lafayette Ave\, Brooklyn\, NY\, 11217\, United States
CATEGORIES:An n Pale
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