Haitian News Events

‘Hope for Haiti Now’

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 05:57:50 +0000

CNN reports that more than 100 actors, musicians and other celebrities answered phones in New York and Los Angeles at a star-studded event aimed at raising money for relief efforts in Haiti after last week’s devastating earthquake.

Musical performances from the telethon will be available for purchase and download from Apple’s iTunes store. Apple, the record labels and the artists have pledged to donate their share of the proceeds to Haiti relief funds managed by the telethon charities.

it aired on networks, CNN, MLBHD, National Geographic, Bravo, HBO, Showtime, NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, CW, PBS, TNT, and Palladium.

iTunes already has the whole album up for $7.99!

Let us Hope Haiti can rebuild

Why Haiti never recovered?

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 05:35:00 +0000

Was it a deal with the Devil? NO. Most people do not know the real history of Haiti, they do not know that America and France bled Haiti dry and left these people to suffer with very little.

Read the main factors that kept Haiti down for these many years.

Debt to France

When Haiti gained independence from France after its revolution, in exchange for diplomatic recognition from France, the new republic was forced to pay enormous reparations: some 150m francs, in gold. It was an immense sum, and even reduced by more than half in 1830, far more than Haiti could afford.

“The long and the short of it is that Haiti was paying reparations to France from 1825 until 1947,” says Alex Von Tunzelmann, a historian and writer. “To come up with the money, it took out huge loans from American, German and French banks, at exorbitant rates of interest. By 1900, Haiti was spending about 80% of its national budget on loan repayments. It ¬completely wrecked their economy. By the time the original reparations and interest were paid off, the place was basically destitute and trapped in a ¬spiral of debt.” It is ironic that in the last few days France’s President Sarkozy started talking about wanting to rid Haiti of poverty once and for all when he said “From this catastrophe, which follows so many others, we should make sure that it is a chance to get Haiti once and for all out of the curse it seems to have been stuck with for such a long time,”. He conveniently failed to mention Frances role in perpetrating Haiti’s tragedy.

US interference

Over the last two centuries, the US has also repeatedly interfered in Haiti and even invaded and occupied it in 1915 terrified that Haiti was about to default on its massive debts. A 1922 loan of millions of dollars owed to the US resulted in a financial system that siphoned the country’s wealth to offshore creditors instead of reinvesting it in the country’s economy. France and the United States have repeatedly intervened in Haitian politics since the country’s founding, sometimes at the request of one party or another. The last time the US officially invaded the country was as recently as 1994 after which it then formally withdrew to be replaced by a UN force.

Local leaders as looters

Added to all this is the that fact that a succession of Haitian leaders more or less gave up on trying to resolve Haiti’s problems, and started looting it instead. During the 28 years in power of Papa Doc Duvalier and his playboy son and heir, Jean-Claude Duvalier, or Baby Doc, they made themselves very rich indeed reportedly embezzling up to 80% of Haiti’s international aid, while the debts they signed up to ¬account for 45% of what the country owes today. And when Baby Doc ¬finally fled, estimates of what he took with him run as high as $900m.

Corrupt Western backed leaders and direct interference by western powers have contributed to the tragic state that became Haiti despite its human and natural resources. As the masses of the world empathise with the people of Haiti, many struggle to imagine how its next chapter will be different to its previous ones.

In many ways we all can only hope that Haiti is allowed to rebuild without facing these old challenges

Jadote, Joseph my father lived in Port-Au-Prince Haiti

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 05:19:17 +0000

last name Jadote, first name Joseph

one thing about being Haitian living in America is the disconnection one feels to lost family.

After my mother Yvesrose Nazaire died in 1988 I rarely heard from aunts and uncles from my mother’s side of my family, I was only 14 then and now I am 36 and hardly know any of them.

My father I never really knew him except of one week in December 1986 when my mother sent me to Haiti to meet him and his family. From his side I met my grandmother, a little brother, lots of cousins, aunts and uncles. Many of them living in Port-Au-Prince.

I called my Father a few years back just to check how he was doing just to know if he was still alive. I met a cousin from his side in Miami in 2004.

The lack of family has been a huge hole in my life. I live alone and struggle alone.

This Earthquake in Port-Au-Prince have been heartbreaking for me as it has been for many Haitians.

Is my father alive? How are my Cousins and Brothers?

I do not know… I may never know

email me with info nazaire@gmail.com

What does Yele mean?

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 05:02:28 +0000

I have not been able to update Kreyol.Com for many years and sometimes people still email me seeking answers about words. Some do not understand that I am also a student of the language since I have only spent 10 years of my childhood in Haiti.

YELE (from Yele Haiti)

Yele is not in any Haitian Creole lexicon or dictionary I have found considering the source is from Wyclef Jean who was not a great speaker of the language at the beginning of his Fugees (he is much better these days at speaking Kreyol which means the man really cares for Haiti). He states that the word means “Cry Freedom”

Yele is not common or known or used in Haitian Creole maybe he should have double checked his sources but he did define it and said it means Cry Freedom that is good enough for he, musicians make up words all the time and he was the first source I heard this word from one of his songs.

Yele Haiti means Cry Freedom Haiti

I googled a little and found that Wyclef said this in and interview

What does Yele Haiti mean? Did you choose the name?

Yele means “cry freedom.” I made it up. – (Wyclef Jean)

so there you go… he made it up

but Yele meaning Cry Freedom is a nice touch so Kreyol.Com will support this word Yele

Away from the web for a little

admin — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:07:25 +0000

I will update Kreyol.com again when I get a new computer

peace
naz

nazaire at gmail dot com

Kwanzaa Stamp and Greeting Cards – Zazzle Contest – vote for my card

admin — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 21:18:19 +0000

Kwanzaa Stamp

Kwanzaa
by

nazaire on haitianart at Zazzle

Kwanzaa Greeting Card

wishing you unity and peace… Kwanzaa
by

nazaire on haitianart at Zazzle

Kwanzaa “Add Your Family Photo” Greeting Card (Entry for a Template Contest at Zazzle)

Umoja! – Unity… Kwanzaa
by

haitianart

Zazzle Print Quality is great

admin — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 17:34:31 +0000

ZAZZLE * DRIZZLE – Zazzle Logo Contest 2007

I ordered some posters just to check out the quality of Zazzle’s printing
(note that my studio floor is a little dusty)

My Zazzle Galleries

Haitian Art

More of my Art

Sickle Cell Pain Awareness

Vote for my Art on this Zazzle Contest

admin — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:23:54 +0000

VOTE For My Zazzle Logo Contest Entry
Please remember to leave a comment

Thank You

JOSUE AKA UNIK steps up to the “American Idol” challenge.

admin — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 22:19:50 +0000

news story posted today on Haiti FM:

Our first Haitian American Idol hopeful

Haiti FM has been promoting JOSUE AKA UNIK for a few weeks now, we know the young brother is talented. So we would like to tell you that he made the first cut today. He seems very excited and focused on his goals.

Big dreams began for more than 20,000 people who registered in Philadelphia to try out for “American Idol.” JOSUE AKA UNIK was there as auditions begin today at Philadelphia’s Wachovia Center for the seventh season of the hit Fox TV show.

JOSUE sang Boyz II Men “On Bended Knees” and was asked by the producers for a second song for which he sang an original freestyle he came up with while waiting for his chance to shine among 20,000 Idol hopefuls. Thus came the good news that he was asked to be one of the few that would return for a second audition later this week. JOSUE as his name goes is most definitely UNIK and we at HAITI FM wish to encourage this young brother to carry on no matter what and hope our community here will support all his efforts.

Today in Philly each contestant got about 30 seconds to impress producers with their singing. Those who made the cut today get to come back a second time. Finalists from that round will then get to perform for the show’s big guns, judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. After that, the winners go on to Hollywood for the real competition. Episodes of the show will begin airing on your local FOX Network TV in January.

Stay Tuned to HAITI FM for more on JOSUE AKA UNIK and his Quest to take over the R&B charts in the future, no matter which road he takes to get there he is on his way.

HAITI FM: Featured Artist JOSUE AKA UNIK

Save JOSUE AKA UNIK as a friend on Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/josueakaunik

MUSIC ON HAITI FM – CHAMPION GAIL :: CAN YOU BE THE ONE

—
Kreyol.Com will also support this Haitian brother.

Haiti FM – Top Video Playlist of June – July 2007

admin — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 22:37:05 +0000

The Music Video List

If you have a good Youtube video for Haitian Music feel free to send the link
to … { youtube@haiti.fm } with subject line “Haiti FM: Link My YouTube Video”