Art

Haitian art is very easily recognized and can be found on display around the world. With its unique flavor, and exciting use of color, Haitian art separates itself from most other mainstream modern art. The bright colors that dominate Haitian canvases reflect daily life and the exotic scenery found throughout the country. Haitian artists have distinguished themselves by creating art that expresses both the challenges and beauty found in Haiti.

Historical evidence dates the earliest pieces of Haitian art back to the Pre-Colombian era, most of which were everyday items such as sculptures, pots, drawings, public signs, and objects related to voodoo. After independence, the Haitian presidents Henri Christophe and Alexandre Petion, commissioned many pieces for the royal court. A shift was then made from depictions of daily life in most art, to glorifications of the revolution and the royal family. Haiti became the first independent nation in the Western Hemisphere to make Catholicism its official state religion, thus making religious artwork more and more common as well.

The first formal art school, Centre D’Art, was founded in Haiti in 1944, by Dewitt Peters, an American who was taken with the raw artistic talent of Haiti. The opening of Centre D’Art is seen as the beginning of the institutionalization of Haitian art, and marked a time of notable development for Haitian art. Instead of formally replicating global art trends, Centre D’Art aspired to foster the raw talent and instinctual nature that already existed in Haitian artists. This art form became known as “intuitive art”, focusing on spontaneity and color. Haiti was and continues to be well known its production of intuitive art, and was a sharp contrast to the rising popularity of modernism in the 1940s and 50s. Some of the most well known artists practicing intuitive art are Andre Pierre, Hector Hippolyte, Castera Bazile, Wilson Bigaud, and Rigaud Benoit.

Another turning point in Haitian art is known as the “Saint Soleil experiment” of the 1970s. Wanting to offer Haitian peasants an opportunity to practice art, two Haitian artists, Tiga and Robart, began a campaign in which art materials were handed out to many poor, rural Haitians (most of whom had never been involved in formal art training or, in many cases, formal education of any kind). The project was very successful and resulted in the discovery of several well-known artists today including: St Fleurant, Prospere Pierre Louis, Antiholmme, Levoy Exil, and Stevenson Magloire.

Other notable Haitian artists include: Gerard Valcin, Wilmino Domond, Seymour Bottex, Gabriel Alix, Gesner Armand, Prefete Duffaut, Numa Desroches, Philome Obin, Petion Savain, Georges Ramponneau, Lucien Price, and Luce Turnier.

References: http://haitianartsociety.org; www.discoverhaiti.com.

Music

Haitian music developed out of many diverse sounds in order to create a very unique and influential sound of its own. These diverse sounds arose out of Africa, Latin America and Europe. The import of African slaves into Haiti during the slave trade, for example, had a great influence on the drumbeats and other African sounds we associate with Haitian music today. Bongos, maracas and other such instruments traveled throughout the Caribbean and eventually took their place amongst the earliest instruments used by Haitian artists. Other genres of music like Jazz, Reggae, Mambo and Rap/Hip-Hop have made their way into the Haitian music scene over the past century, and gained great popularity.

Konpa is probably the most well known form of Haitian music. Though Konpa is related to early European ballroom dancing, it has changed drastically to become the most listened to genre of Haitian dance music today.

Rara is a genre of Haitian music stemming from centuries of traditional Voodoo ceremonies. Though Catholicism is the official religion in Haiti, voodoo is deeply rooted in Haitian culture. It is still practiced regularly throughout Haiti, and especially present in Haiti’s rural areas. Rara reflects the raw beats and tempos used during many Voodoo ceremonies.

Rasin is another style of Haitian music often referred to as “roots” music. In the 1970’s Rasin sprung out of the widespread social and cultural movement known to most as the “hippie” movement. As a response to social oppression and discontent with the Duvalier regime, Rasin music not only reflected the thoughts and concepts of the time, it adapted cultural attitudes and influenced lifestyle choices. Rasin is believed to have over 120 different distinct rhythms, and include elements of Funk, Reggae, and Rock.

Other popular genres include Zouk, Merengue, and Salsa.

Though the first music recorded in Haiti did not happen until 1937 (a non-commercial recording by Jazz Grignard), Haiti produced many notable musicians throughout the 20th century. Many Haitian artists have received global attention for their contributions to certain universal genres, and are becoming especially popular in the modern musical genres of Rap and Hip-Hop. The most popular Haitian artist today is Wyclef Jean, formerly of the Fugees. Though he is mostly known for his contributions to Rap and Hip-Hop, he has produced music of many different genres and is an exceptional guitarist.

Some of the more notable Haitian Konpa artists are Sweet Micky, and Dadou Pasquet of Magnum Band, whose popularity arose in the 1960’s and whose contributions are still relevant today. One of the biggest legends in the history of Haitian music is the musician Nemours Jean-Baptistes. His greatest contributions were to orchestral Haitian music and meringue.

Some of the modern musicians found in Haiti today include Richard Augustin, King Posse, Original Rap Staff, Top Adlerman, RockFam Lame A, Barikad Crew, Seca Konsa, Bennchourny, Mystik703, Magic Click and Mecca AKA Grimo.

References: www.wikipedia.org; www.heritagekonpa.com; www.discoverhaiti.com.

Creole Proverbs

Haiti has a very strong oral culture. Proverbs are used very often and meant to pass on wisdom and/or advice. It is common to hear a proverb surface in conversation every four to five phrases. They reflect everyday life and provide insight into both the beauty of Haitian culture and the challenges facing the country's people. The following are some of the more popular proverbs:

Woch nan dio pa konnen doule woch nan soley.
The rock in the water does not know the pain of the rock in the sun.

Si travay te bon bagay, moun rich la pran-l lontan.
If work were a good thing, the rich would have grabbed it a long time ago.

Sonje lapli ki leve mayi ou.
Remember the rain that made your corn grow.

Li pale franse.
He speaks French (and so, is likely deceiving you).

Piti, piti, wazo fe nich li.
Little by little the bird builds its nest.

Konstitisyon se papie, bayonets se fe.
The constitution is paper, bayonets are steel.

Kreyol pale, Kreyol comprann.
Creole spoke is Creole understood.

Kay koule twompe soley men li pa twompe lapil.
A leaky house can fool the sun, but it can't fool the rain.

Sa ki pa touye ou, li angrese ou.
That which doesn't kill you, makes you fat.

Famn se kajou- plis li vye, plis li bon.
A woman is like mahogany- the older, the better.

Kou ou prese, kafe ou koule ak ma.
When you are in a hurry, your coffee has grounds in it.

Lanne pase toujou pi bon.
Past years are always better.

Bourik swe pou chwal dekore ak dentel.
The donkey sweats so the horse can be decorated with lace.

Dye mon, gen mon.
Beyond the mountains are more mountains.

Milat pov se neg, neg rich se milat.
A poor mulatto is black, a wealthy black is mulatto.

Santi bon koute che.
Smelling good is expensive.

Proverbs taken from www.haitianproverbs.com