haitian musician

Haitian Violinist Romel Joseph died at the age of 56

Here is the picture of the famous Haitian Violinist Romel Joseph who passed away at the age of 56. Romel Joseph was trapped for over 18 hours after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

Romel Joseph, the famous Haitian violinist has passed away on October 6th, following a heart attack. In a note, issued by the Jean Marc Arthur Orante, the Haitian Minister of Culture of the Youth (GJH) has confirmed the sad demise of this famous blind violinist occurred at the Hospital Bernard Mevs and has extended government's sincere condolences to his family, relatives, friends, all Haitian artists and all those afflicted by this disappearance. The violinist survived the January 2010 earthquake after spending 18 hours pinned under concrete rubbles. When he was asked later how he was feeling under the concrete rubbles with a fractured hand and two crushed legs, he had said, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad. The day before his death, on October 5th, his daughter Victoria posted a message on Facebook asking well wishers to pray for her father who had suffered a stroke while in Haiti. Hours later, the social media site turned into a memorial, filled with messages of condolence.

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Klass, winner of Best Haitian Entertainer of the Year 2015

Here is a picture of Rchie, the maestro of the Haitian group Klass, winner of Best Haitian Entertainer of the Year 2015.

On October 4, 2015 at the Bailey Hall of Broward College Central Campus in Davie, Florida, during the 34th Annual International Reggae & World Music Awards (IRAWMA) ceremony, the Haitian Compas band 'Klass' has been given the "Best Haitian Entertainer of the Year 2015" award. Another Haitian Compas band based in Florida, has won the "Florida Haitian Entertainer of the Year" award for 2015. Every year, the International Reggae & World Music Awards are announced under the management of the THELAR Management Group and Martin's International Culture. Experts on Haitian music participate from the U.S, Europe, Canada, France and Africa who look after the nomination process, and the winner is selected on their releases between June 2014 and May 31st, 2015 by considering their social relevance, popularity at different levels, stage appearances, originality, etc. The THELAR Management Group oversees the Haitian category.

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Haitian rara music tought in formal classroom setting

The Haitian rara music has become truely international. Due to its popularity, efforts have been made to make it even more popular by teaching the young Haitian the Rara music.

'Rara music' is one form of traditional Haitian festival music that takes place throughout the Easter Week and is performed mainly in street processions. Its songs are sung in Kreyòl that speaks about the African ancestry of the Afro-Haïtian masses and it blends the Voodoo and Christian influences with rhythms. To preserve this form of traditional culture, Little Haiti Cultural Center in Miami has created 'Rara Institute' where the teens can learn to make and play traditional Rara instruments in a formal classroom setting. Rara musical instruments generally consist of a set of cylindrical bamboo trumpets called vaksen (sometimes made of metal pipes), güiros or güiras (a percussion instrument), maracas, drums, and metal bells. Their summer workshop that culminated with the Haitian Heritage Festival in May 2015 is the start of a long-term program to incorporate Rara and other traditional Haitian music.

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Tifane and her musical accomplishment

Tifane has a lot of awards to justify her musical talent. she received Revelation of the year 2005 award, the Ticket Gold Award 2006 by Musique en Folie, Best Female Artist in New York in April 2007, the Honor and Merit Award in March 2007 for her contribution to the realization of project "Cultural Discovery" of World Vision Haiti.

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