#33 - Gaëlle Bien-Aimé's Port-au-Prince
All the news from Haiti this week: Gaëlle Bien-Aimé at the Festival En Lisant, tributes to Ronald Mevs, trade resumes in Ouanaminthe and downtown Port-au-Prince left to on it's own
Playwright and comedian Gaëlle Bien-Aimé was the centerpiece of the Festival En Lisant in Port-au-Prince, which also marked her grand return to the stand-up stage after a 6-year absence. Two of her latest plays, Que ton règne vienne [Let your kingdom come] and Port-au-Prince et sa douce nuit [Port-au-Prince and its sweet night], were staged especially for the event, which this year was dedicated to words about the Haitian capital.
This and more in HAITI WEEKLY #33 by DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO, a collective of journalists and media professionals based in Haiti.
Editor’s note: Merry Christmas and Happy Haitian Independence Day to all our followers. See you in January!
Étienne Côté-Paluck
Summary #33
En Lisant: Stand-up, Freestyle and 2 New Theatrical Productions
Music Video of the Week: Brize by Troubleboy Hitmaker
Posthumous Tribute to Artist Ronald Mevs
Ouanaminthe: Trade Resumes, Construction Continues
Port-au-Prince: Mariani Still Blocked, Downtown Left on its Own
Press Review of the Week
En Lisant: Stand-up, Freestyle and 2 New Theatrical Productions
Port-au-Prince was at the center of the eighth edition of the En Lisant theater festival with special guest Gaëlle Bien-Aimé in the spotlight. From humor to theater, social criticism marked the festival's activities.
Gaëlle Bien-Aimé in the spotlight at the Festival de théâtre En Lisant - Le National
"For theater to be Haitian, it has to be in Creole. Period", explained (in Creole) Gaëlle Bien-Aimé, guest of honor at the festival, during a "carte-blanche" talk on December 13. But her plays are written in French.
She is not opposed to writing in another language, such as French, which she insists is more about promoting Haitian culture abroad. In fact, she hopes to translate her two most recent plays from French into Creole for Haitian audiences.
Pour que ton règne vienne, directed by David Charlier, has been performed twice. It tells the story of two men from different backgrounds who meet by chance in a cul-de-sac and are forced to join forces to survive a hectic night in the capital. The set, made of gas cans, tires and rusty sheet metal, was a very contemporary echo to this urban drama.
Que ton règne vienne or the urgent need to represent chaos in Haiti . Le Nouvelliste
Port-au-Prince et sa douce nuit explores the relationship of a passionate couple torn apart by extraordinary situations, in a city plagued by protests that have turned into riots. This "love letter to Port-au-Prince", according to Bien-Aimé, won the RFI Théâtre 2022 award.
In the intimacy of "Port-au-Prince" and its gentle night by Gaëlle Bien-Aimé . Le Nouvelliste
Gaëlle Bien-Aimé also took the opportunity to make a grand return to the stand-up stage after a six-year absence. For over an hour, her show Keskonfè tackled the contradictions of society as well as more personal issues, sometimes both together.
“The gangs certainly haven't heard Zafèm's latest album, otherwise they would have laid down their arms and started making love. Among themselves, if need be.”
- Excerpt (adapted in English) from Keskonfè, by Gaëlle Bien-Aimé
An evening of freestyle rap was also organized as part of the Festival En Lisant, on the premises of Kit Média. Some of the city's most famous young rappers came to perform improvised rhymes.
Freestyle remains a very popular form among the capital's youth, according to festival director Eliezer Guérismé, who also offered a few rhymes.
In addition to rappers Woolens Strong and Chelo Pleb Muzik, singer Joël Pierrevil from the group Akoustik joined the event to sing a some tunes to dancehall and hip-hop rhythms.
Festival En Lisant opens in Port-au-Prince . Le Nouvelliste
A photo and multimedia exhibition, linking theater and human rights, was also presented at Maison Dufort by Festival En Lisant. The exhibition was preceded by workshops with theater artists from Port-au-Prince, in collaboration with FOKAL and Lawyers Without Borders Canada.
End of the 8th edition of the Festival En Lisant . Le Nouvelliste
Music Video of the Week
Brize - Troubleboy Hitmaker feat. Tafa Mi-Soleil
Rapper and singer Troubleboy teams up with young singer Tafa Mi-Soleil for a languid tale of heartbreak, set to an Afro beat with compas accents.
“My heart was broken once. I cried several times. Each time, I ask myself, will I know how to love again?” is the chorus of this video, which was released last week and has just passed half a million views on the Youtube platform.
Posthumous Aribute to Artist Ronald Mevs
After an initial event in Port-au-Prince, Jacmel artists gathered at the Vieux-Four restaurant on the main street to pay their last respects to one of their own, Ronald Mevs, who died of cancer earlier this month. A posthumous collective work was created on the spot.
Haiti's visual arts in mourning: Ronald Mevs has made the long journey - Le National
Ronald Mevs or the sense of the other . Le Nouvelliste
Ronald Mevs, from Manhattan to Jacmel: three decades of a singular journey . Le Nouvelliste
Ouanaminthe: Trade Resumes, Construction Continues
Construction of the Ouanaminthe canal continued this week, despite some problems with cement supplies. Thanks to new sources of supply, work at the junction of the canal and the Massacre river, which had been temporarily interrupted, has resumed.
Meanwhile, the Haitian border fence is still at the bottom of the river, having been destroyed by a truck driver with the complicity of the Dominican authorities, in all likelihood. It was originally located at the entrance to the bridge that connects the two countries. We are still waiting to hear from the Haitian authorities, who had promised to keep the barrier closed.
Ouanaminthe: trade resumes between Haiti and the Dominican Republic . Le Nouvelliste
Konstriksyon Kanal Wanament lan Apre yon Poz Akoz Mank Materyo - VOA
Border reopening divides citizens in Ouanaminthe - Le National
Port-au-Prince: Mariani Still Blocked, Downtown Left on its Own
Fighting continues in Mariani, where an armed group has been trying to take control of the area southwest of Port-au-Prince since November. Traffic to the south of the country is once again blocked on most days, while commercial flights to the Grand Sud are fully booked for the holiday season.
PNH on war footing in Mariani . Le Nouvelliste
PNH demolishes and burns houses in Mariani | Loop Haiti
Mariani: drivers in the Grand Sud left to their own devices - Le National
A PNH bulldozer was set on fire last Saturday by bandits controlling Marian - L'exclusivité
Air traffic: Haiti has its own radar . Le Nouvelliste
Numerous truck hijackings have also been reported near the city center. Our team witnessed at least one such incident near the Marché Charbon 10 days ago. Ambushes have also been reported near the port, opposite the La Saline neighborhood, where activities where still suspended last Tuesday. There are rumors that the armed groups controlling the area are trying to impose a compulsory payment system for each container leaving the port.
“The city is emerging from its torpor, despite an untenable economic and security situation. The streets are teeming with an agitated, motley crowd. [...] All these "resilient" people deserve a little dignity. The city's street corners deserve a clean sweep.”
Excerpt from Santa Claus and the garbage
Le National editorial by Roody Edmé (December 19, 2023)
As the holiday season approaches, traffic is increasing in several neighborhoods in the Port-au-Prince area, such as Bourdon and downtown Pétion-Ville. This underscores the renewed confidence of residents. The streets of Delmas were also busy on Christmas Eve.
“There will be fireworks that a large part of the population will see from their makeshift shelters. No one will be shy about showing off their joys and riches, while the boat is taking on water on all sides. Even midnight mass has become a rarity in recent years. Fear still lurks in the streets, even if tradition still throws a crowd of revelers onto the streets on December 24, enjoying this one night and thinking that perhaps the soul-eaters have business elsewhere.”
Excerpt from It’s still Christmas!
Le National editorial by Gary Victor (December 23, 2023)
On December 20, a spectacular kidnapping at the bottom of the Avenue Jean-Paul II (Turgeau), near the Avenue Christophe, alarmed the inhabitants of the capital, which is still surrounded by areas controlled by armed criminal groups. On Thursday, the Canapé-Vert road was blocked by the residents because of the kidnapping of one of their fellow citizens.
DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO’s team
Photojournalists: Francillon Laguerre, Sonson Thelusma, Andoo Lafond, Milot Andris, Patrick Payin
Editorial board: Etienne Côté-Paluck, Jean Elie Fortiné, Jean-Paul Saint-Fleur
Interns: Wilky Andris, Donley Jean Simon
Special collaboration: Stéphanie Tourillon-Gingras, Mateo Fortin Lubin, Siffroy Clarens, Jéthro-Claudel Pierre Jeanty, Welele Doubout, Delano Morel, Chrisfort Louis, Wilgens Devilas,
Media partners: Centre à la Une, J-COM, Nord-Est Info
Institutional partners: Kay Fanm, Mouka.ht
How Does Your Contribution Help?
Your monthly support helps to finance the production and pay the salaries of the DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO staff in the communities of Cité-Soleil, Port-au-Prince and Cayes-Jacmel. In addition, donations are regularly distributed for medical expenses, school fees and other emergencies in these communities.
Press Reviews of the Week
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to HAITI WEEKLY by DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.