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Campaign 4:
Celebrating
Haitian culture as one of the richest culture in the Western Hemisphere
Action: Consider supporting
Haitian artists by learning more about their work, make plans to follow,
support or attend a performance by the Maroons
*
The Maroons perform in a vast array
of venues, shows, events and celebrations and have as their resume a
list of over 100 performances on various stages throughout Florida and
New York. For a taste of The Maroons, turn on your speakers and log
on to
http://www.poetrytelevision.com/videoplayer/maroons.html
******
THE MAROONS...ENGLISH, KREYOL AND FRENCH SPOKEN WORD PERFORMANCE
POETRY
Caribbean News, Sept. 2005
The Maroons
Miami Lakes, Florida has been under siege since The Maroons, a group
of Haitian and Haitian-American poets, have sought to kidnap the minds,
bodies and souls of their audiences at their weekly venue, The Party
Room. The Maroons, along with Some of South Florida's most prolific
and thought-provoking poets, such as Rebecca "Butterfly" Vaughns,
EmoneLove,
Tyana and Haiti Blues have brought live spoken word poetry to a different
battle front, and they have succeeded in getting their demands met.
Their artistic, soulful, energetic performances demand attention and
they received it willingly from their new captives...
The Original Maroon Statue in Haiti, sculpted by Albert Mangones in
1968.
It seems as if The Maroons have become the host and catalyst of an urban,
eclectic, professional DefPoetryJam which has emerged out of the Haitian
Community. They (The Maroons) have bridged gaps of age, social class,
gender and politics while grounded in their mission to eduatin and free
minds as well as provide community service oriented workshops and performances
to the youth of their community in an effort to combat the crippling
idealogy of no child left behind when it seems as if urban students
of Miami-Dade/Broward are. The list of Maroon performances is to extensive
to publish, but suffice to say, with a resume that boats of NAACP banquets,
Broward Center For Performing Arts, Art Fusion Gallery, Espace Brandt,
Broward Public Main Library, The LandMark Cafe and several middle schools,
high schools and universities...these young and talented poets are doing
what their community leaders should have done a long time ago. Give
back.
Food drives, toy drives, and school supplies to Haiti are just the tip
of the iceberg for The Maroons as they continue to cripple the microphone
with an onslaught and barrage of lyrical virtuosity. When one listens
to their performance of "The Truth" ( listen here http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/underscore
) one cannot but rewind the track and listen in amazement or ask questions
with regards to their admonishment of Levis Jeans, Disney and Immigration
( "Levis jeans and Disney! You better stop the misery in Ayiti,
because I'm baptizing truth like John The Baptist...I Think American
politicans should apply for a green card, JUST to have permission to
walk through my backyard, 62nd St. and Haiti!" )
Haitians, as well as the Caribbean and American community in Miami Lakes
and the surrounding areas have been amazed and enthralled by the multi-lingual
group, The Maroons.
Members of The Maroons (from right to left) include Berwick "Underscore
Augustin, Prosper "Makendal" Sylvain, Jr., Jesler "Deep
In Thought" Mezidor and Roland "Eros" Cherasard.
The group's impeccable usage of the English, Kreyol and French vernacular
as well as their stage performance, presence and different themes of
love, culture, history, political awareness, nationalism, spirituality
and translation of current events has catapulted them into demand by
various groups, organizations and event planners. They tackle issues
of spousal abuse, self-deprecation, addiction, sex, violence, and other
related issues. Their prolific means of bringing the best out of themselves
and their audience has transformed traditional poetry of Haiti into
a rooted and driving force that now encompasses and educates all, no
matter what language you speak or understand.
They have also started a school supply donation drive in South Florida
to help needy children in their homeland of Haiti. The Maroons are now
receiving boxes and bags of supplies not only from Florida residents,
but also New York, Canada, Boston and California. To donate school supplies
to The Maroons for children in Haiti, contact Makendal30@yahoo.com.
As stated before, this socially conscious group of lyricists have taken
on the charge of providing school supplies to La Flor Academy in Arcayais,
Haiti, La Creche Preparatory in Belaire, Haiti and The Emily Pierre
Louis Foundation in Port-Au Prince. In other words, they are putting
their money where their mouth is.
Aside from being poets, The Maroons are actually post-graduate professionals
in the field of engineering, education, law and insurance claims/medical
malpractice litigation. Professionals by day, poets and writers by night.
Berwick Augustin, of The Maroons is a playwright as well as a poet (see
http://www.islandfaith.com/Resume%20page.htm
) whose play, "Libere Liberus" is fast becoming an "in
demand" show due to its content and and characterization of Haitian
and Haitian-American life and history. Prosper "Makendal"
Sylvain's poem, "I Don't Look Haitian?", has been receiving
rave reviews from all over the world. It is a poignant and significant
creation of what Haitians of many complexions and class/academic/social
backgrounds face when asked "you're Haitian? you don't look Haitian!".
Makendal, as he is popularly known, refutes teh idea that Haitians look
a particualr way, whether light skinned or dark, mixed or or not, short
or long hair. His poem is meant to educate the world, as well as fellow
Haitians who have also fallen into this stereotype, that Haiti is an
amalgamation and melting pot of Haitian people with one thing in common...the
bue and red flag of love for Haiti. To read the poem "I Don't Look
Haitian?", and the comments by readers, log on to
http://www.kompamagazine.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=2223&highlight=i+haitian
The Maroons perform in a vast array of venues, shows, events and celebrations
and have as their resume a list of over 100 performances on various
stages throughout Florida and New York. For a taste of The Maroons,
turn on your speakers and log on to
http://www.poetrytelevision.com/videoplayer/maroons.html
.
To find out more about this Friday's Maroon event, click on the link
below.
www.evite.com/makendal30@aol.com/MaroonLivePoetryandParty
Log on to the above link for your invitation to an evening of spoken
word poetry in English, French and Kreyol with The Maroons and some
of South Florida's most erudite and prolific talent.
"Une soirée sans precedant concue pour votre pleine delectation.
Venez grossir avec nous le nombre de ceux qui disent non a la monotonie
et a la mediocrite."
The Maroons, along with the guitar rhythms of Ernest Registre, the conch
shell poetry of Limoné, the powerful verbal imagery of Nadege
Toussaint, and the vibrant electrifying poetry of Brunine Davide (daughter
of famed Ti-Goave poet Maurice David) are planning an evening of spoken
word and lyrical theater followed by a party complete with the best
of Kompa, Zouk, Reggae, Salsa, Merengue, Batchata and more. DJ-AL-X
and DJ
J-LO!!!
The evening starts prompltly at 10:00pm and this week it will have in
its audience
1. The Sun Sentinel
2. The cast of the soon to be released movie, "Oasis", including
Sandra
St Juste, Richard Sénécal, Francette Agnant.
3. Yanick Martin, Carine Jones and special invited guests and
delegations fron national organizations and CBO's.
4. Nancy Francois of the soon to released international youth magazine,
HAY (Haitian American Youth). For more information, log on to
http://www.h-a-y-magazine.net/
.
5. Viter Juste (long time Little Haiti social activist and Maroon
supporter).
The Party Room Banquet Hall
6858 NW 169th Street
Miami Lakes, Florida
Admission: $10.00
826 Expressway to 67th Ave. Head North from Expressway to first traffic
light, make a left, and then another left into the large plaza. The
banquet hall is located in teh right-hand corner of the plaza.
For more information makendal30@yahoo.com, jesler3@hotmail.com .
Dress Code: Casual. No Jeans, No Sneekers, No Hats.
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