Photo by Makaya PC Graphix

HAY Online Media

by Nancy Francois

Well as I am always surfing the web to see how do we, those born here with no clue on what is happening more than a few news feeds that past many on Facebook, get information. I must do some things to make search results come up naturally as possible without help from some browsers who present best search engine results based on my previous searches.

So I will just go into something I have been interested in recently through observing last May, at Zakafest that was held May 3, 2014 in Little Haiti now known by officially as Lemon City, Rara culture.

I cannot believe at my 32 years of age I never was told or knew about Rara till a client, Coach Peter of North Miami Senior High School, educated me on the true meaning of Haitian folk concepts often times misconstrued. Yes much is practiced in Haiti, yet not all is of evils.

I sensed the reasons for my mother not telling of this, when I called her while waiting to follow a Little Haiti procession in front of a great couple friends house Mano and Beverly(Congrats by the way on soon to come addition :-) ) As usual, I digrees, lol. Well, my mother was so like, "Oh, oh kisa wap fe nan Rara?"(What are you doing at Rara?) I was like, "Bump that, why did you not tell me?" Fast forward a few days later, I asked my homegirls who are Haitian American too, "Have you ever been to or heard of Rara?" They all said, "No what is that chile? You are more Haitian than me, lol." So my point and why I am starting to share is because much in how we search and what is present online make it frustrating and difficult to even stumble on gems of Haitian culture such as, Rara.

Misconceptions of it are many. Yes many characters enjoy Rara. Much is crazy about it, yet hearing Christian hymms I remembered from Church (of course after countless play backs in my head of words familiar to get that it was the song, lol) put a different face to it for me. Now the infighting of who is the best is another story I leave to another. My opinion on who is the best is well known and yes I am bias with it on so many levels. I admit, I am partial. Yet all of the bands do their thing in their way. I salute all Rara bands mainly for one reason, they keep the Haitian culture alive while many just want to shun it away until it is convenient for publicity. Where was the interest the countless years many struggled?(so much another topic to address in a later post)

Much respect to pioneers like Samba Zao, Matisou Legba, Jean Rene Charles, Manno Charlemagne and Wawa and many who should be known.

Nan non Grand Met la, Merci (In the name of the Most High, Thank You)

P.S. I am trying with my Creole and feel free to kindly correct without a nasty tone in reply.

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