PAPJazz Haïti: COVID-19 survivor

The Festival, the music, the diaspora; resilience and passion

Port-au-Prince International Jazz Festival, commonly known as PAPJazz Haïti is an annual jazz festival held in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The festival was first held in 2007 and has since become one of the most important cultural events in the country, and ultimately, one of the largest jazz festivals in the Caribbean. The festival features performances by local and international jazz artists, as well as workshops and educational programs for Haitian musicians.

PAPJazz Haïti is organized by the Fondation Haïti Jazz (Haiti Jazz Foundation), a non-profit organization that seeks to promote jazz music and culture in Haiti and providing opportunities for Haitian musicians to showcase their talents. The organization also provides music education and training programs to young Haitian musicians.

PAPJazz is usually held in late January or early February and takes place over several days, and has been held in various locations throughout Port-au-Prince, including the historic Hotel Oloffson and the Place Boyer. The festival has hosted many notable jazz musicians, including Branford Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, and Christian McBride, Marcus Miller, Richard Bona, and David Murray, among others. PAPJazz has also helped to showcase the talents of many Haitian jazz musicians, such as Beken, Mushy Widmaier, and Jowee Omicil.

Despite facing many challenges, including political instability and natural disasters, PAPJazz has continued to thrive and attract audiences from around the world. The festival has become an important cultural event in Haiti and a symbol of resilience and hope for the Haitian people.

In 2023, the festival was held in the northern city of Cap-Haïtien or Okap as it is referred to locally. This after the pandemic upended jazz festivals globally, but also because of the turmoil still present in Port-au-Prince after the assassination of the Haitian president Jovenel Moïse, in July 2021. If anything, Haiti shows that resiliance is the hallmark of the country where nothing can eliminate the spirit of the people — revolution, ostracism, extortion, dictatorship, country intervention, natural disaster, political turmoil, poverty.

In January 2021, PAPJazz was the sole live in-person jazz festival in the middle of the global pandemic during a downward trend in active cases in the country. While there was a global peak in cases and deaths from COVID-19 at that time, Haiti had a surprisingly low rate of infection, and the country hosted audiences and musicians from overseas to have the event. Speaking to organisers of the festival, they said, “In Haiti, we are constantly in the unpredictable and challenging, achieving the PAPJAZZ every year is a great challenge especially in the uncertain socio-politicaleconomic context in which we live in. Challenges become our strength, we find solutions very quickly and have great ease of adaptation. The health crisis was ultimately another challenge.” Further, “In September, most of our European based partnering embassies wanted to have a live presence, meanwhile, all the [wider] American partnering embassies, had decided for a virtual presence. Haiti Jazz Foundation’s own productions, were going to be live with artists coming from the US, Canada, Europe, and La

Réunion island, as all of the artists had all their concerts cancelled in their respective countries. Important to mention that ALL of the artists wanted to come to Haiti to play live in front of a real audience, none wanted to do a virtual concert.” The show must go on !. The PAPJazz team in 2023 delivered a message that could not make it any clearer:

If we can bring together musicians from half a dozen countries at PAPJAZZ in January 2023, another Haiti is still possible.

If the city of Cap-Haitien can host this international festival over 3 days, January 2023 is that another Haiti is still possible.

If we can bring together local, regional and international audiences, to enjoy good music in a friendly atmosphere in January 2023, it’s just another Haiti is still possible.

If we can make the music industry work (musicians, technicians), the tourism industry (hotels, restaurants, transport, etc.), such as the sector communication (graphic designer, printer, community manager, photographer, videographer, media, etc.) in January 2023, another Haiti is still possible.

If we were able to rally men and women, businesses, institutions, partners to work together to materialize this event, in January 2023, is that another Haiti is still possible.

In short, if we can carry out the 16th edition of PAPJAZZ in January 2023, at Cap Haitien is that another Haiti is still possible.

Yes, we believe that with willpower, love, passion, tolerance, respect, truth, integrity and justice, another Haiti is still possible! We believe in it! And you ?

Haitian-American bassist Jonathan Michel calls his debut album MDR “an entry into the world of music as me. I think it’s a great representation.” And with that declaration, Michel, along with drummer Jeremy Dutton and vibraphonist Joel Ross, plays trio-based jazz that becomes an extension of the live gig scene this musician has been a part of for much of his career. The album touches on a range of genres that identify with the Caribbean-born in the diaspora. Jazz, spirituals, Haitian folk songs, R&B are all distilled through that enhanced prism with smallunit playing; bass and drum anchor a space for the vibraphone to resonate. The bass is never far away, and we hear why Michel is the leader on this album, with the old Negro spiritual “Wade in the Water” taking a frenetic spin in tandem with the improvisations of the vibraphone. Fellow Haitian child-of-thediaspora Melanie Charles adds her soul-inspired voice on the bookend tracks.

Caribbean Beat

Godwin

Global (Blue Room Music, 2019)

When wanderlust coincides with discovery, great things can happen. When it is your job to travel to perform, it should be your duty to discover all that you are in the context of new vistas. Saxophone sideman to the stars Godwin Louis has travelled to over one hundred countries, and focused his discovery on the history of African and diaspora music across the world. His aptly titled debut album Global , a two-CD package, features “compositions that emerged out of research that he performed in Africa and Latin America on the music exported out of Africa, to the rest of the world via the transatlantic slave trade.” Audacious in scope, adept in execution, this HaitianAmerican has compiled a record featuring jazz syncopation that juxtaposes with African rhythm and Latin American voices and Antillean grooves, making this a testament to the idea of connectedness in modern music. By joining all the musical dots, Louis spiritually finds his way home.

Caribbean Beat

The Haitian jazz spirit will endure! Available