HAITIAN FASHION

During one of the classes we had this semester, I was assigned to present on Haitian fashion. I was excited to have this topic to present on since I am an avid reader of any fashion related material. At first, I was really clueless as I had never known about or heard of any popular fashion trends, designers or models related to Haiti...at least that is what I thought. However, what I discovered about Haitian fashion was really amazing.

The Karabella dress and Guayabera were the results I got from researching on traditional Haitian wear. The Karabella dress is a beautiful pompous dress with layers of ruffles at the skirt section of the dress and it is worn with a head piece that resembles the Gele often worn by West African women. The dress is worn by Haitian women at festivals especially during the Quadrille dance. On the other hand, men wear the Guayabera, a white shirt, which is also worn by men in other Caribbean states.

Karabella dress and Guayabera shirt

Carnaval De Fleurs, a festival celebrated by Haitians that seeks to highlight Haiti's flora, really caught my eye during my research. The festival which is celebrated annually is full of energy and color! Residents dress up in flower-like costumes and put on complementing accessories to brighten their outfits. The women also apply heavy glam make-up by putting on popping eye shadow colors and shouting lipstick hues. The festival was also established to boost Haiti's tourism.

Carnaval De Fleurs

Stella Jean is one of the notable fashion designers from Haiti whose work I fell in love with. She uses traditional fabrics with rich patterns and with the help of Italian high-fashion technology, she creates clothes with a contemporary design. Stella, a Haitian-Italian, uses her brand to develop Haiti by creating sustainable jobs for Haitian artisans and craftsmen.

Stella Jean

Stella Jean designs

  Another notable fashion designer of Haitian descent is Hassan Pierre. His garments are constructed with organic, eco-friendly fabrics, natural dyes and recycled zippers. His work has even been featured in world class magazines like Vogue and Marie Claire.

Hassan Pierre



Hassan Pierre's designs

 

 

 

 

 



 

I love seeing African models feature in catwalks or in high-end fashion magazines. That's why I just had to write something on the beautiful Jany Remponeau Tomba (above) in this post. She was a model in the 1960s and 1970s. She is a Haitian who moved to America as an immigrant and was discovered by a fashion magazine editor. She has appeared on magazines like American Girl, Woman's Day, Mademoiselle and Essence.
Former fashion model and actress, Gracelle Beauvais (below) is also of Haitian descent. I have seen her in a few of Hollywood movies but I previously had no idea of her origin. She has also appeared in Essence magazine and modeled for well-known cosmetic companies like Avon, Mary Kay and Clariol.

Haiti also has a fashion magazine called Amour Creole that also offers readers the latest in movies and music along with expert relationship on relationships, family, careers and so much more.

 Like many other countries, Haiti also hold an annual fashion week which they call Ayiti Fashion Week (A.F.W) that brings together major players in the Haitian fashion industry and promotes Haitian designs and culture.

A.F.W

'MANJE AYISIEN'- HAITIAN CUISINE

Background Knowledge

Haitian cuisine originates from several culinary styles. It is influenced by Hispaniola, French, African, Spanish and Middle Eastern cuisine. Spices and Herbs are widely used along with peppers for flavoring food. The type of food eaten varies according to the time of day and also the type of event being celebrated.

Popular Haitian Dishes

Mayi Moulen

It is a corn meal porridge cooked with garlic, pepper, butter or margarine.

Mayi Moulen

 

 

 

 

Bouillon

Bouillon is a hearty stew consisting of a variety of spices, potatoes, tomatoes and either goat meat or beef. Maggi Bouillon cubes are used to add and enhance the flavor of this stew.

Puole en Sauce

This is a Haitian stewed chicken dish that is often served with rice.

Bouillon and Poule en Sauce

 Legim

Legim is a thick vegetable stew that consists of eggplant, cabbage, chayote, spinach and watercress. It is also flavored with epis*, onions, garlic and tomato paste.

*epis is a base for most Haitian dishes. It is a sauce made from cooked peppers, garlic and herbs.

 Pikliz

This is a spicy Haitian slaw or salad. It consitis of shredded cabbage, sliced peppers and grated
carrots. The vegetables are marinated in vinegar for about five days to enhance the flavor.

Legim and Pikliz

 

Fresco

This is a sweet frozen dessert made with fruit syrup usually sold on the streets of Haiti by vendors. It tends to attract bees because of the fruit syrup hence it's not a surprising sight to see a vendor surrounded by bees.

Pen Patat

This is a soft and sweet bread made using cinnamon, evaporated milk and sweet potato. It is often served cold.

Fresco and Pen Patat

 Popular Haitian Beverages

Alcoholic Beverages

Rhum Barbancourt

Rhum Barbancourt is a rum brand and a popular export of Haiti. It is also enjoyed by the locals.

Cremas 

It is also known as 'Kremas' in Ayisien. Cremas is made from creamed coconut, evaporated or sweet condensed milk and rum. Spices, vanilla extract and raisins are also added. It is served at special events and holidays or consumed along with a sweet pastry.

Beer

It is often served at festivals and parties. The most popular beer in Haiti is Prestige.

Rhum Barbancourt, Cremas and Prestige beer

Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Tropical Juices

Fruit juices like guava, grapefruit, mango, orange and passion are widely enjoyed in Haiti.

Cola Courrone

This is a fruit champagne carbonated drink.

Coffee

Haitians enjoy drinking coffee. The most popular coffee brands are Rebo and Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee.




Tropical juices, Cola Courrone and Rebo and Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

Additional Haitian Dishes and Beverages

Tchaka

This is a stew consisting of hominy (dried maize kernels), beans, pumpkin and meat often pork. An interesting fact is that Tchaka is used as an offering to the Iwa spirits of Haitian Vodou.

Griyo

This is fried pork.

 Akasan

This is a thick corn milkshake made using evaporated milk, sugar and corn flour.

Tchaka, Griyo and Akasan

 We got the opportunity to enjoy Haitian food in class which you can view here.

Poulet Dg

For the week 7 topic, Negritude and the arts each of us was given a country. Mine was Cameroon. AS you'll note from my other post I was to present on Cameroon and also, COOK a traditional dish. We created  a whats up group  and agreed on me cooking the Poulet Dg. The name is quite interesting for the Dg is an acronym for "Directeur Général" (Director general). It is also known to be a special meal  that was only prepared for important people but is these days enjoyed by all. 

 Thank God for the site I found that not  only had the recipe but also provided visual aid that helped me know I was doing every step correctly. http://www.macocote.com/poulet-dg/. In the ingredients Plantains were one of the main components and truth be told I have always thought that they were just ripe bananas like the 'matoke but ripe matoke'. :)

Well it turns out that is not the case. You can not buy the 'matoke' and give it some days to turn into plantains. They are to different things . In actual truth the plantains are not as easy to find at the market. The cooking process was nerve wrecking. The fact that I have attempted to cook chicken before and been told it as 'okay' didn't help make thing easier. To know that more than two people are expecting your food to appear a particular way  (since there was a photo I  posted) or also that there was no time for trial and error having prepared the meal the morning that the class was to take place. 

My own mother had suggested that I maybe make a complementary dish just in case I failed on this one. Many are thinking what was the final verdict well, I succeeded!!

The photo I posted

My Poulet Dg

Cameroon

Cameroon is one of those rare countries that was colonized by more than one colonial ruler namely the Germans, British and the French.

  

The dark orange represents the German Kamerun, The dark red the British Cameroons, the dark blue the French Cameroun and the dark green the Republic of Cameroon. 

French Cameroun gained independence first on the 1st of January in 1960 as the La Republique du Cameroun. The northern two thirds of the British cameroons who were mainly Muslims opted to join Nigeria while the southern Cameroons voted to join with the republic of Cameroon thus becoming the Federal Republic of Cameroon. 

Its first chosen president was Ahmadou Ahidjo in 1961. He was in power for 21 years and in !982 he willingly stepped down for his successor Paul Biya. As one can imagine for those 21 years many were loyal to him and as such he was believed to have been behind the 1984 attempted coup which led to the death of approximately 71-1,000 people. As a result Ahmadou was exiled to France and later died in Senegal. 

Paul Biya is the second president of Cameroon. His been in power since 1982. For the past 32 years they've been elections that he has won. His wife Chantal Biya is famously known for Her hairstyles.

His wife Chantal Biya and is famously known for her hairstyles which during the recent African summit in the America an article about it was published in the Washington post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/wp/2014/08/04/the-first-lady-of-cameroon-and-her-hair-have-touched-down-in-d-c/

Cameroon fashion has been noticed across the globe with the embassy of Cameroon being present during the African Fashion Week an event which was organized by a Cameroonian designer Miss Diana Tambe. The designer that intrigued me the most from Cameroon was Patou Manga. He showcased his work in Amsterdam during the African Fashion Week. The United Fashion for Peace referred to his work as Dandy Urban style. His style is popularly known as the Patou style.  http://webzine.unitedfashionforpeace.com/ethical-fashion-trends/patou-manga-dandy-urban-style/#.VFkHkBYQv1U

'La Ville-Lumiere'-The City of Lights.

   

Paris

The initial thoughts that come into my mind when I visualized Paris were romance, medieval architecture and baguettes in Parisians' bags as they walked about the city streets. However, during this past Friday's French lesson I discovered there is more to Paris than what we see in Hollywood movies. The city is the capital city of France and was nicknamed 'City of Lights' as a result of the Age of Enlightenment. This nickname took a literal sense in the 1980s when French statesman, Napoleon the third had the boulevard and streets of Paris illuminated by fifty six thousand gas lamps.

George-Eugene Haussmann's Renovation of Paris

Haussmann was a state's representative of the Seine region (where Paris is located) and he was commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte to renovate Paris. He achieved this by demolishing congested neighborhoods and building wide avenues, parks and boulevards to connect various areas in the city. Before this renovation, Paris was a filthy city with slums scattered all over the place and narrow roads that horse-carts could barely pass through. The city was also divided into administrative districts, 'arrondissements' in French. Haussmann's project saw a change in the face and structure of the city which we now admire.


George-Eugene Haussmann 

           


Renovation of Paris

 

 Famous Places in Paris

Eiffel tower

The Eiffel tower is a symbol used internationally when referring to the French nation. The lattice iron tower was completed in 1889 to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the French revolution.



Eiffel Tower

 

 

Notre Dame de Paris

A historic Catholic cathedral built using a gothic style of architecture, Notre Dame de Paris is one of Paris' greatest tourist attractions. The building features stained glass windows, gigantic bells and gargoyle statues. The cathedral reminds me of the 1996 Disney animation, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which was inspired by a fictional novel authored by French writer, Victor Hugo.

Notre Dame de Paris

Cafes in Paris

Cafes or coffee houses in Paris are very popular among the French people. Cafes are currently a place where hot beverages and meals are served, usually located on a street beside a road. Pastries like croissants, tartes, crepes and crème brulee are served in Parisian cafes. However, previously cafes were more than just a place to order a cup of coffee and watch traffic by the roadside while reading the daily L'Humanite. They were previously meeting points for intellectuals to discuss, share and exchange ideas.

Parisian café

 

  Louvre Museum

The Louvre is a world famous museum with a collection of popular antiques, sculptures and art work.

Louvre Museum and Pyramid



 Champs Elyseé

It is a boulevard in the 8th arrondissement where the Elysee palace (official residence of the French president) is located. It is also home to the monument, Arc de Triomphe.




From left: Elysee Palace and Arc de Triomphe

Métro de Paris

The Paris Metro is a subway system in the Paris metropolitan area. It facilitates the transportation of millions of French citizens and tourists daily.

Paris Metro

Quartier Latin

Also known as the Latin Quarter of Paris, it's an area known for its bustling student life, lively atmosphere and bistros. Several universities are found here for example, L'Universite de Paris or Sorbonne.

Quartier Latin

Montmartre

It is an area located on a hill where many popular artists like Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir are believed to have worked. The beautiful Basilica of Sacre-Couer is also found here.

From left: Basilica of Sacre-Coeur and Place du Tetre in Montrmatre

Other places of interest 

Belleville

This is a multi-racial neighborhood in Paris situated on a hill. The name Belleville means 'beautiful town' in French. Belleville offers a view to a completely different side of Paris that is portrayed by media. The town has a majority of Asian and African residents. The streets and subway stations are decorated with graffiti art and several Chinese restaurants are located here.

Graffiti art on the streets of Belleville

Museé Dapper

This is a center located in Paris that hosts numerous exhibitions of African art. It was established to bring into view African culture through art pieces, sculptures and story telling sessions.

From left: Musee Dapper entrance and African art exhibition

 

The study of the City of Lights was definitely eye-opening. The Parisian parks, museums, cafes and cathedrals are definitely irresistible to the ordinary tourist and enjoyed by the Parisian residents daily. It is a city illuminated by rich history and culture and of course world-class cuisine. A visit to Paris just landed itself on my bucket list!

HAITIAN MUSIC

 

         BACKGROND INFORMATION

 

   Haiti is the 3rd largest country in the Caribbean.Her population is estimated to be 9.8 million.The Haiti combines wide range of influences.This is of the people who settled on the Caribbean island.It reflects the French, English, Spanish and widely of African rhythm.The instruments used in Haitian music was brought over by foreign countries more especially Africa.Therefore music is a vital in the Haitian  culture.

 

                   ZOUK 

  The zouk originated from the caribbean island of Guadloupe and Martinique.The zouk music was much popularized by the FrenchAntilles Kassau in 1980.Zouk have a fast tempo jump.In the present, Zouk is characterized by a slow and soft rhythm.CLICK TO WATCH A VIDEO HERE.

 

           ROCK KREYOL

Originated as rock and roll in the 1960.

It was widely performed by the  Eye band

( in Nigeria)

Today Haitian rock is alternative rock music with the blend of Caribbean flavor.CLICK TO WATCH A VIDEO

 

  

              COMPASS

  Born in the 19th century.Also known as compas direct.Popularized by sax and guitar player(Jean-Baptiste)It’s the main music of countries such as Dominica and French Antilles.CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO

   

          HAITIAN HIP HOP

   Haitian Hip hop is more popular with the Haitian youth.Often  the music communicates a social, political s well as materialism. The musical beats are frequently with urban sounds.Lately the music has risen to be popular.CLICK TO WATCH A VIDEO

          MINI JAZZ

  Originally formed in mid 60s. 

  It is  characterized by rock band formula of two guitars.One bass , drum-conga-cowbul, alto sax and full horn.Other use keyboard, accordion or lead guitar.

  However,  small jazz/band had their guitar with sophisticated styles.Tabou Combo is known to be the most popular ensemble of Haiti on the Mini- Jazz music.WATCH VIDEO

              CALYPSO

  Originated from Trinidad in the 20th century.It’s rhythm is traced back to West Africa. It’s characterized by highly rhythmic and harmonic vocal often sung by French creoles.The music allows creative defiance in the face of oppression in all forms.CLICK TO WATCH THE VIDEO

 

SENEGAL

               SENEGALESE MEAL AND DRINKS  

    As legacy of the French rule.Senegalese start their day with bread mainly in Dakar where there are croissant and pastries for breakfast.Main meals consist of rice dishes , couscous and millet.These form the basis of many dishes Proteins usually provided by meat, peanuts or fish.Senegalese favorite meal is THIEBOUDIENNE the This is chunks of fish stuffed with herbs, served on bed of rice and les vegetables . Another popular meal is   YASSA POULET,grilled chicken marinated in an onion and lemon soup. Consequently, there are Common drinks which  is the BISSAP.
It’s made from hibiscus ,sugar and water.Ginger juice ( gingembre in french) is popular.

                                    FASHION

     Having pride in one’s appearance is very important to the Senegalese.Even the poorest people try to be well dressed.Men and women wear beautifully-designed long flowing robes-BOUBOU.Equally important, women dress in colorful and elegant garments. Even when they are carrying out daily chores.Markets are usually full of stalls selling beautiful fabrics Tailors turns these fabrics into the most remarkable Boubou.

                                    MUSIQUE

     YOUSSOU D’NOUR is described as the father of music and the most singer alive in Senegal. He developed a style of popular music known in the serer language   MBALAX. YOUSSOUD’NOUR MUSIC

    

                                     RELIGION

       Islam is the religion of the vast majority of the population.

It is practised through involvement in groups known as muslimbrotherhood -Qadiri,Tijani and Mouridis.Spiritual leader are called MARABOUTS Senegal mostsacred city-Tabou, is the birth place of AMADOU BAMBA M’BACKE who was the founder MOURIDIS brothers.

Christianity is also practised but with a small population.

They are the Roman Catholics and Protestants. View photo of christians praying in Senegal