Wyclef and other Haitian musicians unite against COVID-19 with virtual concert
Some of Haiti’s best musicians are coming together for a good cause; that is via a computer screen near you.
With Miami’s Haitian Compas Festival canceled and the COVID-19 global pandemic sidelining artists and forcing the cancellation of other Haitian Heritage Month events —yes, May snuck up on us while we were isolating — artists have decided to donate their time and talent to help Haiti respond to the novel coronavirus.
The Haitian-American Alliance Covid-19 Concert will be live streamed from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, May 17, the day before Haiti Flag Day, on the Facebook and Instagram pages of the Haitian Times, and its Youtube channel. The online publication is one of the sponsors along with the New York chapter of the Haitian Medical Association Abroad.
Because this is a virtual event, artists will be performing from their home base, which in this case includes South Florida, New Jersey and Port-au-Prince. The line-up stars Grammy winner Wyclef Jean, along with konpa bands, Klass, NuLook and Harmonik. There’s also Belo, Darline Desca, Ram, Paul Beaubrun, Vayb and Buyu Ambroise Jazz ensemble. They represent racine, jazz, twoubadou, folk and other genres.
Garry Pierre-Pierre, the publisher of the Haitian Times, said the cross-section of Haitian genre was intentionally chosen to highlight the country’s diversity, and unity.
“This is as much a celebration of our culture as it is a fundraiser,” said Pierre-Pierre. “We want to share our culture at the same time we’re asking for help. Haiti’s culture is rich and diverse and I believe people will get a glimpse of that.”
The goal of the event, he said, is to raise money for those in the Haitian diaspora who have been hit hard by the pandemic, and for Haiti. Infections in the country are rapidly rising and are expected to peak either later this month or June. Public health experts are predicting as many as 432,000 infected Haitians will be in need of hospitalizations, which would surely collapse an already weak healthcare system. The number of deaths are expected to be in the tens of thousands.
Along with the musical performances, well-known Haitian-Americans and others will share encouraging words of hope during the livestream.
“We felt that it is important to do something like this,” said Dr. Jean Claude Compas, a retired family practice physician and AMHE member. “The models of COVID-19 that we’re looking at for Haiti are flashing red and if we don’t do something, it will make the devastation from the earthquake look small in terms of human lives lost.”
The concert will be hosted by Carel Pedre, a prominent Haiti media personality.
Organizers have set an ambitious goal of $500,000 to be donated to the Haiti Global Health Alliance, which has been tasked to lead the response to the pandemic in the country. The funds will be collected via a Gofundme page created by the Haitian Medical Association Abroad, a non-profit working in the U.S.
This story was originally published May 14, 2020 at 10:30 AM.
