Kanaval - Haiti Observer Blog

The Official List of the committee members for the 2017 Haiti Carnival has been selected and made official.
The National Carnival 2017 will take place in Les Cayes on the 26th, 27th and 28th of February. The theme: "N'ap Danse, N'ap Konstwi"

The list of the members is as folllows:

1) Claudel Dumas, President ;

2) Serge Chery, Vice-president ;

3) Carel Pedre, Spokesperson ;

Read more →  

Today, Sunday, was supposed to be the first day of Kanaval in Haiti. It will not be because the Kanaval has been suspended officially by Prime minister Evans Paul.

Haitian Kreyol:

Jodi a, Dimanch, te sipoze premye jou nan Kanaval an Ayiti. Li pa pral fet paske Kanaval la te sispann ofisyèlman pa Premye minis Evans Paul.

Read more →  

During the commemoration of the 2010 earthquake, President Michel Martelly took the opportunity to announce what's to come after his presidency. The president said that he doesn't believe in killing as others before him have done" We will not eliminate you, we will not make you disappear, we will not kill you, we will not kill your children, they will not find you in a pile of garbage". However the President said that he reserves the right to use the same microphone as Press freedom should apply to him as well. According to the president, we will see who is the toughest

Read more →  

On Sunday, 15 February, 2015, President Martelly had inaugurated the National Carnival 2015 on the theme "Nou tout se Ayiti" (or "We are Haitians") at the National Palace. In the last three years, the national carnival had been held in three provincial cities: Cayes (2012), in Cap-Haitien (2013) and Gonaïves (2014).

During the occasion, Dithny Joan Raton, the Haitian Minister of Culture and the Honorary President of the National Carnival Committee, had expressed his satisfaction over the preparation for the 3-day celebration during from February 15 to 17. Sixteen musical groups and 125 disguised bands took part in the parade.

Read more →  

The traditional Mardi Gras ball is a lavish affair, calling for floor-length gowns for women and tuxedos for men. For the parades leading up to Mardi Gras, it's casual, comfortable attire. Nobody attends the Mardi Gras celebration in a simple way. It is a celebration of eating richer, fatty foods, preceding the fasting season of Lent. The Celebrations vary from city to city. Mardi Gras celebrations feature masks, costumes, beads, debauchery, and letting your inhibitions go. Children dress in fairies, butterflies, clowns, princess or as their superhero. Men's Mardi Gras costumes include court jesters, gladiators, crawfish and many others. The more outlandish is the costume, it is better. However, some partygoers tend to tone things down by wearing more subtle costumes in the Mardi Gras colors of purple, turquoise, and gold.

Read more →  

Carnival is a pre-Lent festival often a blend of local pagan and catholic traditions that announces the end of winter and welcomes the spring. The true origins of Mardi Gras can be traced all the way back to the ancient Greece and Rome, and along with Christianity, Mardi Gras spread from Rome to other countries such as Brazil, New Orleans, Venice, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, and Canada. The largest and one of the most famous festivals is held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the mother of all Carnivals and an absolute bucket list must-do, at least, once in a lifetime. Some of other best carnivals are held in Tenerife (Canary Islands), Venice Carnival, Italy, Binche Carnival, Belgium, Mardi Gras, New Orleans, USA, Cadiz Carnival, Spain, Oruro Carnival, Bolivia, Viareggio Carnival, Italy, Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, and Notting Hill Carnival, London. Mardi Gras is celebrated in most countries with Christian dominance.

Read more →  

From March 2 to 4, 2014, the historic City of Independence Gonaives will be in celebration mode as it will host The National Carnival. Will this Kanaval period mark the beginning of the electoral campaign for the "Tèt Kale" Political Party, ahead of everyone else?

Why do I say that?

Picture this:
1) Theme selected for 2014 Kanaval: "Tèt Kole pou Ayiti Pi Djanm"
2) Who made the selection: Martelly's government "Tèt Kale"
3) What's special about 2014: "Election Year"

We also know for a fact that the slogan in the mouth of many during the carnival season wil not be "Tèt Kole, but rather "tèt Kale".

Read more →  

Haitian President Michel Martelly completed his tour of the Artibonite region of Haiti over November 4th and 5th along with his accompanying advisors, and the Public Works and Transport Secretary of State, Philippe Cinéas. The tour stops included Desdunes, Ennery and Gonvaives, which was declared by the Head of State to be the next host of the Carnival in Haiti.

Haiti's Independence city, Gonaives, will host the 2014 carnival festivities being held between Sunday the 2nd of March 2014 and Tuesday the 4th. President Martelly made the announcement while addressing a crowd of Gonaives residents, who cheered loudly to the news that their city would host the festivities. Rounding out his visit, the President also gave away computer science scholarships to 10 lucky and deserving Gonaives residents.

Read more →  

What would Jacmel tourism be without a decided slant towards the Carnival lift that makes the town so popular? It is a question Jacmel residents raised and the government listened to. Plans for the building of a Museum of Carnival in the city of Jacmel have been outlined and should be completed and the museum inaugurated by the end of 2013 or by the start of next year.

On October 14 and 15, 2013, the project was given the go ahead in the workshop meetings of the body comprised of the Southeast Departmental Directorate of Tourism, the Ministry of Culture, UNESCO representatives, artisans and those from the education sector and other local authorities including, Hugues André Paul, the mayor of Jacmel, Jean Solage, the deputy mayor of Jacmel, and the technical assistant of culture and Heritage for the Spanish Cooperation, Carola Paredes.

Read more →  

Haitian Minister of Culture, Josette Darguste awarded the winners of National Carnival, 2013 during the award ceremony held at Ibo Lele hotel. The award ceremony was marked by the presence of President Michel Martelly along with Sophia Martelly (his wife), Minister of Tourism, Stéphanie Villedrouin. Various other big-shot personalities were also present at the award ceremony. The three winners of the National Carnival were:

• Anbyans - received the 'Award of originality in the creation'.
• Djakout #1 - received the 'Award of best popular animation'.
• Orchestre Septentrional - received the 'Award of the perfomance'.

The winners were awarded with USD 15,000 check each. The groups Barikad, Zatrap, Team Lobey, T-Micky and T-vice were awarded with medals while Fils, Vorbes and NATCOM were awarded with certificates for the invaluable support they provided to National Carnival Cap-Haitien 2013.

Read more →