Rara - Haiti Observer Blog

In Haitian tradition, 'Rara' is a brilliant and colorful music festival that takes place throughout the Easter Week, following the Easter Sunday. The songs are always performed in Haitian Kreyòl that speaks about the African ancestry of the Afro-Haïtian masses and it blends the Voodoo and Christian influences with rhythms that vary across the Caribbean country. This tradition started when French colonization was still strong during the later part of the 17th century, and while the African-Haitian sugar plantation workers were riling up to gain independence. During the slave revolution, the Haitian slaves also fought culturally against their ruler with their new art, music, and dance forms. Today, Rara is a part of Haitian life; it is where you can hear all the latest gossips and happenings in Haitian life.

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Haiti celebrates many of the same holidays Americans do, including Fourth of July, Flag Day, All Souls Day, Christopher Columbus, Easter, and Christmas.

The first holiday in Haiti is New Years Day, which lasts an entire week. The largest event of the year, Haitians prepare a feast of ham, turkey stew, black rice, and plantains. Rhum Barbancourt is also consumed. The holiday celebrates Haiti as the first black-led Republic.

Carnival, in early February, mimics Louisiana's Mardi Gras. Both atonement for sins and raucous partying before Lent begins, it is a three-day orgy of dancing, drinking, and parades.

Easter week, or Rara, has activities including politically-motivated performances, parades, and a traditional menu of fish, yams, beans, and rice.

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March 23, 2013, Haiti's Minister of Culture, Josette Darguste, met with URAL (Union of Rara of Léogâne) and Organizing Committee. Rara festivities are traditional national cultural festivals of Haiti that is similar to Easter Triduum and Lent celebrated by Christians. The theme under which the Rara was celebrated by the Léogânais this year was, "Rebwazman se zafè rara". The Martelly-Lamothe government gave it greater visibility. This visibility came as a commitment of the government to promote Haiti's identity development and it was also targeted towards ending the platitude of 'Other Regions vs. Republic of Port-au-Prince'.

The members of URAL and the Organizing Committee welcomed Director General of Ministry, his personal office members, Albert Chancy - Advisor to President of the Republic and various other honorary people of Haiti with the sounds of wind lines, bamboo and drums that were played by Rara Modèle d'Haïti group.

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Haitian government officials, both national and local came together to plan for this year's Raras regional competion and ensuing festival which will run during a three-day event in Léogâne.

Raras is street music performed procession-style beginning Easter Week annually. Standard Caribbean instruments are augmented by a Raras trumpet, vaksen. The trumpets are constructed of either metal or bamboo materials. They are played by simultaneously tapping the trumpet and forcing air through it.

Raras began as an outgrowth of the slave revolt while Haiti was being colonized. African and Afro-Creole slaves of Saint Domingue started the Raras tradition, which lasted three days from Good Friday until Easter Monday.

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