Music and the spirit of Haiti
Below are eight stories from NPR that deal with Haiti, with Haitians, and their love of music. Seven of them date from the 
earthquake that recently struck the island nation. The stories provide you a fascinating insight to the culture and life, and spirit of survival of everyday Haitians. I recommend that you listen to all eight of these stories – they’ll give you a real appreciation of struggles that so many are now facing. You must concentrate on one of these stories for your assignment. Go to this link to find the assignment.
To reach the Help Heal Haiti website go to this link.
Music Helps Lift Haitians’ Spirits - (2:41) 2/20/10 – For more than a week, there have been stories about Haitians struggling to cope with the destruction of their country. But even amid the rubble, there are moments of reprieve. In this audio postcard, we hear how some women and children formed a circle and chanted praise for Joshua’s victory in Jericho.
In Haiti, Day Of Mourning Replaces Carnival – (3:41) 2/14/10 – In Haiti, Carnival is the biggest holiday of the year. The outrageous three-day party that leads up to Lent brings huge crowds to the streets of Port-au-Prince. The celebrations have been called off this year because of the earthquake. Usually about two dozen bands perform at Carnival. And unfortunately, three of those bands were in a recording studio, at the time of the earthquake and the studio collapsed and all of the band members of those three bands were killed.
Music Returns to Port-au-Prince - (4:12) 2/06/10 – Amid the desparation and despair in earthquake-ravaged Port-au-prince, musicians from Haiti’s national chorus, jazz band and philharmonic gave their first post-quake concert. The musicians were able to rescue some instruments from the rubble, and they held the concert in the devastated neighborhood of Bell Aire to bring hope to the displaced.
Lolo Beaubrun: A Voice Of Hope In Hait - (5:16) 1/29/10 – Lolo Beaubrun is one of the most popular and recognizable musicians in Haiti. He leads the 12-person band Boukman Eksperyans. It plays a mix of rock, reggae and Voodoo trance music that has attracted fans in the U.S. and Europe. This podcast from NPR is about Lolo and his wife Mimerose and how they are coping with the aftermath of the Earthquake.
Haitians Find Lifeline In Local Radio Station - (5:01) 1/25/10 – Fascinating story about the only radio station in Port-au-Prince that stayed on through the earthquake and it’s aftermath. When the quake struck at 4:53 p.m. on Jan. 12, Signal FM was playing “Hotel California.” The Earth groaned and the building shuddered, but just before the DJ ran out, he had the presence of mind to hit the “repeat” button. So for the first 30 minutes of Port-au-Prince’s descent into hell, the only thing you could hear on the radio was the Eagles’ standard — over and over and over.
Wife, School Lost In Quake, Violinist Vows To Rebuild - (7:13) 1/23/10 – Haitian-born violinist Romel Joseph had to rely on his sense of touch to determine that there was no way out of the rubble he was buried under; he was born blind. “I was completely surrounded by concrete,” Joseph said. “So, in my head I knew I wasn’t going to get out.” Trapped after the massive earthquake that struck Haiti, the Juilliard graduate realized he couldn’t escape on his own. He didn’t panic — instead, he kept himself to a strict schedule. He spent part of each hour in prayer. The rest of the time he filled by rehearsing his favorite classical music performances in his head, note by note
Voodoo Brings Solace To Grieving Haitians – (4:32) 1/20/10 -Voodoo is playing a central role in helping Haitians cope with their unthinkable tragedy. Outside of Haitian culture, few know what Voodoo is. Elizabeth McAlister, a Voodoo expert at Wesleyan University, says at its core, the philosophy is really pretty simple. “Voodoo in a nutshell is about the idea that everything material has a spiritual dimension that is more real” than physical reality, she says. “So everything living — but even rocks and the Earth — is considered to have spirit and have a spiritual nature.”
Bringing Music, and Hope, to Haiti – Interview with Wyclef Jean – (17:34) 4/3/06 - This story is a bit different for a couple of reasons. First of all it is recorded in 2006, prior to the Earthquake. Second it is longer (17:00) an interactive interview with Musician Wyclef Jean on how he is bringing hope to Haiti. The hip-hop star and philanthropist was born in Haiti and moved to the United States at age 10. While currently living in New York City, he often goes back to the old neighborhood where he grew up. Through his music he works to help young Haitians help themselves. Finally, what makes this podcast interesting in the last half of the interview Wyclef Jean takes questions from listeners around the United States.
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