Festival Mizik Jakmel

World music lovers listen up and get ready to pen this one on your festival calendar if you haven’t already. On May 25-27, 2007 a beach not quite as well known to the world as those on the neighboring country will play host to the Haiti’s first international music festival.
Jacmel is just 25 miles south of the country’s turbulent capital and yet worlds away from the headlines that too often keep visitors away from the country as a whole. Festival Mizik Jakmel will include 24 bands from across the globe with Stephen and Damien “Junior Gong” Marley headlining the free event. In addition to the live shows parallel events include a tourism conference, art events and workshops. An attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest drumming ensemble will also take place. As of now India currently holds the title by having 7,951 people drumming continuously for five minutes in 2006. The organizers of Festival Mizik Jakmel are hoping to have 10,000 in attendance and anyone is welcome to bring a drum and join – though you might want to register online first. For complete details I suggest swinging over to the official event website and if you can’t quite make it or find an affordable ticket to the island look into other ways to join in from afar.

Word for the Travel Wise (01/29/07)

As I mentioned earlier, I hear a personal vacation to Hispaniola calling. I not only want to go to the Dominican Republic, but I’d also like to venture into Haiti for a few days and see the differences between the two countries on the tiny Caribbean island with two very different cultures.

Today’s word is Kreyòl (Haitian Creole) word used in Haiti:

vwayaje – (v) travel

This Kreyol website features comprehensive cultural and travel info on Haiti. Their overall goal is to spread positive messages about the country and create positive images. Their online Kreyòl dictionary is one of the best! iCreole is a good place translation tool if you wish to know a word within seconds. For a fun look at some popular proverbs check out this Discover Haiti site. Make note that the Creole used in the proverbs is not that of the Creole spoken in Port-au-Prince. Lastly, leave it to good old Pimsleur to have audio books dedicated to learning Creole. Expensive, but you can also look for them in your local library.

Past Kreyòl words: evite, il/zile, voryen, chalè, move, maltêt

Word for the Travel Wise (12/07/06)

Now here is a word you can surely get away with doing some sign language to get your point across if needed, but things would probably go so much smoother if you knew it off the top of your head. It could save you the extra dizziness you could be experiencing from your achy head already.

Today’s word is Kreyòl (Haitian creole) word used in Haiti:

maltèt – headache

This Kreyol website features comprehensive cultural and travel info on Haiti. Their overall goal is to spread positive messages about the country and create positive images. Their online Kreyòl dictionary is one of the best! iCreole is a good place translation tool if you wish to know a word within seconds. For a fun look at some popular proverbs check out this Discover Haiti site. Make note that the Creole used in the proverbs is not that of the Creole spoken in Port-au-Prince. Lastly, leave it to good old Pimsleur to have audio books dedicated to learning Creole. Expensive, but you can also look for them in your local library.

Past Kreyòl words: evite, il/zile, voryen, chalè, move

Word for the Travel Wise (10/13/06)

Boo! Yup, it is Friday the 13th folks and I’m sure you’ve all been shaking in your boots and paying extra attention to the cracks in the sidewalk on this semi-special day. Seen any black cats? Perhaps you’re on your way to the theater to soak in all the ghoulish, chop-chop, and gory cinema black magic you can take… However you decide to spend the day; locked up behind closed doors or night crawling on the town be safe and remember never talk to strangers!

Today’s word is Kreyòl (Haitian creole) word used in Haiti:

move – evil

This Kreyol website features comprehensive cultural and travel info on Haiti. Their overall goal is to spread positive messages about the country and create positive images. Their online Kreyòl dictionary is one of the best! iCreole is a good place translation tool if you wish to know a word within seconds. For a fun look at some popular proverbs check out this Discover Haiti site. Make note that the Creole used in the proverbs is not that of the Creole spoken in Port-au-Prince. Lastly, leave it to good old Pimsleur to have audio books dedicated to learning Creole. Expensive, but you can also look for them in your local library.

Past Kreyòl words: evite, il/zile, voryen, chalè

Word for the Travel Wise (05/06/06)

I’ve been thinking a lot about the islands these days and I don’t know why exactly. My frequent flyer mileage is just to the point of letting me have another partially free vaca out on some sunny Caribbean beach, but which one and when? I won’t be making any decisions today, but I know this much – I want to go to an island where the national language is not English and I’ll be looking to spend two weeks at the very least. And just because I’m picking Haiti to bring you the word of the day, don’t think I’m marking it high on my list, but the other country sharing the same island space with a different lang is looking rather appealing. Until then I’ll keep on dreaming.

Today’s word is Kreyòl (Haitian creole) word used in Haiti:

Voryen (n) – Vagabond (could also be used in Haiti as vakabon)

This Kreyol website features comprehensive cultural and travel info on Haiti. Their overall goal is to spread positive messages about the country and create positive images. Their online Kreyòl dictionary is one of the best! iCreole is a good place translation tool if you wish to know a word within seconds. For a fun look at some popular proverbs check out this Discover Haiti site. Make note that the Creole used in the proverbs is not that of the Creole spoken in Port-au-Prince. Lastly, leave it to good old Pimsleur to have audio books dedicated to learning Creole. Expensive, but you can also look for them in your local library.

Past Kreyòl words: evite, il/zile