Lakou Mizik
Lakou Mizik is continuing its mission to share the culture of Haiti around the world. On their new album, HAITIANOLA they are exploring the cultural connection between Haiti and New Orleans. They are collaborating with some of the city’s top musicians and finding out just how much cultural ground they have in common
They are Lakou Mizik and they have a big dream: to create an album that explores the deep cultural connections between Haiti and New Orleans.
You may not know it (it’s definitely not taught in Haitian schools) but there is a unique history between these two “Kreyol / Creole” cultures going back at least to the start of the Haitian Revolution. When Haitians began rising up against the French (winning their freedom in 1804, ayibobo!) thousands of refugees (French colonists, slaves and freed people of color) escaped the violence and ended up in the nearest French territory: New Orleans.
This Haitian influx doubled the city’s population – and of course changed the face of New Orleans. It’s why you hear about New Orleans ‘voodoo’ and ‘Creole cuisine’ and it’s why they say New Orleans is the northernmost city of the Caribbean. They’ve come to discover that our Haitian influences have seeped into many aspects of New Orleans’ cultural life.
In this edition we are featuring their songs from the first one Peze Kafe, … finishing with the clip they recorded for the fundraising campaign on the new album HAITIANOLA.