Cécile McLorin Salvant, the extraordinarily gifted new vocalist in concert

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

The New York Times says, “Ms. McLorin Salvant has it all,” and Wynton Marsalis praises her “poise, elegance, soul, humor, sensuality, power, virtuosity, range, insight, intelligence, depth and grace.”

St Trinite Music School in Port-Au-Prince,Haiti

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Ti Muscat | The road to Seguin, Haiti

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

L'Estere,Haiti - In The Heart of The L'Artibonite

L'Estere,Haiti 6:42 am - And the sun came up, I was so intoxicated (in a good way) from shooting an event, a spiritual voodoo fast for 5 hours the previous night at a location very near where i shot the photo displayed. There were entities from other realities present taking over some of the participants envelopes/bodies.

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

L'estere,Haiti 12:06 am

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

The Sacred Mapou

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Souvenance is one of a group of Lakous in the Gonaives region that are known for their adherence to specific African traditions in Voodoo. Souvenance celebrates the Iwas from Daome  (the Kingdom of Dahomey is now Bennin)

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Going around the tree in circles symbolizes the journey across the Atlantic African slaves made on their way to Haiti. photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

National Carnaval in Gonaives, Haiti - March 4, 2014

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

DanserLesVil

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

 Led by internationally acclaimed Haitian born choreographer Jeanguy Saintus, through his contemporary dance company Ayikodans, DanserLesVil's purpose is to make dance accessible everywhere in Haiti. Its core feature is the free formal dance training to all in the capital, the secondary cities and the provinces.This educational dance initiative is the project sister of Dansepyenu (Dancebarefoot) supported for the past 15 years by FOKAL and Michele D. Pierre-Louis. The inaugural phase has been succesful in Les Cayes, Aquin, Gonaives and Port au Prince.

Snapshots on the road to Fond Rouge, Jeremie

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Peaceful march of lawyers in Port-Au-Prince for the resignation of the Director of Public Prosecutions

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

More than fifty lawyers marched Wednesday through the streets of the Haitian capital to demand the departure of Mr. René Francisco,Government Commissioner and the resignation of Judge Lamarre Belizaire

Abricots, Haiti – Life continues to take its course

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

A young couple use a raft in Abricots,Grand’Anse to reach home following the birth  of their baby.Over 50% of the population In Haiti lives in rural areas. The struggle for life is hard in the mountains,Over the past 60 years the countryside has suffered a rapid deterioration of its environment and natural resources.

A little girl collects pebbles at a pond in Dame-Marie,Gran'Anse

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Every friday, farmers bring food from the market place in Boudon on rafts made of bamboo down the river to Chambelan in the Grand'Anse

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Residents of Abricots came out on the town square to hear a pastor traveling across the Grand'Anse urging people to repent

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Walking home after school , La Valle De Jacmel in the South East

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

A farmer in the countryside outside of Corail begins his day

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Children watch a foreign program on cable at a restaurant.Jeremie doesn't have a television station

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

This little girl allowed me to photograph her a few years back in the mountains of Kenscoff, I just never bothered to share it until now

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

70 kms of rough terrain left to be paved from Camp-Perrin (A municipality in Les Cayes) to join the road pictured below.Once completed,Jeremie will only be an hour Drive from Les Cayes

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

A fisherman in Lan Gomie, near Jeremie in the Grand'Anse, displays his catch of the day after 4 hours of fishing

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

It's becoming harder for fishermen in The Grand'Anse and elsewhere in Haiti to make a living as a  result of the severe destruction of the environment. Because of erosion which bring the topsoil to the sea when it rains, there is less and less fish and the fishermen do not have the adequate equipment to go deep sea fishing.

A little girl who lives in Petite Riviere, Dame-Marie crosses a small bridge to fetch water

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Cabinet makers in Downtown Jeremie finish up a coffin while the deceased relatives wait to bring it to the funeral home

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

The Caroline Express ferry unloads goods from Abricot at the Jeremy Port while passengers heading to Port-Au-Prince get on board

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Living off the land

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Kalite Models International Agency search for local talent

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Male and Female aspiring models showed up in great numbers to audition before a casting panel. Those selected will go through a model development training program.

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Thousands of Students participate every year at the annual bookfair in Port-Au-Prince, the nation's capital

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Reforming the educational system on a national level must become a top priority so children of deprived socio economic background and those in rural areas can have access to a different level of education.(photo was shot during the 18th annual book fair in 2012)

Hotel Montana 6:30 pm - Two film makers from Brazil & Washington DC currently in Haiti for documentary project

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Jalousie residents voice mixed reactions about Government project entiltled Beauty versus Poverty

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Navisia has lived in Jalousie with her five children for the past thirteen years, her husband past away from an unknown illness years ago. When I initially asked her if she had any children she jokingly replied " mwen gen 10 pitit " and immediately burst out laughing. She takes life the way it comes and does what she can to provide for her children."Cé yon seul fasad yo penturé wi" They have only painted one facade of the house, "beaute pa ta ka kont povreté" Beauty couldn't be against poverty, four of my children were recently sent home because I couldn't pay their tuition, how can painting houses help me with my financial problems? The following are more responses that I have gotten from residents which I asked their opinion about the project title written on  billboards : Beauty versus Poverty - <la mizè cé la mizè, botè cè botè, mwen wè kay yo gen kouleu, men vent nou pa gen okun couleu - poverty is poverty, beauty is beauty, I have noticed colors on houses but there aren't any colors in our belly(unidentified).Visible facades of houses were painted, if you are poor you remain poor(unidentified). It looks really pretty but more has to be done(Jean Marc,38). They have done some clean up but it's not the solution(unidentified) > The excitement and happiness from having their "houses'' painted is long gone, there aren't any more people arguing which paint color would look best on their walls, some residents who had their houses facade painted expressed disappointment about their unchanged living conditions.

It's the trees that are being cooked so these farners can feed their children

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Weekend Memories ...

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

The legacy and continual effects of living in a divided society

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

 Institutionalized exclusion toward  the majority of the country's population is still very much alive today, ranked at the bottom of the social ladder they have simply become invisible - barely acknowledged, barely respected.

A young boy rides his bicycle down a street in Dame-Marie

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

" lage mwen bo dlo-a pou mwen sa delivre " Drop me off by the water so I can be free - Carnaval song lyrics, Jeremie 2013

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Jane Wynne Farm Ecological Reserve in Kenscoff

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

The Wynne Farm Ecological Reserve is situated in Viard, a 45 minute hike from the small town of Kenscoff, Haiti. The Wynne Farm has been in existence for over 50 years. It was founded in 1956 by Victor A. Wynne, a civil engineer with degrees from Harvard and MIT. He noticed the ongoing misuse of the land and the inevitable threats of erosion and deforestation in the country. He then purchased various plots of land from local landowners and created the Wynne Farm which he terraced with a crew of 40 men. There, he propagated indigenous species to conserve Haiti’s rich biodiversity and introduced various fruits, vegetables and trees from numerous parts of the world to show what the country’s rich land is capable of bringing forth. Victor Wynne also emphasized the need for soil conservation, composting, reforestation, and experimented with agricultural techniques such as terracing.Since 1994, the farm has been dedicated to environmental education so as to promote sustainable development and the healing of planet Earth.