The daily grind, a thing of the past in the Caribbean

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Island life isn't like living in a rushing city, a much slower lifestyle with fewer commitments and more time to concentrate on the things that are truly valuable and important to us.

Vodou practitioners take to the streets in the Haitian capital

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

"This  movement is called: The struggle of the Vodou religion has begun - Each and every single vodouist / vodouizan that you see here today marching, are very angry about what's going on in the country, and especially the recent aggression against our culture, and the call of President Jovenel Moise demanding that 11 million Haitians in the country  follow in the footstep of Christians. We are also marching to send a message to the President that Haiti is Ayibobo country and it's because of our ancestors' struggle that we are free today, and they were not Christians." Vodou Priestess  Marie Jeanne

Mural of Odette Mennesson-Rigaud at the National Office of Ethnology

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

French-born became a Haitian citizen following her marriage to Milo Rigaud. Odette Mennesson-Rigaud lived in Petion Ville and became a great connoisseur of Vodou. Alfred Métraux who dedicated to her his book, Le Vaudou Haitien, Paris, Gallimard,1958 described her as a tall rich looking woman, with an inspired, authoritative air of a Popess. Ethnomusicologist Harold Courlander who studied in Haiti during the 1930's through the 1950's described her as being the ultimate insider. She knew everybody, and was the best informed of all the researchers and scholars.  

Thomassin Communal High Scool students take to the streets

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Lycée Municipal de Thomassin is housed in a building  which has been abandoned for the past 40 years. On December 21, before Christmas break, a justice of the peace accompanied by police officers of the police station in Thomassin 25, and  unidentified men wearing masks broke into the school  and destroyed everything from school benches, to a TV monitor in the conference room. This morning, January 18, 2018, students take to the streets to demand justice and reparation.

Maxime Faveur, hougan (vodou priest) tells his story of attempted murder

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

On the night of Wednesday, January 3, 2018, Maxime Faveur's voodoo temple  was burned to the ground, after a woman complained to the Police that Mr. Faveur casts spells so she can turn into an ox. Subsequently, Christians in the area took matters into their own hands and reducing the temple to ashes.

Spontaneous protest

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Several dozen  students of public schools protest while walking toward the bus stop around the National Palace. Some bang on the main gate fences and chanted "we won't leave and go to Chile" fix our classrooms and pay the teachers. Schools reopened today, January 15, 2018, following Christmas break.

The reconstruction of Government ministries in Port-Au-Prince is still ongoing

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

The ceremony of laying down the foundation stone to rebuild the National Palace, took place on the 8th anniversary of the earthquake, January 12, 2018. The Palace, which was built in 1918 by Haitian architect Georges Bossan, was badly damaged during the earthquake of January 12, 2010. The reconstruction of Government ministries in the Haitian Capital is still ongoing.

A much higher, quality education for all, to change Haiti's future

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Fort Dimanche survivor Stephen Narcisse

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

In 1963, Stephen Narcisse was arrested for his involvement in a farmer association, Union Paysanne, which the main objective was to teach farmers in the surroundings of Kenscoff how to read and write. "leu ou pa kon li ak ékri ou cé yon zombi" When you can't read and write, you are a zombi—Our association had spread throughout Kenscoff, and in 6 months we had reach far away places all the way in Bonga, Nouvelle Tourainne, Belle Fontaine and Callebasse. I was first taken to Petion Ville where I was severely beaten, and then I was transfered to Fort Dimanche.

Transporting Haitian Nationals like human beings is long overdue

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

When the safety of those who depend on public transportation to get around is no longer  a national priority, that society is morally bankrupt. It must be said: Officials have shown little interest in providing safe, quality public transit service in Haiti. Everyday, Haitian passengers risk their lives in unsafe buses. According to OAVCT(government-run insurance), between 2000 and 2010, 45,780 road accidents have been registered throughout the country. The number of fatalities yearly, 4,500 to 5,000, should have resulted in a national debate. It is imperative for government officials to take measures to not only reduce road accidents but to modernize as well public transportation. 

Demonstrations demanding Haiti's President resignation have resumed

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Men and Women of Courage

 

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Statistics are difficult to determine for the Caribbean nation, but some estimates put Haiti's unemployment rate as high as 70 percent. These men and women who fill our streets doing business and selling a variety of goods, live a stressful life. These street vendors operate through exorbitant credit rates and have no recourse to any governmental  regulatory structure. With the little money they put aside, they manage to educate their children and make ends meet to the best of their abilities. Many highly trained professionals who hold prestigious jobs are the sons and daughters of small merchants.

The glory of waking up early

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

The early hours of the day is influential in setting the tone of your day. About an hour before sunrise, before the sun crests a nearby mountain, a boom of pure energy emerge in the atmosphere. Serenity, inspiration and tranquility manifest at this time.

The holidays are now over

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

The grind of everyday life is slowly picking up its pace, the bumper to bumper to traffic during the holidays has subsided, the streets are less crowded and school will reopen next Monday. I've often heard the end of the holiday season can lead to sadness, personally, I am super excited to wake up to the alarm sound at 5:30am, and be out the door and living a fulfilling creative life once again.

All you hear is the sound of nature

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Way up in the mountains, about 1,500 feet above sea level, deep in the countryside—away from  engine pollution, law enforcement sirens, the hustle and bustle of city life, all you hear is the sound of nature. The pleasant sound of oxen in the distance, the occasional beautiful sound of crows flying overhead, I was hiking and exploring with a local guide when this farmer on his way home came walking on a the narrow dirt track we were on. He didnt seem to mind that I shot a few frames when he walked close pass me.We chatted briefly, he has never been to Port-Au-Prince and has never been photographed before. He was thrilled when I showed him his portrait on my canon LCD, and he needed to walk about a mile from where we were to reach home. 

Funeral for murdered priest

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Father Joseph Simoly, well known in the Catholic community, was attacked on Thursday, December 21, by three armed individuals riding a motorcycle on rte  Frères in Pétion-Ville, not far from his home. Rushed to the Haitian Community Hospital (HCH), the victim, who received several bullets, did not survive his injuries. Following Funeral mass in Port-Au-Prince earlier today, December 30, he will be buried in Hinche.

The plight of the vendors of Petion Ville open market

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

On a regular basis, regardless of the time and day, employees of Petion Ville City Hall pile up in a white pickup truck and descend upon the open market. Wearing light green vests and sometimes carrying batons, steal merchandise, beat up those who resist in all impunity—with the approval of the Mayor, Dominique Saint-Roc, and protection of armed police officers in uniform (UDMO) who's Toyota land cruiser assists in the almost daily operation."They've stolen a lot of my merchandise, I couldn't tell you how much money I have lost" 22-year old Patricia Joseph, wearing the straw hat and red t- shirt comes to the open market in Petion Ville everyday. She sells nail polish and other beauty products. Having your goods stolen have become part of our harship she says, I have two kids to feed, we are now accustomed to always be on the look out for the white pickup truck. 

Haiti's youth - an ongoing conversation

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Haiti has the youngest age structure in the Caribbean, almost 70 percent of Haiti's people are under the age of 30. Eventhough it represents a significant advantage for the country, however, opportunities are necessary for them to become successful. Haiti is a country in which nearly everything needs help, and for those who can afford it, leaving the country has become their only option. According to Chilean immigration officials, 48,000 Haitians are expected to move to Chile in 2017. The majority of Haitian migrants who come to chile are young, 80 percent of them are between the age of 15 and 30 years old. To obtain firsthand account of this alarming situation, I am conversing with young people and so far the ones that I've approached are talking. Following a basketball game in Petion ville, 17 year old, Edouard Ciné Ravix (holding the ball) expressed his frustration regarding the dire present economic situation and said "I want to become a professional basketball player, and if the opportunity ever comes to leave, I am out of here" 

Children are very good at expressing emotion

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

On my last visit to Jacmel, while wandering aimlessly I saw a little girl on the balcony of an elegant gingerbread townhouse. I try to shoot candidly as much as possible when I am on the streets. However, when I asked her if I could take a portrait, she went back inside and came back out with her mother—a very nice woman who agreed that I photograph her daughter. It's important to get the children you are photographing as comfortable as possible, and striking a conversation helps them to relax and even smile, which I wanted for her portrait. 

Official funeral in Haiti to bid farewell to folk singer Manno Charlemagne

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Funeral service for folk singer and activist Joseph Emmanuel “Manno” Charlemagne at a public Mass on the Champ de Mars in Port-au-Prince Dec. 22, 2017. - His death at 69 on Sunday came after multiple stints in exile, many assassination attempts and a star-studded international campaign by the late filmmaker Jonathan Demme to free him from the Argentine Embassy where he sought haven after a military coup toppled Haiti’s first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide - Jacqueline Charles/Miami herald

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article189897489.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article189897489.html#storylink=cpy

Kanzo ceremony–Initiation into Haitian Vodou

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Kanzo is the name for the initiation ceremony within the Vodou tradition. It is a sacrament, and considered to be one of the most sacred events in a Vodouisant’s life. ezilikonnen.com  - Initiation into the Asson lineage of Vodou tradition is a long process. It takes nearly two weeks to complete. Traditionally, initiation into the Vodou Tradition is done in Haiti. Following the dance ceremony, the initiates are finally Kanzo. They have new identities as Houngans, Mambos, or Hounsis. They need to complete 41 days of restrictions to be truly finished with the kanzo ceremony. Usually, about a year later, the initiates will “dessan kolye” which means to take down the kolyes, which will truly finalize the entire cycle of initiation. The kolye is the sacred necklace of initiation. vodoureligion.com

Self Assignment : Open market

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

There's always room for improvement. Expanding one's vision, skills and abilities are what we creatives shoud be striving for since becoming a better photographer is a never ending process. It's important to try out different  self assignments, I personlly like to challenge myself with the hard ones like shooting photos in an open market down in Haiti. It's a cultural thing, people on the streets do not like to be photographed by strangers. I mostly shoot without permission and without my subject's knowledge. 

Revisiting the Same Photography Location Again and Again

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

 

 

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

 

 

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

 

 

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

 

"It’s good to keep moving forward and trying new things all the time. There are times when going back to an old photography location can be a great idea. Simon Bond" My first visit to kenscoff dates back to 1973, when a cousin took me to the mountains to attend a yearly summer hang out at L'Auberge —thus my obsession began. I have been photographing kenscoff on and off for over 15 years, lived there 3 times and I still haven't lost interest in making new images.

The environment in Kenscoff, Haiti

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Having a show about the environment in Kenscoff would have missed something without visiting and including the photographs above I captured a few days ago at the Wynn Farm Nature Reserve. situated in the mountains of Kenscoff, Haiti at an altitude of 6000 ft, on 30 acres of land. When it was created by Victor A. Wynne, it was known as the Wynne Farm and the goal was to teach soil management through conservation methods. Today, in order to preserve this much needed green area, it is known as the Wynne Farm Nature Reserve.

Collaborating with Veronique, a writer from Montreal

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

3 days of rain up in Thomassin Haiti and temperature drop - lower 60's is considered kind of chilly on the Island. Very nice color saturation on miserable rainy days, was out there getting wet for just one frame - a photo that shows Thomassin, which the writer I am collaborating with mentioned several times in her first impression notes. Veronique who is a well-known writer in Montreal is spending 2 months in Haiti and she's going home with two novels. In one of them, made up of her personal notes, I will attempt to illustrate her thoughts, she's going to allow me to be inside her head for just a little bit and basically find the right images to match her impressions and what she was feeling when she wrote down her words. (to be published in a book)

Môle Saint-Nicolas , Haiti

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Opening the door to welcome the day at Môle Saint-Nicolas plunges you into a beautiful light and as the wind blows constantly, you learn to breathe differently, in other words better. The Môle has always been isolated without being totally abandoned. Looking at the city closely, it's obvious that it was  slowly built and the possibilities of novelties are welcome and tremendous. Jean Euphele Milcé

Anse Rouge, Haiti

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

On the way back from our adventurous trip to Môle Saint-Nicolas, we made a stop in Anse Rouge to pick up our driver whom we left behind with our disabled vehicle. He quickly noticed the pickup truck we got on back in Môle Saint-Nicolas right front tire lug nuts were completely loose and the tire would have come off if we didn't stop. An hour later, because of some additional minor repairs, we hit the road once more heading to Gonaives where we spent the night.

On the way to Môle Saint-Nicolas, Haiti

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

This photo was taken from the SUV window while it was being towed. We were about 15mns away from Anse Rouge, in the l'Artibonite and the sun was going down. It took us about 14 hrs to get to Môle Saint-Nicolas because of car trouble we were having since the beginning of our trip, and the engine finally gave out in the middle of nowhere. We were rescued by a frequent traveler to Haiti who happens to know our writer JEM - Since he was on his way to Môle Saint-Nicolas, he gave us a ride and we reached our destination at 10:30 pm.