I am Gede, eternal figure in black,
master of the abyss into which the sun sinks.
I make the days grow short and the nights grow long.
You perforce will cross the threshold of my palace,
the tomb and the womb of the cosmic void.

I am Gede, master of resurrection.
Confounding life and death, I make the dead dance,
I heal the hopeless.
I am the guardian of children, born and unborn.
I am the life and light persistently present,
even in the darkness.
They call me the Rising Sun.

From Makandal's Rising Sun, A Vodou Drama of Death and Rebirth

What magic does Makandal plan to make in 2023?

• Music education | A brand-new Haitian Drum Workshop (details tba)
• Theater | Revival of our neo-folktale, The Drum and the Seed, A Haitian Odyssey
• Vodou Jazz | A trip through the tangled roos of Vodou and jazz
• Vintage Vodou | Continued re-release of classic Makandal recordings
• Memorial Project | Expansion of the Frisner Augustin Archive, creation of a Hall of Ancestors
• Joy and Hope | Win hearts and minds with music!

Let’s begin that last item with a message of hope from Frisner Augustin, in English,
““Haiti, we need a reconciliation through culture. And it will happen. It will. Because everyone’s looking toward the army, the president, the generals—toward [the US]. They never say, ‘Let’s get all the musicians together, let’s get all the Vodouists together.’”

Warm wishes from Makandal for a healthy and peaceful 2023! Bòn ane!

Image Credits:
Banner image: Sunrise over Earth by knssr
YouTube video by Lois Wilcken on The Makandal Channel: Frisner Appeals for Unity through Music and the Spirit