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Our Mission, Our Dream
Makandal presents, teaches, and documents the sacred music and dance of Haitian Vodou, widely perceived in the mainstream as “voodoo.” We challenge clichées while keeping the magic of Vodou alive. More on our About page.
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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Vodou Jazz! Makandal’s Newest Audio Release
It’s never too late for a new discovery. In re-mixing and digitizing Makandal’s album Èzili we found a track that had not been included in the original 1986 release. Frisner Augustin composed “Vodou Jazz” in the zepòl style and performed … Continue reading
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We Remember: A Community Memorial for Those We Lost in the Time of COVID
Tuesday, June 8, 2021, 6–9 PM EDT at Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn Join Makandal as it takes part in We Remember, an interactive memorial honoring the lives of some 52,000 New Yorkers who left us in the time of COVID-19. Greenwood … Continue reading
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Chante! Sing!
But wait a minute! Who said I can’t sing? I think I did. How did the child of two musicians, one a pianist, the other a singer—yes, a singer—become so timid with her voice? Is it reversible? Well, I will … Continue reading
Vodou Love in Outer Space
Pluto has a heart! Scientists looking at the first images from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, which just arrived in the Pluto zone after three billion miles and nearly ten years, have spotted a heart-shaped region on the frosty planet. They’ve … Continue reading
A Message to You
I’m writing to you, that free spirit who can’t stop dancing to the beat of a drum. You must have come out of the womb this way. Am I right? As far back as you can remember, your proclivities failed … Continue reading
Why I’ve Renamed This Site
Short and sweet today. I’ve opted to rework the title and the tagline of this site. Take a look above and see “Welcome to Makandal” (title) and “Bridging the Past and Future of Traditional Haitian Arts” (tagline). What happened to “La Troupe … Continue reading
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Introducing the Woman behind the Rudder
I am Lois, and I blog on behalf of La Troupe Makandal. As you walk through our virtual space, you’ll note that a collective of performing artists who specialize in the classic drumming and dance traditions of Haiti constitute Makandal. … Continue reading
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Born to Dance, Born to Play
The drum was born to dance. The child of a tree, the drum knows the pulse of its parent’s vascular system, the kinetic locus between the moisture and nutrients that roots seduce from the soil, and the chemical energy that … Continue reading
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From the Research Corner
[Note: Makandal’s work, like all projects in folklore, dances ploge (intimately) with research. This entry will engage the reader with some intriguing questions on representing Haitian music.] From Doctor Lois: So a publisher has asked me to write an encyclopedia … Continue reading
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Why We Love The Intimate Touch
We leaked the news a few weeks ago, but in case you missed it, Makandal released the first recording from Master Drummer Frisner Augustin’s archive-in-progress. Why does this album—apparently for instrumental music-loving eccentrics and connoisseurs—have us rocking? Sample⇓ Download FREE⇓ Album … Continue reading
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Welcome to Makandal 