koute
Here I will post documentations of my first trip to Haiti. I have been studying Haitian Folkloric dance for about 4 years now and finally I had the chance to visit the country from which these movements, drums, songs and culture have originated.
Postings begin April 1st, 1st page of the blog.
Sunday, March 23
Bright and early, Hughes and Dominique meet us at Carine’s so we can all travel together up to Gonaives and then on to Souvenance.
The pilgrimage to Souvenance, like other Voudou rituals, often coincide with events and people in the Catholic faith imposed upon African slaves. In that way, the slaves disguised the practice of their religion, concealing it from the slave masters, who feared its power.
Residents said the Souvenance holy site was founded by a group of freed slaves from an area of West Africa they called Dahomey, now part of Benin. This place is sacred because of that direct link to the ancestors.
Nestled in the Artibonite Valley, Souvenance lies at the center of Haiti’s revolutionary heartland. Haiti’s independence from France was declared in 1804 in Gonaïves.
We walked up a big hill to catch the tap tap to the bus to take us to Gonaives.
The bus, which looks like a school bus, is packed with people. Luckily we were one of the first travelers to board the bus and got seats…although, within the hour wait before leaving, more and more people were packed in, hip to hip and standing, people selling sunglasses, dlo, sweets, food, etc. out the window and on the bus until it leaves.
The sounds of the Gonaives bus
After a 3 hour dusty ride we reach Gonaives. Then we hop on some motos and make our way to Souvenance (about a 25 minute ride)
Selena and Dominique on the moto
We reach Souvenance and immediately we see people we know, Yatande and Neg Mawon who bring us to Ann and Isa. Originally I was to meet Ann and Isa last Thursday at the hotel, but as the trip progressed, this was how it worked out for us all. Ann and Isa arrived at Souvenanance Friday evening.
Isa directs us to our kay, right next to theirs.
