A Mother’s Love in Haiti.

This is truly a remarkable, and heartbreaking, story of survival:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/01/22/haiti.sonia.flury/index.html#cnnSTCText

Some New Links for OUR HAITI

Here are two organizations I highly support for donations and the sending of supplies, from a dear friend who recently returned from Haiti last month:

1) Immediate and long-term relief PAP www.amurt.us

2) Haitian community organization Jacmel www.konpay.org

Here are links to interviews I did for LationUSA and WQXR in NYC:

1) http://latinousa.kut.org/2010/01/21/haitian-american-musician-dbr/

2) http://www.wqxr.org/articles/wqxr-features/2010/jan/22/wqxrs-arts-file-a-look-at-benefit-concert/

WEBCAST

Hello everyone.

Just wanted to let you know that you can watch my concert tonight at 8pm, ON-LINE, if you go to this link:

http://totalwebcasting.com/live/egg/live.htm

It’s a Haitian Relief Concert and I hope you can join me, live, or on-line.

Regine Zamor

Here’s a blog from one of my friends, the Haitian film-maker Regine Zamor.  It’s gut-wrenching and real.  She’s there, alive, and reporting:

http://bagaydwol.wordpress.com/

More For OUR HAITI

This story, from Ed Pilkington and Tom Phillips of The Guardian, caught me eye:

When the 3,000 inmates of the central prison in Port-au-Prince unexpectedly gained their freedom, courtesy of the earthquake, everybody knew where they would be headed: Cité Soleil, the poorest area of this poorest city, in whose maze of streets they could vanish.

But the fugitives hadn’t counted on one thing: the determination of Cité Soleil’s people not to let them back. “We’ve got so many huge problems because of the earthquake, we have so little food, water and medicines, we can’t deal with another huge problem,” said Caries Rubens, 26, one of the area’s 300,000 people.

Several of the escapers had been gang leaders in the slum neighbourhood, ensnaring and terrorising the people with drugs and guns. Nobody wanted to see them regain their hold.

When news that the earthquake had granted the prisoners early parole reached Cité Soleil, a committee was set up, then vigilante security teams. Prisoners spotted re-entering the area were chased and run out of town. Those who were caught came to a more definitive end.

I’ve been getting questions to what one can do for Haiti.  Here are some more answers…

Here’s an excellent site doing great work on the GROUND in Haiti:

http://www.brothersbrother.org/

Know, that if you donate to them, your money goes directly to those in need in Haiti.

___

Be sure to check-out THE LEDE from the New York Times, giving up-to-the-minute information on Haiti, including, blogs, links, and video.

___

Here’s a moving post from a friend of mine, Anafidelia Renaud Tavares, that lists several organizations doing substantive work in Haiti:

Hello friends,

We have witnessed one of the largest natural disasters and likely the most devastating to affect Haiti in the last 200 years. Many of you are reacting to the news of the earthquake  in Haiti in different ways. Many children of Haiti, like me, are calling friends and family to find out if they are ok. (So far the news from my family is heartening though we are waiting with baited breath for word from cousins who we have been unable to get in touch with.)

Others of you seeing the pictures of poverty, grief, destruction and devastation are wondering how you can help.  In many times of crisis, the first impulse is to give to any organization that seems like it might help. While Haiti is known by many to be the poorest nation in this hemisphere- it is also the first independent black nation of the world, home to great intellectuals, artists, musicians and a rich spiritual/cultural tradition. There are many local organizations on the ground- formed by Haitians’ helping each other- that I would ask you to consider. Additionally, there are many international organizations that have a demonstrated and independently verified record of helping people in need, responding to disasters etc.

I would ask you to consider giving to the organizations below. These organizations are ones in which close friends or family members of mine have witnessed the quality and dedication of the humanitarian work performed.

You can also collect cash donations at your place of work in the days and coming weeks and send to the organizations below. The motto on the Haitian flag “L’Union fait la force” means in “ in unity is strength” so many small donations as little as $1 would be a help to the organizations below.

Finally, the first 72 hours of a disaster are critical. You can also help by calling your elected officials and ask them what they are doing to ensure a swift, sure and effective US government led humanitarian response. Contact the White House at  202-456-1111 or 202-456-1414. And contact your Senator or Representative by following this link http://www.contactingthecongress.org/. Tell them that the world and country is watching how the most powerful country in this world will respond to this crisis.

I thank you in advance for your help. Continue to keep your positive thoughts, prayers and actions focused on Haiti.

1. Saint Boniface Foundation in Haiti

http://www.haitihealth.org/

St. Boniface Haiti Foundation

400 North Main St.

Randolph, MA 02368

781-963-7243

info@haitihealth.org

Catholic clinic and organization that my sister volunteered with in Haiti. Do amazing work taking care of the medical and social needs of the whole family and village.

2. H.E.L.P Inc

http://www.helpinconline.org/

Director Michel Brutus mhbrutus85@hotmail.com

14 Impasse Heraux – Entrée Sylvio Cator

Port-au-Prince Haiti W.I.

011 509 246-5710(Home)

011 509 555-5410(Cellular)

011 509 510-8238(Hospital)

Louise A. Smith

Advisory Board General Secretary 31 Galty Avenue – Dorchester, MA 02124 617-287-8445

louise.a.smith@prodigy.net

This clinic is near the epicenter of the disaster. I have not been able to confirm if the hospital is still standing. But the staff at this hospital are a dedicated group and will be at the heart of reaching out and helping.

3.World Vision

http://www.worldvision.org/

1-888-511-6593

One-time giving/Emergency relief

P.O. Box 9716

Federal Way, WA 98063-9716

info@worldvision.org

Me and my sister contribute to this organization on a regular basis. I saw them on the front line in Uganda helping constantly in many ways ( building wells, homes, clinics, vaccinating kids etc). They are in Haiti with a significant presence and have a proven track record in disaster relief. They do this work well, with low administrative overhead so you know the money will be going directly to people in need

4. Doctors without Borders

http://doctorswithoutborders.org/

1-888-392-0392

USA Headquarters

333 7th Avenue, 2nd Floor

New York, NY  10001-5004

Phone: 212-679-6800

Fax: 212-679-7016

Finally another well known organization that is always  on the front lines of disaster relief. I have many close friends who volunteered with this organization and have nothing but wonderful things to say about their work. They do this work well and with low administrative overhead.

Best regards,

Anafidelia Renaud Tavares, MD, MPH

NYC Benefits for Our Haiti

Haiti Benefit Concert: L’Union Fait Force

Tue., January 19, 2010 / 8:00 PM

Le Poisson Rouge

Groove Collective , DJ Logic , Bernie Worrell , Dr. Lonnie Smith , Roy Hargrove , Vijay Iyer , Lionel Loueke & Richard Bona , Yatande Bwakaiman Vodou Drums and Swiss Chris

http://www.facebook.com/l/39c96;lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/932

___

I AM AYITI (HAITI) RELIEF FUNDRAISER AND BENEFIT

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22nd

SOLIDARITY FROM NY to NOLA to HAITI

FEATURING PERFORMANCES BY:

DJ Laylo on the 1s and 2s

Kalunga Neg Mawon

Tiga Jean-Baptiste & T’Chaka

Jhon Clarke (formerly of Black Parents)

Friday, January 22, 2010

7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m.

@ Caribbean Cultural Center

408 W. 58th Street (between 9th and 10th Avenues)

212-307-7420 ext. 3008

http://www.facebook.com/l/39c96;www.cccadi.org

Minimum Donation $10 but feel free to donate more!

CCCADI is also a Drop off location for

All proceeds will benefit Konbit Pou Edikasyon. Donated items will benefit Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees

For More Information:

Konbit Pou Edikasyon: go to http://www.facebook.com/l/39c96;www.konbitpe.org.

Doctors Without Borders: go to http://www.facebook.com/l/39c96;www.doctorswithoutborders.org

Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees: Call http://www.facebook.com/l/39c96;718.735.4660

For more information about I AM HAYITI, contact Shantrelle P. Lewis at http://www.facebook.com/l/39c96;212.307.7420 ext. 3008 or slewis@cccadi.org.

___

PATTI SMITH, SWELL SEASON, JOSH RITTER, LEWIS BLACK, LIVING COLOUR, ROSANNE CASH AND MANY OTHERS SUPPORT HAITI OVER 4 NIGHTS AT CITY WINERY.

http://www.facebook.com/l/39c96;www.citywinery.com

City Winery Hosts 4 nights: Wednesday, Jan. 20, Thursday, Jan. 21, Sunday, Jan. 24, Monday, Jan. 25

Felix Augustin, Haiti’s Consul General in NY will join on Wednesday, Jan. 20th.

100% of proceeds from this benefit will be donated to Wyclef Jean’s YELE to fund the Emergency Mobile Hospitals initiative administered by the U.N. We ask that you give any way you can.

Wednesday, Jan 20th

Patti Smith, Swell Season, Josh Ritter, John Wesley Harding.

Thursday, Jan 21st

Lewis Black, Vernon Reid & Corey Glover of Living Colour, Rich Pagano & The Sugarcane Cups, Marshall Crenshaw, David Johansen.

Sunday, Jan 24th

Rosanne Cash, Madeleine Peyroux, BETTY

Monday, Jan. 25th

15 Indie Artists TBA.

At City Winery

155 Varick St. @ Vandam in Soho | http://www.facebook.com/l/39c96;212.608.0555

http://www.facebook.com/l/39c96;www.citywinery.com

___

THE WORLD STANDS WITH HAITI

A benefit show for the People of Haiti

Sunday, January 24

6pm – 12 midnight

Featuring:

Charanga Soleil * Live *

with very special guests

“Papo” Ortega – Pepito Gomez – Luisito Ayala – Eddy Zervigon – Ray Martinez – Richard Agustin – Cedric Brooks & many more surprise artists

Live Haitian Drum & Dance by Markus Schwartz & Nadia Dieudonne

Dance Performances by Areytos Performance Works, Danielle Lima, Dalia Carella, Rara Dancers

DJs Neva, Al Angeloro, Andrea & David Medina

at Drom

85 Ave A (b/w 5th & 6th St)

New York, NY 10009

(212) 777-1156

http://www.facebook.com/l/39c96;www.dromnyc.com

Facebook page -> http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=257314897612&ref=nf

$20 Suggested Donation

*** 100% of door proceeds will go to Partners In Health, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Your contribution is fully tax-deductible as allowed by law. (http://www.facebook.com/l/39c96;www.pih.org) ***

Please visit http://www.facebook.com/l/39c96;www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti for frequent updates on the progress and needs of their medical teams serving the Haitian people at this time.

Helping Haiti

If you are looking for ways to help Haiti, here are some excellent links, beginning with the NEW YORK TIMES list, edited down to my top choices.  I’ll be posting more information in the coming days:

AMERICAN RED CROSS
Text “HAITI” to “90999″ to make a $10 donation.
2025 E Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
(800) REDCROSS (733-2767)

AMERICARES
88 Hamilton Avenue
Stamford, CT 06902
(800) 486-4357

AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE
JDC Haiti Earthquake Relief
P.O. Box 530
132 East 43rd Street
New York, NY 10017
212-687-6200

CARE
151 Ellis Street
Atlanta, GA 30303
(800) 521-CARE (521-2273)

CHURCH WORLD SERVICE
28606 Phillips Street
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, Ind. 46515
(800) 297-1516

CONCERN WORLDWIDE US
104 East 40th Street, #903
New York, NY 10016
(800) 59-CONCERN

CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
(800) 736-3467
P.O. Box 17090
Baltimore, MD 21203-7090

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION
1752 N Street NW, Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20036

INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE
122 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10168-1289
(877) REFUGEE

ISLAMIC RELIEF USA
3655 Wheeler Ave.
Alexandria, Va. 22304
(888) 479-4968

ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA
P.O. Box 38
Plainfield, Ind. 46168
(317) 839-8157

LAMP FOR HAITI
P.O. Box 39703
Philadelphia, Pa. 19106
(267) 295-2822

MAP INTERNATIONAL
4700 Glynco Parkway
Brunswick, Ga. 31525-6800
(800) 225-8550

MERCY CORPS
Dept. W
P.O. Box 2669
Portland, OR 97208-2669
(888) 256-1900

MOBILE GIVING FOUNDATION
800 112th Avenue NE, Suite 260-E
Bellevue, Wash. 98004
(866) 810-1203

• Text the word “Haiti” to 85944 to donate $5 on behalf of the Rescue Union Mission and MedCorp International.
• Text the word “Haiti” to 25383 to donate $5 On behalf of the Internal Rescue Committee.
• Text the word “Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 On behalf of the Red Cross in the U.S.
• Text the word “Haiti” to 45678 (in Canada only) on behalf of the Salvation Army in Canada.

OPERATION BLESSING INTERNATIONAL
977 Centerville Turnpike
Virginia Beach, Va. 23463
(757) 226-3401

OXFAM AMERICA
226 Causeway St., 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02114-2206
(800) 77-OXFAM (776-9326)

OPERATION BLESSING INTERNATIONAL
977 Centerville Turnpike
Virginia Beach, VA 23463
(800) 730-2537

PARTNERS IN HEALTH
P.O. Box 845578
Boston, MA 02284-5578
(617) 432-5256

THE SALVATION ARMY
615 Slaters Lane
P.O. Box 269
Alexandria, VA 22313

SAVE THE CHILDREN
Haiti Earthquake Children in Emergency Fund
54 Wilton Road
Westport, CT 06880
(800) 728-3843

SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES
1001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite #1250
Washington, DC 20036
(888) SOS-4KIDS

SAMARITAN’S PURSE
P.O. Box 3000
Boone, NC 28607
(828) 262-1980

WORLD VISION
Haiti Earthquake Relief
P.O. Box 9716
Federal Way, WA 98063-9716
(888) 511-6548

UNITED JEWISH APPEAL – FEDERATION OF JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES ON NEW YORK
P.O. Box 4227
New York, NY 10261-4227
(212) 836.1486

Our Haiti

“At this moment, in this desperate hour, I am overwhelmed with grief for all of those lost, suffering, and struggling with the realities of this deepening disaster. I am not at all certain what my response should be, and I’m gripped by a feeling of helplessness.

Emeline Michel and I are determined to do all that we can for our Haitian brothers and sisters, and we’re grateful that an array of musicians and artists are joining together in a journey of hope towards Haiti’s recovery and rebirth. We are providing websites and links for you to respond immediately, and planning concerts and other special events that will be a march towards the reconstruction and resurrection of our island-nation—one that has given us so much while never asking for anything in return.  We will rebuild, we must rebuild, and in doing so, we begin the process of helping and healing those who now need us the most, now, and in the coming months and years.

Nothing is as powerful as the will of a nation to survive, the strength of people to believe, and the miracle of the individual boldly acting towards world-wide change.”

Daniel Bernard Roumain and Emeline Michel

To act today, please support these sites and organizations:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/haitiearthquake

http://clintonbushhaitifund.org

http://www.redcross.org

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org

http://www.cnn.com

For important updates on future Haitian-relief efforts, concerts, and special events, please go to www.dbrmusic.com or refer to this blog on how you can help and play your part.

Dream Deeply

Dream Deeply by Daniel Bernard Roumain
(excerpt, first published in Thirty Things to do When You Turn Thirty)

Margate, then

I started playing the violin when I was 5 years-old in a small town in South Florida named Margate, at a place called Margate Elementary School, as part of a music education program and orchestra known as The Margate Strings. Like most memories, sometimes the events seem more like simple dreams.

It was a magical time of good food, self-discovery, a hot sun, bright days, adventure and a never-ending sense of revelation, compassion, courage, and community. Playing the violin was a calling, and to be sure, sometimes instruments choose you. I feel the violin “called my name”, and my life was forever changed as I am now a professional composer and performer. I make a good living composing original music, touring the world playing the violin, and running my own production and publishing companies. In many real ways, playing the violin both changed my life and saved my life.

But now, there is a question and a problem: how do I remain relevant within the music industry and sustain the success I have?

Embracing the inevitable, soft consequences of hard changes

A friend of mine once remarked, “We are all practicing senior citizens in the making for our final performances.”  We are all getting older and with that, our bodies and minds will change. But what of our spirit and soul?  For me, these changes in our perception all contribute collectively to our individual wisdom and knowledge.  We all know that changes in our lives will happen, and I refer to the minor and major changes in our lives as “hard changes”, that is, changes that come unexpectedly, seemingly without warning or reason. But the results and consequences of those changes, and how we perceive them, is entirely up to us to define, and how we define them can either be good, soft consequences, or not.  I say “soft consequences”  because I do think that any change, no matter how dramatic or life-changing, is best accepted as something good and necessary and fluid, rather than something unnecessarily fixed or heavy or hard.

My mother recently lost her job.  She was 65 years-old and had worked since she was a child.  A Haitian immigrant, her work, identity, and pride were all bound to one another.  The morning came when her position at the hospital was eliminated and she was unceremoniously asked to leave after 31 years of dedicated service.  At first, she saw this as a hard, fixed change that had little benefit and value.  But within weeks, she realized she now had time to sleep late, exercise regularly, read, pray, meditate, take class, and spend more time with her loving husband, grandchildren, and extended friends and family.  My mother now sees that the benefits of this imposed, hard change has led to many more comforting, soft consequences for her and all of those closest to her.

A healthy relationship with both fear and fearlessness

I’m a composer because I was more afraid not to be.  As I get older, that doesn’t change, and I’m willing to do just about anything to make my living making music. I’m simply not willing to compromise how I spend the hours of my days and the years of my life.  But with courage comes audacity, and there can and even should be a healthy relationship to fear, and I use fear as an important motivational tool towards achieving my goals.  Fear, in this instance, can alternately be defined as risk-taking, investing, and taking chances, and to have a career or run a business really means a willingness to run risks, daily.

Before I started DBR MUSIC PRODUCTIONS, I was typical of most artists, surrendering 20% of my fees (in commission) to a management company that had little regard for my future success. I decided to take a risk and leave them, retaining the full promise of my fees.  I continued to remove 20% of my fees and saved this amount until I had enough capital to hire and work with a business partner who could help me start a production company that could seek and secure future engagements for me and other artists.  It was a terrifying decision, to leave the safety and security of an established management company, but my healthy relationship to my fear allowed me the courage and fearlessness to embrace the hard decisions that often times must be made in order to move a career, company or dreams, forward.

The ability to dream, decide, and do

I think the most important part of getting older, more than embracing the changes to your body and mind, will be your willingness to dream, your self-discipline towards deciding what your dreams are and will be, and your ability to do something to make those dreams a reality.

When we are young, we are almost expected to play and dream and fantasize.  It’s encouraged as a natural part of our development.  Teachers call these exercises “role play”, but I think we should ask ourselves what role can private day-dreaming play in our public, professional lives?  Unfortunately, these encouragements end as we grow older, though they don’t have to.  Where our parents, friends, and family encouraged those parts of us to dream and desire, as we age, we have to become our own cheerleaders, and ideally, cheer ourselves (and others) on.  You should know that dreaming is a skill, and when you stop dreaming, you lose the ability to do it, and when you stop doing it, I think a part of you just dies and hardens and falls apart.  To me, dreaming is an exercise, an important daily regimen for the overall health of our minds and souls.

Margate, now

Margate, Florida is never far from me or my sense of home.  I keep a picture of the house I grew-up in with me at all times. I’m buying my own house there and will spend at least one week each month in it.  Margate was the place I first started playing the violin and my earliest memories start there.  But what I realize now is that in  order to stay relevant and move ahead, I need to constantly return to those places where I feel most safe, where I’m free to remember who I was, who I am, and who I dream of becoming.

Like a breath, I dream deeply each and every day.

Je Suis Grand Negre

Getting ready for the madness of APAP.  It’s like a family reunion with relatives you love, hate, love to hate, and hate to love. It’s part meeting and meat-market, but I mean that in a good way.  In all seriousness, it’s always wonderful to see everyone, re-connect, and make new things happen.  Sandra Gibson has done a stellar job making APAP shine!

For the last few years, I’ve been collaborating with an array of Haitian artists, including Emeline Michel, Beethova Obas, Misty Jean, and a host of others.  I just finished a new track by Erol Josue.  He’s a deep man with a big voice.  I hope you dig Je Suis Grand Negre as much as I do.  Here’s a preview:

Let me know if you dig it (or not).