As part of the 10th Annual Caribbean Heritage Month, the Embassy hosted an evening of Cultural Expressions in the Arts on Thursday, June 27, 2019.
The evening was organized as part of the 10th Annual Caribbean Heritage Month. The Embassy was honored to have Mrs. Magdalah Racine-Silva, President and CEO of DMS International beautifully moderate the program as the Mistress of Ceremony. The program was launched with a cello performance of the Haitian national anthem played by the talented, Benjamin Gates. The event also launched the Embassy’s latest art exhibit called “Diaspora Expressions Expo“, an exposition exclusively curated with artwork from the Diaspora community. Ambassador Hervé Denis invited the artists whose work are currently featured on the Embassy walls to honor them for their contribution towards changing the Haiti narrative through the arts. For the occasion, the Embassy welcomed back the 2019 Embassy Chef Challenge People’s Choice Award Winner, Mr. Dimitri Lilavois to Washington, DC from California for a Haitian culinary experience. The Chef curated a menu featuring the winning dish served at the Embassy Chef Challenge “Le Peyzan” as well as the winning dish, a roasted pumpkin purée topped with lobster and smoked bacon called “La Révolution” . Other delicacies included grilled lobster, conch salad, Plantains cup with griyo, chicktay aransò/pork griyo, smoked herring, conch salad with papita, lamb meatballs, fig glazed beef skewers, and tamarind glazed chicken skewers.
During his remarks, Ambassador Denis expressed, “When I decided to partner with Haiti Renewal Alliance and Karib Nation for the 10th Annual Caribbean Heritage Month Celebration, I knew I wanted to highlight and unveil the richness of Haiti’s culture and beauty specifically through the arts, from its culinary to fashion, music and vibrant art. In essence, this is the main purpose behind tonight. To uplift and showcase everything about Haiti that we do not often see on the screens. To reintroduce a Haiti that is rich in legacy, even in the face of its current or ongoing challenges. Challenges do not redefine identity. If you ask me how I define Haiti, I would tell you that Haiti is not a person, it is every Haitian person, it is not a region but extends beyond that. It is not French or Creole, it is both. Haiti, my friends, is an everlasting idea and an inspiration of freedom, liberty and courage. Tonight, I hope you get to re-experience Haiti and see it through different lenses as the remainder of the evening takes you on a journey of the country I know and love.”
The program closed with a fashion show from designers all throughout the Caribbean moderated by award-winning multimedia journalist, Melissa Noel. The evening was organized as part of the Embassy’s larger mission to strengthen relations with the Caribbean community, promote women empowerment, reconnect with the Diaspora community, and highlight Haiti’s rich culture and ingenuity. A special thank you to our partners, Haiti Renewal Alliance and Karib Nation.
The photos from the evening can be accessed here.
Please stay tuned for an invitation for the official Grand Opening of the “Diaspora Expressions Expo” later this month.
Photo Credit: Samira Rashid from SR Photography
