The Center Arts at the Armory is proud to present Haitian Roots band Lakou Mizik on tour from Haiti on Friday, May 6, at 7:00 p.m. as part of Arts at the Armory’s Spotlight Series and in celebration of Haitian Heritage Month. Opening the show is Boston-based Toussaint the Liberator. Please see below for ticket information. The Haitian Artist Assembly of MA (HAAM) will also participate in the May 6th activities to create an immersive Haitian cultural experience that displays Haiti’s artistic richness.

Lakou Mizik is a powerhouse collective with a soulful energy and a mix of styles that feels mystical and familiar at the same time. In the wake of Haiti’s devastating earthquake the band came together to show the world that their country was much more than the sum of headlines that were being shot around the globe. Their latest album, “Leave the Bones,” is a ground-breaking collaboration between the multigenerational Lakou Mizik and Grammy-winning electronic musician Joseph Ray. Their album HaitiaNola celebrates the shared cultural roots of Haiti and New Orleans with noted guests including the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Today, with their positive messages and roots revival music, they have become one of Haiti’s hottest exports and have gained an international following with their critically acclaimed debut album Wa Di Yo and their mystical, soulful, dance party inducing live shows.

Prior to the concert, ROOTED Armory Cafe will be hosting an opening reception from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. for an exhibition entitled Prezans e Rezilyans (Presence and Resilience), featuring the work of artists who are members of the Haitian Artists Assembly of MA (HAAM). HAAM artists will include, among others, Duken Delpe, Mimi Desir, Fritz Ducheine and Charlot Lucien.The exhibition will be on view from May 2 to June 4, Mondays through Saturdays, 9:00 – 6:00 p.m. A movable sculpture entitled Data Mining Machine by HAAM artist Duken Delpe will be part of a “Second Line/Rara” procession with Lakou Mizik, kicking off the headliner concert on May 6 at 8:15 p.m.

The ROOTED Armory Cafe reception is free and the Lakou Mizik concert is $30 advance and $40 at the door. Tickets are available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lakou-mizik-tickets-272784815727

Lakou Mizik member Sanba Zao is available for interviews in French and Haitian Kreyol. Lakou Mizik member Steeve Valcourt, and artists Duken Delpe, Mimi Desir, Fritz Ducheine and Charlot Lucien are available for interviews in English, French and Haitian Kreyol.

The Haitian Artists Assembly of Massachusetts (HAAM) was created in Boston in 1995 by a group of artists in various disciplines and has produced dozens of cultural and artistic shows in New England over the past 20 years. In 2018 HAAM produced and released the art book Migrating Colors: Haitian Art in New England, which features the artwork of more than 30 artists of the Association.

Self-taught artist Mimi Desir (Myrlene Legendre Desir) was born in Bassin Mayan, near Gonaives, Haiti, in 1962. Mimi developed a passion for art at an early age (5-9); she studied art classes at George Washington University, Montgomery College, and Maryland University, influenced by French impressionists. She paints in both impressionism and realism styles. She has exhibited in several art galleries and libraries in the U.S., and has received several awards and recognitions.

Fritz Ducheine is one of the founders of the Haitian artists Assembly of Massachusetts. He is from the Northern part of Haiti. His paintings are recognizable by the prominence of bleak green and blues, and have been widely reviewed by academics and art critics. He has exhibited in Haiti, Europe and the USA.

Duken Delpe was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and is a self-taught artist who maintains a studio at SOWA. He works with symbols, geometric and organic patterns, found objects and words. He uses recyclables like a palette of discovered colors, often sanding, weaving and shaping the metals into sculpted masterpieces. He refers to his technique or style as ‘paint-in-sculpture.’

Charlot Lucien is a Haitian storyteller, poet and visual art artist based in Massachusetts. He has released five acclaimed storytelling CDs in Haitian Creole and French. As a poet, his work has been published in various magazines and newspapers; he is the author « La tentation de l’autre rive » released by Trilingual Press in Cambridge, MA. He frequently offers readings, storytelling sessions and conferences on Haitian culture in academic and cultural venues in various US States, Canada, Haiti, Guadeloupe and France. He is also the founder and director of the Haitian Artists Assembly of Massachusetts (HAAM).

The Center for Arts at the Armory is located at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143. To learn more please visit our website, https://artsatthearmory.org, our Facebook page, and follow us on Instagram at @ArtsattheArmory