By SC

The Somerville Arts Council and the local non-profit organization Haitians United celebrated Somerville’s Haitian community by putting together Haiti in the ‘Ville!, an event full of art, music, dance, and food at the Center for Arts at the Armory on Saturday, July 6.

Jhenny Saint-Surin who was one of the main speakers throughout the event, gave a speech in which she said, “We do not discriminate. If you were born here or in Haiti, if your parents are Haitian, or if you’re only a third generation Haitian, to us, you are still Haitian and that is enough to welcome you to celebrate our culture.”

She also said that this community is a family for those who did not get to see their family again, back in Haiti.

Charlot Lucien, a world-renowned painter and the founder of the Haitian Artists Assembly of Massachusetts, presented works from different artists, one of whom was Ivequiel Valentin, who has been painting for 10 years and has always tried to bring ordinary scenarios to life by painting them with vibrant colors.

Art collector Renaudin, who has been collecting for more than 9 years, said that he started because he loved the idea that each one of the paintings he collected could tell a story about what life is like in Haiti. “Art is fundamental for our culture because you can connect with somebody else’s perspective, and having a connection with other people is what a community is about,” he said.

The Haitians United Folklore group gave a performance and a dance class in which they invited people from the audience to join in to learn the basic techniques of “folklo,” which is a traditional Haitian dance.

One more dance class that the event also offered was by a duo of professional dancers who go by the name “Noche Latina,” and as the event was coming to an end the duo made sure that no one left before everybody got up on their feet to dance modern konpa.

The music was provided by DJ YV Mix and a percussion band named Blem sou Blem, while the food was served by a local Haitian restaurant known as Pikliz International Ki