Haiti

Though it’s too often associated with coup d’etats, kidnappings and boatborne refugees, Haiti is a country rich in folklore, food, art and history. Lucky for New Yorkers, one of the best places to find Haitian culture outside of Haiti is right here: We boast the second largest population of Haitian immigrants and descendants (about 500,000), with bustling enclaves in Cambria Heights, Queens, and East Flatbush, Brooklyn.

Experience Haitian Vodou

Haitian Vodou is a powerful but poorly understood form of Afro-Caribbean spirituality. “It’s not sensationalistic Wes Craven stuff,” says Dr. Lois Wilcken, executive director of acclaimed Haitian folklore nonprofit La Troupe Makandal (makandal.org). On Friday 13 and Saturday 14, drummers of La Troupe Makandal and its master drummer Frisner Augustin will celebrate the feast day of Gede (pronounced “GAY-day”), which honors a family of spirits that embody death and fertility, in Canarsie, Brooklyn. (E-mail makandal@earthlink.net for details.) “It’s like a Haitian Day of the Dead,” Wilcken says. On the first night, a goat will be sacrificed, setting the stage for the rest of the ceremony. The next evening, the mambo (priestess) will serve the goat, along with other dishes, into the wee hours of the morning.

Eat like Haitians

Discover Haitian cuisine at Brasserie Creole (227-02 Linden Blvd at 227th St, Cambria Heights, Queens; 718-341-1376, brasseriecreolerestaurant.com), an eatery and lounge offering live music on the weekends. On Friday 13, before dancing all the carbs away to a performance by Tabou Combo, order an appetizer of kibbeh (fried croquette stuffed with minced beef) or try the steak Creole, and be sure to ask if they are serving du riz dhon dhon (black rice seasoned with mushrooms). Pa genyen? (“Don’t have any?”) Enjoy du riz pois colée (cooked rice and beans) with your meal instead.

In the mood for baked goods? Jean-Sébastien Riché, vice-consul at Manhattan’s Consulate of Haiti, suggests La Baguette in Queens (19109 Jamaica Ave at 191st St, Jamaica; 718-468-2525). Don’t miss the pâté—a stuffed pastry filled with meat or chicken—or Haitian desserts such as pain patate (sweetened breadlike pudding).

Another popular patisserie is Le Bon Pain (211-65 Jamaica Ave between Hollis Ct Blvd and 212th St, Queens Village; 718-464-8160), which serves up some Haitian pâté.

See Haitian art

At Cavin-Morris Gallery (210 Eleventh Ave between 24th and 25th Sts, suite 201, Jamaica; 212-226-3768), you can tour a permanent collection of work by some of Haiti’s best-known artists, including Hector Hyppolite, Philomé Obin and Georges Liautaud. The latter’s metal sculptures, made from discarded oil barrels, form expressive silhouettes meant to represent Vodou deities and spirit possession.

Jam to Haitian music

Compa, racine and twobadou are musical genres whose influences range from African drum rhythms to American jazz. To get a sense of each, visit S.O.B.’s (204 Varick St at W Houston St, 212-243-4940), which showcases Haitian bands every Friday; past guests include compa acts like T-Vice and Sweet Micky. On Friday 13, see the lively compa band Carimi (doors open at 11pm, $30).

Passionate about percussion? Frisner Augustin serves as artist-in-residence in Hunter College’s music department, offering $12 drumming workshops that are open to the public. Members of his troupe also teach private drum classes in all traditional Haitian rhythms, for maman (master drum), segon (second drum), boula (third drum) and other percussion parts. For information, visit makandal.org or call 718-953-6638. Feel the beat.

Fun Facts

Haiti was the world’s first black republic, winning its independence after a successful slave rebellion against France in 1804.

Grammy Award winner and philanthropist Wyclef Jean immigrated to Brooklyn from Haiti when he was nine years old.

Haitian Creole, a French-based vernacular, is one of the country’s official languages.

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