Haitian artist Wyclef Jean to be honored

During Haitian Heritage Month, three-time GRAMMY award-winning and renowned Haitian artist Wyclef Jean will be honored and welcomed to Little Haiti in Miami on Saturday, May 20.

According to Caribbean National Weeklyn (CNW), Wyclef Jean to be honored at Chefs of the Caribbean Celebrity Brunch at the iconic Caribbean Marketplace, 5925 NE 2nd Avenue, in the heart of Little Haiti. Festivities begin at 12 noon.

“City of Miami Chairwoman Christine King, Miami Dade County Commissioner Keon Hardemon, and the Little Haiti Optimist Club invite culinary enthusiasts to experience the best of Haiti and the islands for the Chefs of the Caribbean Celebrity Brunch,” CNW said.

It said Haitian Heritage Month recognizes the rich history and culture of Haitians through showcasing art, culture, food, music, and more.

“The month-long celebration pays tribute to the Haitian community for their valuable contributions to South Florida,” CNW said.

It said Chefs of the Caribbean will pay homage to Wyclef Jean for his philanthropic, business and entertainment achievements.

“Wyclef Jean’s contribution to raising awareness of Haitian culture is unprecedented. His success in music, business and his charity work are to be celebrated and we welcome him to Little Haiti”, said Marie Louissaint, event producer.

Lead Fugees rapper and sometime-guitarist, allmusic.com said Wyclef Jean was the first member of his group to embark on a solo career, proving “even more ambitious and eclectic on his own.”

As the Fugees hung in limbo, Wyclef also became hip-hop’s unofficial multicultural conscience, allmusic.com said.

“A seemingly omnipresent activist, he assembled or participated in numerous high-profile charity benefit shows for a variety of causes, including aid for his native Haiti,” it said. “The utopian one-world sensibility that fueled Wyclef’s political consciousness also informed his recordings, which fused hip-hop with as many different styles of music as he could get his hands on.

“Given his Caribbean roots, reggae was a particular favorite,” it added. “In addition to his niche as hip-hop’s foremost global citizen, Clef was also a noted producer and remixer who worked with an impressive array of pop, R&B, and hip-hop talent, including Whitney Houston, Santana, Destiny’s Child, and Shakira.”

Allmusic.com said Wyclef’s solo debut got its sequel in 2007 when Carnival, Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant hit the shelves.

“The album had a diverse and lengthy guest list, ranging from Paul Simon to Sizzla,” it said. “Its ‘Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)’ became his biggest single as a lead artist in nearly a decade  — a platinum-certified, number 12 pop hit.

Two years later, Allmusic.com said Wyclef returned with Toussaint St. Jean: From the Hut, To the Projects, To the Mansion, which topped out at number 171 pop and number 36 R&B/hip-hop.

Work on his seventh proper full-length began shortly thereafter, though it took many years for the album to materialize, Allmusic.com said.

It said the EPs If I Were President: My Haitian Experience and J’ouvert, along with scattered non-album singles and collaborations with dance acts (the Knocks, Gorgon City) and rappers (including Young Thug), all preceded 2017’s Carnival III: The Fall and Rise of a Refugee, distributed by Sony via the independent Heads Music.

Allmusic.com said the release coincided with the 20th anniversary of Jean’s debut and featured guest performances from Emeli Sandé and LunchMoney Lewis.