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Haiti began as a French Colony known as St. Domingue. They were a large producer of sugar and other goods that Europe was unable to produce. European nations used slavery to continue the large production and exports of these goods. Many white Europeans lived at this colony and ran the local government. In 1791 there was political unrest between settlers and because of this slaves took this as an opportunity to rebel. This was a huge problem for Europe, France specifically. The French Government sent people to persuade the leaders of the Slave revolt. They were to convince them that France had been planning on freeing the Slaves within Haiti. This however did not stop the revolution, it went on for many years and even brought in other countries like Spain and England. It also affected America as the goverment there was afraid that word would spread and influence the slaves in America. The revolution caused much unrest with leader of France Napoleon. It halted his revenue and he decided to sell Louisiana because Haiti was more important to him and his plans and he assumed he would get more money and use out of Haiti once the revolt settled down and subsided. However he was not excepting them to win this revolution and became an independent nation. Eventually in the years during and towards the end of the revolution many Haitians and Settlers fled to America as refugees. Many settlers brought the Haitians since they were their slaves they did not want to leave them behind. They settled in many places like Virginia, Philadelphia, New York and Louisiana. Their independence allowed their culture to grow and even make way to New Orleans to influence our own American culture to what it is today.

Sources

https://www.myneworleans.com/haiti-and-the-louisiana-connection/

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1784-1800/haitian-rev

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It's Mardi Gras season and in North America, no celebration is more famous than the one put on by the people of New Orleans. For two weeks, local groups called Krewes organize balls, parades and dance parties. Colorful plastic beads are everywhere.

A few years ago, a new krewe sprung up with the aim of celebrating the Haitian roots that run deep through the city's cultural identity. Krewe Du Kanaval was co-founded by Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, best known as the husband-and-wife duo who front the Grammy award-winning rock band, Arcade Fire. These days, the Canadian musicians are residents of New Orleans and good friends with Ben Jaffe of the storied Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Butler says the idea to start the Krewe stemmed from a trip he took with Jaffe to Haiti. It was Jaffe's first time in the country.

"I remember when we first got to the central plateau [of Haiti]," Butler said. "There was a brass band that played for us when we got there. Ben's almost crying. It sounded like if you got in a time machine and went to New Orleans - pre-swing, pre-jazz New Orleans - and it's pretty powerful."

And it wasn't just the music: the architecture, the food and the people reminded Jaffe of home.

Thousands of Haitians landed in Louisiana in the early 19th century after fleeing their home country's revolution. By 1809, more than 10,000 Haitians had arrived in New Orleans, doubling the population of the city.

Along with the Haitian people came their culture, establishing a deep relationship between the two places. Many locals refer to New Orleans as the northernmost Caribbean city. Celebrating this connection was the guiding principle for Butler, Chassagne and Jaffe when they founded Krewe du Kanaval in 2017.

"That was sort of the idea," says Butler. "What if we did this thing that everyone wants to do anyway, for a party? And we actually did something good with it. [We're] just paying tribute to the root of it."

For Chassagne, the connections are also personal. Her parents are native Haitians who fled the country in the 1960s during the 13-year rule of dictator Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier. Her family first landed in the US, but eventually ended up in Montreal, where Chassagne grew up. And it wasn't until 2008, when she was in her 30s, that she visited Haiti for the first time.

But Chassagne says she inherited the Haitian culture through her parents.

"You just absorb it. You absorb the inflections, you absorb the humor, certain reactions to certain events," she says. It had always felt like an insular experience to her, but she says, "When I went to Haiti, I really realized this is why! This is all why."

Chassange has been publicly thinking about her relationship to her parents' home country at least since 2004; the first Arcade Fire album, Funeral, came out that year and included the semi-autobiographical song, "Haiti."

"And then when we realized that we were going to starting selling out venues," says Chassagne, "I was like, okay, maybe I will not work at the bakery anymore. Then I started to think about how to raise money, and how to be efficient in the gifts that I've been given and how to make them useful."

The answer came to her in 2010, when Chassagne co-founded Kanpe, a foundation that supports an array of health education and agriculture programs in Haiti. The Krewe Du Kanaval celebrations raise funds for the foundation.

Paul Beaubrun, a Haitian singer-songwriter based in New York and a member of Krewe du Kanaval, says Carnival is like therapy for Haitians.

"You scream. Some people you curse, if you want, because you have to let your frustrations out," Beaubrun says. "So it's a very important tradition for us. And at the same time, it's that time where you almost begin your year. We call that " N'ap boule" - that means you're burning everything and then you start anew. So it's a very important tradition for Haitians and it's a lot of fun, you know, so it's like a win-win."

Beaubrun says at Carnival in Haiti, music hits you from all directions. It's at the center of the celebrations.

"There's this part where you put a band on the float and people are dancing, singing too, and then they have stands. And then it's like millions of people everywhere! Dancing, screaming ... so many things happening!"

Like Butler and Chassagne, Beaubrun says you can just feel the connections between the music of Haiti and New Orleans. And he should know: Beaubrun is a member of the prominent Haitian fusion band, Boukman Eksperyans, which rose to fame playing Carnival in Haiti in the early 1990s. The group brought their music to the Krewe Du Kanaval ball last year.

"It's just to that exchange between New Orleans and Haiti," Beaubrun says, "to really show that similarity, the influences. That's what Krewe Du Kanaval is. We just bring it together."

Butler says the theme of the Krewe Du Kanaval parade this year is "Merci Haiti" - simply, "thank you, Haiti."

"We're just trying to pay respect to all that we have [been] grateful for - that Haiti has contributed - and just to give back. I think that's the idea of the whole thing," he says.

This year's Krewe Du Kanaval features Arcade Fire, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, DJ Michael Brun, Jillionaire, Pierre Kwenders and Lakou Mizik. The parade, ball and party all go down this weekend.

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Krewe Du Kanaval Honors The Haitian Roots Of New Orleans

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A few years ago, a new Mardi Gras krewe sprung up with the aim of celebrating the Haitian roots that run deep through the city's cultural identity. It was co-founded by two members of Arcade Fire.

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Djibouti is a country on the coast of Africa. It was once named French Somaliland from 1896-1967 and shortly named French territory of the Afars and Issas from 1967-77. Once it gained its independence from France in 1977 it was named Djibouti.

The land of Dijibouti has many interesting features including the Lake Assal which is saltier than the Dead Sea and they extract the salt from the lake for human consumption. And this is what made me interested in diving into the food from Dijibouti.

A lot of the food that is traditional for Dijibouti is influenced from France and the surrounding countries. Like sambuussas also called samosas, Skudahkharis or Dijiboutian lamb stew which is the national dish of Dijibouti. It is made with rice, lamb and spices. It can be made many different ways and accompanied with many different dishes, like fish and chicken, or laxoox , or sides of colorful rice. It is also served commonly with grilled chicken and a sauce called niter kibbeh. They also have a good relationship with baguettes and baked goods which I’m sure Frances very long (too long) reign influenced, but the coffee and tea is influenced greatly from the Ethiopian culture.

Many of the popular dishes tend to be made with lamb, chicken or fish due to the large population of Islamic peoples. With approximately 98% of the population being Muslim.

Most of the dishes famous in Dijibouti use ingredients or components from the many African and middle eastern countries that surround this beautiful land. Giving many of these dishes rich and powerful flavors. Learning of this country made very interested in learning more about their foods and I hope to one day be able to sample some of their cuisines!

https://www.britannica.com/place/Djibouti

https://www.france24.com/en/20150529-djibouti-yemen-mix-french-somali-business-china-dubai

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Djibouti's cuisine is heavily influenced by its neighbors, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen, as well as its former occupier France, and by India to some extent. Being a hotspot on the old Spice Road that made its way to Timbuktu, the country has a range of dishes that are as unique as their origin. Here's our pick of the best.

Also called , sambuussa is a perfect appetizer with which to start your meal. Treat yourself with these little crispy fried pastries that are usually made out of meat, onions and vegetables. Fried, sambuussa are served hot with a spicy pepper sauce or for the more adventurous, with zuuqar, a thick sauce made of tomato paste and grated vegetables.

Djiboutian banana fritters

This is one sweet treat that won't disappoint in Djibouti. You will probably try them as beignet de bananes made with cinnamon in restaurants across Djibouti city, but then you really have to try the original recipe where no milk and no eggs are added - only ripe bananas, flour and a touch of nutmeg are used. The little fritters are typically served warm dusted with powdered sugar or honey.

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Laxoox, or galettes Djiboutiennes

For day-to-day meals, laxoox, a lot like canjeroo or the Ethiopian injera, is the staple of every meal in Djibouti. Laxoox, pronounced 'lahooh', is one of the rare foods that is widely shared between Djibouti and its neighbors: Ethiopia and Somalia. Ideally made of teff flour and sweetened water and cooked until golden on the bottom, the laxoox gets its spongy texture from little holes that form on the top when cooking. A very nutritious flatbread it can be served with runny butter or honey to start the day with, or can be dipped in dishes such as a meat stew called loqmad, or misir wat, a red lentil sauce.

Unlike the habitual laxoox, cambaboor is made for celebrations or sumptuous receptions. Enjoy then this elaborated version of canjeroo: made of onion, garlic, corn or teff flour and enhanced with nigella or anise seeds, the mix is perfumed with curcuma, which gives it its royal golden color, then cooked and served with a fatty butter called subag and sweet-sour yogurt.

Commonly used to refer to Yemen's traditional fish meal and its accompanying side dishes, mukbaza is actually a kind of folded bread, that after being cooked, is cut into pieces and blended with honey and banana, or dates. Served as a thick purée along with some nuts, it is the perfect dip for your Yemeni fish, traditionally cooked over charcoal.

| © Culture Trip / Zineb Boujrada

Skudahkharis, or Djiboutian lamb stew

Skudahkharis is indisputably the national dish of Djibouti. Commonly prepared during the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, it is made of rice, lamb and ayurvedic spices such as cardamom. It can also go well with chicken, beef or fish. Again, it can also be served on top of laxoox, though accompanying platters of brightly dyed rice are also common, served alongside grilled chicken and a buttery sauce called niter kibbeh.

Xalwo, pronounced 'halwo' or 'halva', which means 'sweet', is a treat made during special occasions such as weddings or Eid celebrations. Djibouti is the place to be if you want to try the delicious fried Somali booskoot (biscuit), maandazi (fermented fried dough) or the generous kaak-kaak made out of a rich date-stuffed dough, baked with milk, vanilla, nutmeg and nigella seeds and served with powdered sugar or sesame. Don't forget to have it with some shaah (tea) mixed with condensed milk, or flavoured buna (coffee) with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.

https://www.instagram.com/p/8HAOZHFcLK/

Much like the Moroccan msemen, sabayaad is made of a dough of flour, water and salt and traditionally prepared the Somali way, in the shape of lightly fried squares. Djiboutians also make another kind of sabayaad filled with onion and meat or chicken, called fadira. It can be enjoyed for breakfast with honey, or for dinner to soak up the rich spicy fuul (beans), or at lunch with a tuna salad, just like Djiboutians do it!

Homemade sabaayad served with shaah | © Culture Trip / Zineb Boujrada

Bariis iyo kaluun or digaag

Another exquisite Djiboutian dish is bariis iyo kaluun or digaag - rice with fish or chicken. A delicious meal that you can try with literally any kind of fish, and it will still taste incredible. Its secret? The right mix of spices!

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10 Traditional Djiboutian Dishes You Need To Try

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Read our guide to the top ten traditional local dishes that you absolutely should try while in Djibouti.

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Burkina Faso- Culture, Crafts and the SIAO

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Burkina Faso- Culture, Crafts and the SIAO

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Burkina Faso is a country within Africa that was colonized by France during the late 1800’s. French made them a colony during the scramble to colonize and own Africa. Which pushed French to be the language as they were to use it for official documents and business. Culturally Brukina Faso is one of the locations for the oldest settlements and the country is filled with many ancient artifacts.

CULTURE AND ARTS

Burkina Faso is home to the largest craft fair in Africa. The Ouagadougou International Handicrafts Fair or International Arts and Crafts fair(SIAO is the French name). Highlighting the deep culture with handmade crafts that is important to the people of Burkina Faso as well as the African population. This craft fair takes place in the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou. From my readings it says they hold this event every two years to help flourish their economy and help out small scale businesses/companies and artisans. Many of these people who sell there and are important to this aspect of the countries economy are women. This event started in the 1980s to help promote African art work. There are many countries involved in attending this event, when it started there were 30 countries involved, allowing the promotion of small artisans as well as the ability to show case craftsmanship and mastery of their works. This event has grown larger and larger, and they have created many pavilions for the artisans to work in and set up. As well as having categories including fashion and food. This is a beloved and important aspect of Burkina Faso as well as African culture. An important showcase of talents as well as African works to many people throughout the world.

LINKS:

https://www.ontb.bf/evenements/siao

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Art_%26_Craft_Fair

https://onhisowntrip.com/most-interesting-facts-about-burkina-faso/#

https://hauniversity.org/en/SIAO-Ouagadougou.shtml

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The Siao In Burkina Faso | Discover Burkina-Faso

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The idea of creating the International Handicrafts Fair of Ouagadougou (SIAO) was born from the political will to promote African Handicraft. They realized...

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Luxembourg is a country in Europe that was conquered by a Frenchman, Duke of Burgundy Phillip the Good in 1443. After this the country adopted the French language which was preferred by the upper class and used for business.

Many of the architecture within Luxembourg is from the Celtic tribes that originated there specifically the Treveri. However there is also much Roman and later French influence. Luxembourg is home to many rich cultural landmarks and beautiful architecture.

The Place de Paris and the Paris Palace Hotel were greatly influenced by French architecture built in the early 1900’s.

The Banque et Caisse d’Épargne de l’État built in the 1920-30’s include by the First French renaissance style and Art Nouveau.

Now these two buildings like many others are directly inspired by the French architectural styles from the time period.

However beautiful structures like:

Musée Dräi Eechelen which is a museum that has recently been renovated and was originally the 18th century fort of Thüngen. It showcases within the history of Luxembourg from 1443-1903. This fort was created by the Austrian forces that had a holding in 1732.

Each of these buildings along with many others makes up Luxembourg’s rich culture and history dating centuries before Frances occupation and after as the country flourished. These beautiful historic sites that tell their history and show the growth of architecture. I hope one day I am able to see these beautiful sites in person.

Links :

https://museumsmile.lu/en/musee/dräi-eechelen

https://www.spuerkeess.lu/en/about-us/discover-bcee-aa-plus-rating-safest-bank-award-foundation-1856/the-history-of-spuerkeess/

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1. Home

2. Visit

3. Arts and culture

4. Architectural walk around Luxembourg City

Luxembourg's history can be seen in the façades of several buildings that are protected and preserved as part of the country's architectural heritage. Various objective criteria are used by the National Sites and Monuments Service to identify and promote heritage sites in Luxembourg. Sites may be chosen because of their age, their interest in terms of architecture and history of art, their rarity or typical nature, or because they serve as a place of remembrance. The aim is to guarantee the selection of a range of architectural sites that represent the country's cultural identity.

Are you an architecture buff? With more than 1,200 protected buildings and objects, Luxembourg is a great place to explore on foot. In this second article about the country's architectural heritage, we take you on an architectural walk around Luxembourg City. So make sure you're wearing comfortable shoes, and why not bring along a pair of binoculars to check out the intricate details of these open-air historical sites!

Luxembourg City: three districts with a rich history

Message to walkers: Luxembourg's capital may be small, but every district has examples of architectural heritage that you won't want to miss, especially as the city spans a thousand years of history! The architectural walk we have designed takes you from the station district (quartier Gare) to the European district of Kirchberg, via the city centre (Ville Haute). But this is just a small selection to whet your appetite!

Station district

The station or Gare district contains several late 19th-century and early 20th-century buildings. The district began to be developed following Luxembourg's declaration of neutrality as decided by the 1867 Treaty of London and the dismantling of the fortress.

Luxembourg Central Railway Station (gare centrale) is the starting point for our walk. The current station building, which dates back to 1907, is flanked by a tall clock tower. The façades reflect the Baroque style of the Moselle region. Don't miss the gable decorations - a symbol of national sovereignty - on the main hall and the prince's pavilion.

Just opposite, the Alfa hotel, currently under renovation, is an excellent example of the Art Deco style. Built in 1930, the façade features decorative elements that are typical of Art Deco, including geometric motifs and triangular balconies.

We'll now head up to the Place de Paris , which marks the southernmost tip of the Bourbon Plateau. It was seen as the gateway to the avenue, with its two corner buildings on the north side, including the Paris Palace hotel and restaurant, strongly influenced by the French style, built between 1909 and 1912.

There are two other important buildings to point out before we continue on to the Upper Town (Ville Haute). The first is the former administrative headquarters of ARBED, built from 1920 to 1922. This palace with four wings, resembling an aristocratic residence, was built to demonstrate the power and influence of the steel group. You will notice several ornamental details reflecting science, trade and industry. A little further on we come to the head office of a bank, the Caisse d'Épargne de l'État et du Crédit Foncier, now the Banque et Caisse d'Épargne de l'État . Work on the building took place between 1910 and 1933. It reflects the First French Renaissance style with elements of Art Nouveau.

The station district is linked to the Upper Town by the imposing Adolphe Bridge, built from 1900 to 1903 over the Pétrusse valley. With a huge arch spanning 84.65m and a height of 16.2m from the base to the keystone, for many years it was the largest stone bridge in the world!

Upper Town district

We are now in the Upper Town district, or Ville Haute. This district has a rich architectural heritage, with many outstanding buildings. Make sure you don't miss the following gems:

The Cercle Cité - Cercle Municipal, a Neo-Baroque-style building inaugurated in 1910. The frieze on the façade depicts Countess Ermesinde granting the charter to the residents of the city in 1244. From 1953 to 1969, it was a meeting place for the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).

The Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall), built between 1830 and 1838 in a Neo-Classical style. The builders mainly used stones from the former Franciscan monastery which stood on the same site until 1829. The Hôtel de Ville is on Place Guillaume II , named after the King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg, whose statue can be seen in the centre of the square. An interesting fact is that the Luxembourgish name for the square, Knuedler, refers to the knot in the corded belt worn by Franciscan monks, the Knued.

The Grand-Ducal Palace, whose façade tells the story of the different stages of its construction: the original town hall was rebuilt 20 years after a gunpowder explosion in 1554, then extended in the mid-18th century. The Chamber of Deputies was added in 1890. In summer, you can take a guided tour of the interior of the Grand Duke's residence.

Kirchberg district

Do you fancy a change of style and some more contemporary architecture? Then you'll need to head to Kirchberg. On foot or by bike, cross the Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge - known as the Red Bridge - until you reach the Place de l'Europe designed by Ricardo Bofill in 2004, a striking architectural landmark which features:

A stroll along avenue John F. Kennedy will take you past a host of contemporary buildings, including most of the European institutions based in Luxembourg. This young, modern and constantly changing district is a fascinating architectural backdrop to finish off your walk - and after all that exercise it's definitely time for a refreshing drink!

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Architectural walk around Luxembourg City

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Are you an architecture buff? With more than 1,200 protected buildings and objects, Luxembourg is a great place to walk around. Follow us on this architectural walk in Luxembourg City!