Two sons of Port-de-Paix are behind this vibrant event: Rodney Noël and Jean Michel Cerenord. Yet, they met far from their hometown nearly 30 years ago. “I used to regularly visit a record store in Florida, and one day Jean Michel came looking for a cassette of a live performance by Triomec’s Sans Complexe. That’s where we met and became friends,” recalls Rodney Noël.

Twenty-seven years later, they have managed to create an event that has become a cornerstone in celebrating Haitian music and culture in South Florida. Today, this annual gathering is a key moment for the diaspora to express its identity.