Material And Visual Heritage Of Manman Dlo, Lasiren, Yemọja And Ọṣun.

Susan Matthews

Figure animalière sur une production culturelle du groupe Aluku, en Guyane. Le serpent est animal privilégié dans la cosmogonie des peuples Marons et Amérindiens de Guyane. Le serpent se retrouve régulièrement dans les productions artisanales et artistiques. Chez les Aluku, il est à la fois le symbole du féminin et du masculin. Plus largement dans les traditions afro-diasporique, comme dans le sèvi Ginen (vodoun ayitien), il peut être associé a des esprits ou des divinités. On retrouve aussi le symbole du serpent sur des productions matérielles du peuple Akan (Ghana).

The Gingerbread Houses of Haïti : Between Heritage and Community After the Haitian Revolution, a new architectural style emerged : the Gingerbread Houses. Designed to break away from French colonial architecture, these homes still drew inspiration from European styles, adapting and reinterpreting them to fit the Haitian climate and aesthetic. Initially, they were built for the elite, who resided in these grand homes, while the general population incorporated certain architectural elements into their own houses. However, beyond their elite origins, these homes have also become spaces of exchange, culture, and resistance. The iconic dancer and choreographer Viviane Gauthier transformed her Gingerbread house into a meeting place for artists, musicians, and dancers ; a space of sharing and transmission deeply rooted in Haiti’s popular and African heritage. This communal way of life, based on solidarity and collective support, has been present in Haiti since the forced arrival of enslaved Africans, particularly the Bossales, who maintained strong community structures. This same philosophy of home-as-community can be found in Edna Brodber’s novel Nothing’s Mat, which explores the idea of the house as a place of gathering, knowledge, and cultural continuity. It deeply resonates with me. When I return to Haiti, I dream of having a large house with a communal space ; a place for family, neighbors, and the village to come together for intellectual and creative activities. A home that is not just a shelter, but a living, breathing hub of culture and exchange. Would you live in a house like this ? How architecture shapes community life in your culture/place ?

I was so happy when I found this review at an antique store in Batlimore. It was like the connection has to be made.

REX NETTLEFORD I love him so much, he is a Caribbean thinker who inspires me enormously.

Calao, oiseaux à cornes, production du peuple Sénoufo présent en Côte d'Ivoire et Mali.

Presentation: the name of my blog comes from the term Tibonanj( Ti-Bon-Ange) which refers in the culture of Haitian vodoun to one of the two parts of the soul. Tibonanj, Ti bon ange = Good Little Angel is the part of the soul that guides us to the most just and personal way of life. It is a personalization of the higher self as an awakened part of the soul. It can also travel outside the body during sleep or trances. the Gwobonanj (Gros-Bon-Ange) = Big Good Angel, is the part of the soul that represents the vital force. It is embodied from birth. It is similar to the Àṣẹ, the divine breath, in the Yoruba civilization. It leaves the body only at the moment of death when it returns to the Gran Met, place where resides the vital force, which is perceived as a basin. Of Haitian origin, I travel and explore the world. My favorite region is the Caribbean and I dream of visiting all these islands. I am a PhD student in Cultural History and an artist/designer. My vision is that of a future Caribbean where African knowledge ( whether languages, stories, tangible and intangible production, ancient or recent )are disseminated, easily accessible and used by all. For me, All these resources allow an opening to social, human, scientific and economic inventiveness through the central point that is culture. I look forward to sharing more, all in passion and love. My aesthetic is that of Caribbean luxury, Academics vibe, Artefacts, Painting, Sculpture, Old comics and Island jazz, Funk, Reggae philosophy, Ancestral spirituality, and Green nature.

Coeur tambour, Scholastique Mukasonga

The cover image of this book is beautiful. This luminous woman holds a bowl, bearing the colors of the moon that gives its beauty to the early morning sun, thus revealing the splendor of sacred objects. When the drum beats, the story of Africa beats. It is first the story of Queen Kitami then that of Prisca, a little girl from a village in Rwanda, whose myth resonates in the Caribbean and America. This book seems magical to me, and I’m just looking forward to reading it, it fits perfectly into my research themes.