Haitian singer Samantina Zénon is standing up for her people in her new song, “Deklarasyon” (Declaration). Even though she’s faced mean comments because of untrue ideas about Haiti, Samantina is proud of where she comes from. She got really sad seeing sad videos of Haitian people on the Radio Haiti Publicité WhatsApp group. That’s when she decided to speak up for those who couldn’t.
In the lyrics of “Deklarasyon,” Samantina sings passionately in Haitian Creole, asking for things to get better, using a style called Rasinn/folkloric. This urgent message in her song shows how much she cares about making things better for her community.
Samantina learned about music in college, where she studied jazz theory and sang in jazz groups. She also knows a lot about acting in theater. She loves music from Haitian band Boukman Eksperyans, Bob Marley, Nina Simone, and Whitney Houston. These inspirations help her tell important stories in her songs.
“Deklarasyon” is a strong example of how Samantina uses her talents to make a positive impact and share the struggles of her people with the world. It’s a powerful way of saying, “Let’s make things better together.”
Stream below.
