JUNO, Félix, and Prix Charles Cros award-winning musician Wesli has returned with Makaya, a sprawling 24-track exploration of Haitian spirituality, African ancestry, and diasporic identity that stands as one of the most ambitious world music projects to emerge from Montreal in recent years. The album moves between Vodou traditions and electro pulses, rara drums and reggae grooves, building a sonic universe where the sacred and the contemporary exist in constant dialogue.
For Wesli, the project represents something deeply personal. “It is a personal journey that, translated into music, gave birth to this album,” he explains. “In searching to know my roots and history to improve myself, and to know myself better as a Blackman, to be a better person, to find my existential and essential goal in life, to be myself and to be authentic; all this searching of where I am coming from leads me to be where I am today. All of this brings me back deeper and deeper into my roots, to understand our history as Haitians, to teach us the Resistance and the Resilience.”
The album’s title carries multiple layers of meaning, referring to both a mountainous region in southern Haiti and the sacred vodou leaf used in healing rituals. Wesli approaches these symbolic elements through a clear structural framework. “Makaya conjugates as: Strength, Spirituality, Resistance and Resilience,” he says. “Those 4 symbolic elements coalesce into sound, mood, and storytelling in 4 sections.”
The first section opens new sonic pathways where he “boldly merge[s] tradition and modernity” while “keeping my authenticity” through tracks like “Nago Elektro,” “Bontan Iyalélé,” “Aloko,” and “Blackman Samba.” The second section dives into traditional Haitian rhythms for resistance. “The album also dives into the traditional Haitian Petro, Rara and Dahomey rhythms, true carnival sounds celebrating joy, resistance and freedom,” Wesli notes. “It embraces the pulses of the Nago, Congo and Yanvalou, embodying spiritual strength and revitalizing instruments of African origin such as the bamboo, kata, segon, boula, manman tambou and the banjo.”
The third section explores strength and social justice through “a committed and impactful Afrobeat register, in the tradition of the masters of the genre such as Fela Kuti and King Sunny Adé,” Wesli explains. “These tracks carry strong messages as Wesli denounces social injustice and calls for collective awareness, staying true to the spirit of resistance that runs through Makaya. The project takes on a pan-African dimension through collaborations with Ilam from Senegal and Meryem Saci from Algeria, who infuse the music with their powerful voices, cultural influences and activist energy.”
The fourth section celebrates “Love, Simplicity through Resilience in the Troubadour Section.” Here, Wesli “explores the troubadour repertoire that celebrates Love and Simplicity through the tracks Chacha, Makonay and Lanmou Nou.” He preserves “the musical colours that define his signature style, fusing authentic Haitian troubadour with his personal touch,” modernizing the genre “by integrating the banjo, accordion and manoumba (Haitian kalimba), traditional instruments he revisits with refined jazz accents.” The section pays “homage to masters of the genre such as Ti Paris, Haiti Troubadour, Bethova Obas and Ti Koka, while infusing a contemporary energy that revitalizes this rich and vibrant musical tradition.”
Throughout Makaya, Wesli moves between Yoruba, Minan, Fon, Ewe, Haitian Creole, and French, a multilingual approach that connects directly to ancestral preservation. “I am following the path of my ancestors who kept these languages alive and preserved them over the centuries by the Lakous (Haitian Vodou sanctuaries) such as Lakou Kongo, Lakou Dahomé and Lakou Soukri,” he says. “These intangible legacies remain the guardians of Haitian spirituality, music and identity.”
Vodou traditions appear not as texture but as living spiritual force in tracks like “Papa Loco” and “Para Pértro.” The approach required careful navigation. “Vodou tradition is our ancestors’ spirituality and wisdom; also it is an act of Resistance against our Colonists,” Wesli explains. “To keep this tradition going and pass it on to new generations, we have asked for and received permission from the Lakous (Sacred Oungan) to put it into music by paying respect to the traditions and keeping the authenticity.”
The album’s sonic palette stretches wide, incorporating electro pulses, rara drums, reggae grooves, and more. Wesli‘s vision guided these choices. “My vision for Makaya was of a Black United Nation through music,” he says, “and my goal was to take these rhythms from the small Lakous in Haiti and stretch them wider and share them with the universe, by adding Electro, Reggae, Funk, Rock.”
Collaboration proved essential to realizing this vision. By working with AfrotroniX, Erol Josué, Sika Valmé, BIC Tizon Dife, ILam, and Meryem Saci, Wesli “wanted to give Makaya a turn to pan Africanism to say Haitian freedom is not only for us, but also for the whole African continent. These collaborators translate this message really well into the music that shapes Makaya.”
The album pays homage to the early maroons, figures of resistance in Haitian history, connecting their legacy to contemporary struggles. “For the past 10 years a lot of progress has been made by our community to connect this legacy to the struggles and resilience of Haiti and the diaspora,” Wesli notes. “Even so, there is still a lot left to do in Haiti politically but we, the artists, have as our goal to spread the message and make sure the people hear.”
Montreal’s world music community has been central to Wesli‘s artistic development. “Montreal world music is growing exponentially,” he says. “13 years ago, I remember saying that there is no better place in North America for world music than Montreal, where we breathe, we grow artistically and we remain authentic. My own manifestation came into fruition with Makaya, and most of the musicians on the album are coming from the richness of Montreal’s global music scene, and more labels from the US are moving here now to have access to this wonderful music scene.”
Songs like “Rebel Union” and “Rèv Mwen” carry messages of solidarity aimed particularly at younger members of the diaspora. “With all the social media and distractions nowadays, it makes our job increasingly challenging to reach the younger members of the diaspora,” Wesli admits, “but the goal of Makaya is to bring tradition to the new generation by adding elements of modernity that they can relate to.” Beyond the album, he maintains direct engagement through a project called Listen to the New World. “I give workshops, master classes and showcases, adding networking and meetings with the new generation. Every Black History Month we go to meet them in their schools, Youth Centres, Arts Centres, Penitentiary Centres etc. to spread the message.”
Wesli has stated that “our culture is not a burden, but a compass that leads us forward,” a belief that has guided his artistic evolution. “As an artist I grow a lot over the years, still I keep on learning and stay disposal to serve this art and go wherever it leads me,” he reflects. Looking ahead, he sees his path leading back to the continent. “We have a tour coming up in the US for the Spring and also in Morocco. For the coming years, I can see myself in Africa, touring and sharing the message.”
Haiti itself remains central to his vision. “Haiti also needs me; I can’t wait to go back to give back all the experiences and knowledge that I acquired here in Canada,” Wesli says, closing with a direct appeal: “I call the Political Leaders of the World to bring Peace in Haiti to allow us to go there and Help our people.”
Makaya stands as both a musical achievement and a cultural manifesto, a work that honours the past while building bridges between continents and generations, reminding the Haitian diaspora that their roots are not chains but wings.
Makaya is out now!
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