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Haitian music groups celebrate Carnival

Haitians celebrate Carnival through “Rara”, a musical genre used for street processions and festivals.

Rara groups perform at the beginning of the Carnival season and continue through Lent until Easter. The musicial genre gives Haitians a chance to celebrate their voodoo beliefs in conjunction with Catholic celebrations.
By Dearbhla Glynn
Published On 12 Apr 2014

Jacmel, Haiti – Thousands of people flock to the centre of Jacmel – a town located on the southern coast of Haiti – for its annual Carnival event. Parades of vividly coloured dancers snake along the street, as hundreds of people wearing masks – their faces and bodies painted  in a kaleidoscope of hues – can be seen on every corner.

Haiti’s Carnival stems from similar celebrations held around the Christian festival of Easter, but instead incorporates voodoo culture and Afro-Haitian heritage. It also heavily employs Rara, a musical genre used mostly for street processions and festivals. 

Rara utilises the sounds of vaksen, a trumpet-like instrument often made from bamboo or scrap metal, along with metal bells, maracas and drums. 

The genre also incorporates satire – parodying past and current political leaders – as well as voodoo ceremonies, and the rich vein of mythology which flows through this island nation. Some people also credit Rara with inspiring dissent and protests under the hard-line rule of former President Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, who was eventually ousted in a 1986 revolution.

Many Rara groups are colourfully dressed, painting their faces and bodies.
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Three rara boys wait in line after performing Carnival celebrations. Many people credit the Rara celebrations with fuelling the protests that led to the Haitian revolution in 1986. Today, there is a sense that these celebrations create a sense of unity and strength that has seen them through slavery as well as economic and ecological turmoil.
Many Rara groups play instruments such as drums or maracas and re-enact voodoo rituals.
The Carnival celebrations in Jacmel are a testimony to the resilience of the people. Despite economic and environmental turmoil, they continue to find a way to celebrate Carnival with body paint and festive music.
A Rara group painted blue drums and dances on the road to Jacmel. Many rara groups are found performing in rural areas, roaming the streets during Easter week.
Thousands of people crowd in the stands and viewing areas built in the weeks before Carnival.
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As the parade of masks and performers end, a huge party begins from early evening into the early hours of the morning.
The masks are made from recycled cardboard and transform their wearers into anything from monsters to a variety of local and exotic animals.
African slaves brought voodoo to Haiti during the colonial era and these beliefs became intertwined with Christian celebrations of Easter, leading eventually to the evolution of Rara festivals.