a1296: more from the "Arts Ghetto" (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Martha O'Brien <mmcpeob@earthlink.net>


Speaking as another denizen of what LeGrace Benson so aptly calls the "Arts
Ghetto," I agree that treasuring, preserving and sharing the cultural and
artistic richness of Haiti is essential--the "who" and the "how" are the tricky
questions.  What do you preserve?  How do you educate people to treasure their
own heritage?  How do you convince people that their heritage can be lost if it
is not consciously nurtured?  And who takes responsibility for all of this?
Aside from the "mizik rasin" groups, what else is already being done?  Is this
whole process something which can be--or should be--"engineered"?  Does someone
(list members or someone else) need to start some sort of organized effort to
support the preservation and sharing of Haitian culture and arts?  Is there a
need for something like Preservation Hall....or Sing Out! (which supports and
preserves folk music).....And who should be doing this?--a natif-natal living
in Haiti? --a member of the diaspora?--some interested "blan"?  If it is
something that we should be doing, well, let's do it!  (LeGrace asks, "Where is
Jean Price-Mars when you need him?"  Perhaps we could also ask where DeWitt
Peters is when we need him!)


 Martha O'Brien
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