Haiti National Soccer Team ” Les Grenadiers” Amazing Gold Cup 2015
July 21, 2015
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8 Min Read
Haiti faces Jamaica in Saturday’s quarterfinal match. Photo by John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Congratulations to Haiti’s National Football Team for a great 2015 Gold Cup run. They did an great job and made our country proud!
They came into the Gold Cup as Underdogs. Drawn into a tough Group A with one of CONCACAF’s two powerhouses (USA) and two of Central America’s heavyweights (Honduras and Panama), Les Grenadiers showed up and played their hearts out and advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2009. Many of the current squad were born outside of Haiti including three in the United States and more players than ever ply their trade in leagues abroad; in fact, only the No. 3 goalkeeper is with a Haitian club.
Although Haiti lost to Jamaica in the quarter finals this past weekend, they are still one of the most talked about teams in the Gold Cup.
GOLD CUP HISTORY
Haiti have qualified for the Gold Cup five previous times, but it has rarely been a pleasurable experience. Twice, they have advanced from the group stage. Their best performance came in 2002, when they won a group with Canada and Ecuador before falling in the quarterfinals to Costa Rica in extratime. At the last Gold Cup, in 2013, Les Grenadiers surprised many with a 2-0 group-stage defeat of fellow Caribbean nation Trinidad & Tobago, thanks to a brace from forward Jean Eudes Maurice. The result seemed to augur another trip to the knockout round, but they stumbled in their final game against El Salvador and finished bottom of the group. – source
Under a manager who hadn’t worked in more than three years, a band of no-names have become the sensation of an otherwise very forgettable Gold Cup. They have grappled past Honduras and Panama to claim second place in a brutal Group A—behind the United States. Honduras, in case you need reminding, is a regional power and qualified for the 2014 World Cup. Panama almost did the same, and was a finalist at the last edition of this tournament.
Yet Haiti claimed a gamely 1-1 draw with the latter; outplayed—or at the very least outshot—the United States in a 1-0 loss; and then knocked Honduras out with a deserved 1-0 win. They were particularly impressive against the Americans.
“The chances we had we didn’t convert,” head coach Marc Collat, who got Stade de Reims promoted to France’s second tier in 2010 before quitting and not taking another job until Haiti hired him in Jan. 2014, tells VICE Sports in French. “And at that level, you know you pay for the smallest mistakes in cash.
“But the very good game against the United States gave us confidence in our objectives and we delivered against Honduras.”
Duckens Nazon, a 21-year-old striker—who isn’t even really match fit, since he was in the middle of his off-season with his French club Laval when he reported for camp—has been a sensation. He has stolen the show by scoring both of Haiti’s goals, even though he only turned professional six months ago. “Nobody expected us at this stage of the competition and we got here regardless,” Nazon says, also in French. “In spite of our tough draw.”
but one of Haiti’s players play in Europe, where Collat has uncovered a treasure trove of talent, the offspring of a wide Haitian diaspora. Nazon, for instance, has two Hait
ian parents, but was born in France. But even if not all the Grenadiers, so nicknamed, grew up in Haiti, all of them are aware of the deep issues that remain in a desperately poor country that is still trying to rebuild. They play with an almost tangible spirit. It’s made for an old-fashioned Cinderella story.
“Things are hard over there,” says Nazon. “There’s aid and everything, but it’s not distributed everywhere in the country. There’s a lot that sti
ll needs to be rebuilt; a lot that’s still lacking. We want to make our country proud so badly. Things are so difficult over there. That’s why I think we’re more motivated than others. We have a determination that pushes us higher and that others don’t ha
Next up for the Haitians is Saturday’s quarterfinal against Jamaica, who defeated them at the Caribbean Cup in November—where Haiti placed third. It will be a difficult test against a team that matches and exceeds Haiti in its physicality, defensive organization and quickness on the counter-attack. But the Haitians have already reached their objective by getting this far, according to Collat.
If Haiti wins, this would be their best performance ever in a Gold Cup. But even if it strands, there is much cause for optimism—a fairly rare thing in their country. “Haiti has huge potential in soccer,” says Collat. “There are good young players. Unfortunately, there isn’t the necessary infrastructure, but there are extraordinary players that even we have to discover, because it isn’t easy to go to the other end of Haiti. The roads aren’t always in a good state. We still have perfecting to do.”
Collat and Nazon both credit the federation for getting back on its feet and making the national team programs competitive. Several youth teams have performed well and now the senior side is following suit. “We haven’t been in the spotlight a lot,” says Nazon. “Now we’ve gotten out of a really difficult group and we have shown that we can play. The more games against big teams we play, the more we’ll be on TV and people will realize Haiti has potential.”
But complications remain. According to Collat, several of Haiti’s better players declined call-ups to the national team for this tournament. “We have to be able to get the best Haitian players to come, which isn’t the case today,” he says. “We’re missing players. There’s players who could contribute that we still have to recruit. Some have injuries. Others, because Haiti isn’t sufficiently established, have to choose between their clubs and their national teams and they choose their clubs, because there’s a lot of pressure from their employers.
“Which means we don’t have our strongest possible team there at this Gold Cup,” Collat continues. “It’s not easy for the players, they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
But if Haiti continues to perform and garner respect, the tug-of-war over players with their clubs will go their way more often. And with so much young talent, it isn’t inconceivable that the Grenadiers could eventually return to the World Cup—they made their only other appearance in 1974. “It would depend a lot on the draw in qualifying,” says Collat. “Haiti doesn’t have the ranking of the big countries so we have to make it through all the qualifying rounds. We have a round starting in September and then there’s a group stage and then another and… well, it’s a long road.”
It is, but then CONCACAF gets a generous 3 ½ places at the World Cup—with one of them decided in a playoff against the soft Oceania region. If Haiti survives a playoff and then places in the top half of a four-team group, it would enter the f
ifth and final round, where it would only need to come third or fourth—with a playoff—out of six to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. It’s a slog, but it’s doable.
“With the dynamism we’ve shown in this Gold Cup, it’s certain that Haiti could one day find itself at the World Cup,” says Collat. “It would be formidable to be there for 2018.”
“Given how we played against the United States,” adds Nazon, “if we give everything we have we could qualify for the World Cup. It would really be a new story for Haitian soccer.” – Story courtesy of VICE Sports.
The Grenadiers’ squad is set! 🇭🇹
Haiti’s new head coach, David Badia, has named 24 players for the national team’s upcoming Concacaf Nations League matches. The roster includes familiar faces such as Frantzdy Pierrot, Wilson Isidor and Fafa Picault, along with new call-ups Jonah Mednard and Kenny Quétant.
Haiti will face Trinidad and Tobago on September 24 and Costa Rica on September 27. Both matches will take place at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, where the Grenadiers will play their designated home games.
The team will then travel to face the Dominican Republic on October 1 and Costa Rica on October 4. Haiti is competing in Group A of League A, with a place in the quarterfinals at stake.
With the squad announced and the first match just days away, Haitian supporters are being called on to bring their flags, fill the stands and make Sabina Park feel like home.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican
After selling out Boston Symphony Hall, Madison Square Garden Theater New York, Hard Rock Universal Orlando, Konpa En Symphony is coming to Miami for a must-see live experience.
📅 September 25, 2026, 7pm
📍 Kaseya Center, Miami
🎟️ Nulookmusic.com
Konpa with a full orchestra.
Be there when it happens—not after everyone’s already talking about it.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican #ad
Haiti has opened its first embassy in the United Arab Emirates, giving the country a permanent diplomatic presence in Abu Dhabi as Port-au-Prince and the UAE look to deepen political, humanitarian and economic ties.
Ambassador François Guillaume II began the mission this summer. On July 2, he presented a copy of his credentials to UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Omar Obaid Alhesan Alshamsi at the ministry’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi. On September 3, he formally presented his letters of credence to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, becoming Haiti’s ambassador to the Emirates.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said the two countries maintain friendly relations and identified energy, tourism, trade, investment, infrastructure, environmental sustainability and coordination in multilateral forums as areas of cooperation. The Dominican Republic’s embassy in Abu Dhabi has described the mission as Haiti’s first embassy in the UAE. Guillaume, an economist and former minister of Haitians living abroad, previously served as Haiti’s ambassador to Qatar and as consul general in Miami.
The diplomatic opening coincides with a new UAE aid commitment. On September 12, President Mohamed bin Zayed directed $10 million in urgent humanitarian assistance for Haiti through the Emirates Red Crescent. Officials said the package is intended to support food security, shelter, health services, water and sanitation, medicines and medical equipment, with internally displaced people and other vulnerable groups among the priorities. The Red Crescent said the first phase will focus on immediate food, shelter, health and WASH needs and will be coordinated with UAE missions, international organizations and local partners.
The new embassy does not by itself resolve Haiti’s security or reconstruction crisis. It does, however, give Haiti a resident mission in one of the Gulf’s main political and financial capitals at a moment when Abu Dhabi is pairing diplomacy with emergency aid.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haitian
Vice President J.D. Vance is urging Americans to give the Trump administration more time, telling voters there is “still more work to do” as the 2026 midterms approach.
On the All-In podcast this week, Vance said: “Give us another chance, or give us another couple of years, to continue to work on the amazing things that we’ve been doing for the past two years.” He argued that even voters who disagree with the administration on some issues should not hand power to Democrats, whom he described as “consumed by craziness.”
The comments come as Republicans try to hold both chambers of Congress. Democrats currently lead on the generic congressional ballot in several averages, and President Donald Trump’s approval ratings remain underwater. The midterms are Nov. 3.
Vance has been a central midterm messenger. At the GOP’s midterm convention in Dallas earlier this month, he told supporters not to “throw the baby out with the bathwater” over policy disagreements and to focus on the contrast with Democrats. He has said he will decide after November whether to run for president in 2028.
Trump’s $5,000 ‘dividend’ pitch.
The vice president’s plea lands alongside a separate Trump pitch aimed at rallying Republican voters: a proposed $5,000 “Trump Dividend” for every U.S. adult if Republicans keep the House and Senate. Trump unveiled the idea at the Dallas convention, comparing it to a company issuing a cash distribution after a strong year. He said the money would have to be spent in the United States.
The plan would require congressional approval. Estimates put the cost at more than $1 trillion. Some Republican lawmakers have been cautious, citing the national debt and inflation concerns; others have said details would have to be worked out after the election. Democrats have called the offer an attempt to buy votes. Trump has suggested he may not need a full congressional vote, though the Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse.
Vance has tied the idea to revenue from tariffs. Whether it becomes law depends first on who controls Congress after November.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haitian
Jeriah Mast, a 45-year-old former American missionary from Millersburg, Ohio, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, September 8, to two federal counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors in Haiti.
Mast entered the plea before U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent in Cleveland. Under the plea agreement, prosecutors and the defense agreed that a sentence between 25 and 33 years would be appropriate; the judge will have the final say. Sentencing is scheduled for December 15, 2026.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Mast traveled from the United States to Haiti on numerous occasions between 2002 and 2019, including work with Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries (CAM). Investigators documented more than 30 flights he took between the two countries from November 2002 to August 2018.
A federal indictment originally charged Mast with four counts involving four boys in Haiti, with alleged offenses in 2004, 2007, and 2011. As part of the plea, he admitted guilt in two of those cases, each involving a minor between the ages of 12 and 16. Prosecutors are expected to seek dismissal of the remaining two charges.
The admitted conduct is part of a broader pattern Mast himself described to police in 2019. According to court records and contemporaneous reporting, he told investigators he had sexually abused more than 30 boys in Haiti & four children in Ohio. He previously pleaded guilty in Ohio state court to two counts of gross sexual imposition, received a 9-year sentence, and was granted early release in October 2025 before the federal charges proceeded.
“Jeriah Mast preyed on vulnerable children while working in Haiti as a missionary,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Criminal Division. U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio said Mast “violated the innocence of children & violated the trust of those who supported his supposed missionary work.”
CAM, supported by Amish, conservative Mennonite, & related groups, has said it fired Mast in 2019 after the allegations became public. The organization drew separate international attention in 2021 when 17 of its missionaries were kidnapped in Haiti.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican
Three of the Haitian music industry’s most recognizable names did not roll on Eastern Parkway for this year’s West Indian American Day Parade. The West Indian American Day Carnival Association says T-Vice, Tony Mix and SakPase Nation were barred because they failed to meet carnival rules. The bands tell a different story. T-Vice says it was not refused and chose to stay off the route. Tony Mix publicly announced he would not take part.
The annual parade stepped off Monday, Sept. 7, along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. Days earlier, The Haitian Times reported that WIADCA had kept the three groups off the official lineup. As of that Thursday, five other Haitian groups had been approved to participate. Haitian flags, mas and music were still on the Parkway. The missing piece was the big konpa trucks that usually stop traffic.
Cecile Ford is WIADCA’s board secretary and chair of the Mas Committee. She said organizers had warned the groups that the rules would be enforced.
“We’ve tried to work with them and each year there was a promise… they just take it as a joke,” Ford said. Ford later pointed to overcrowding on trucks as a safety problem.“We have pictures & photos [they] were not compliant with the number of people they have on their trucks, which is a security issue & safety issue,” she said.
WIADCA’s written rules state only bands with a WIADCA permit can enter the parade. Participants must be costumed. Artist trucks, advertising trucks and “T-shirt bands” are excluded. Band leaders are required to put marshals on the route, keep vehicles insured and stay within height and safety limits set with police and the city. Failure to comply can mean removal from the parade.
T-Vice answered Ford by name. The band said it was not refused. T-Vice said the Parkway absence was its own choice, while the carnival association said the group was barred. Tony Mix also spoke with an official announcement circulated that he would not take part in the 2026 Labor Day carnival. SakPase Nation did not respond.
Haitian mas and music was still on the route, including Lespri Ayiti and RAM among groups carrying the Haitian presence.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican
KidSuper founder Colm Dillane and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso hosted the second annual People’s Runway on the building’s steps, spotlighting five rising Brooklyn designers chosen from hundreds of applicants. The night was built as a platform for talent that usually gets shut out of official Fashion Week calendars. Then @WyclefJean walked out and changed the temperature.
The Haitian-born Fugees architect opened with “No Woman, No Cry,” slid into a Brooklyn rap, and brought Carnival dancers in exploding color onto the steps. He stepped off briefly, then returned with “a friend.” Lauryn Hill appeared in a painted KidSuper coat. The front row surged the runway with phones up. They delivered Fugees heat, including “Ready or Not” 30 years after The Score dropped and rewrote what hip-hop could sound like.
Both artists wore KidSuper. The moment was brief, loud, and exactly the kind of collision the brand lives for: fashion, music, community, and no velvet rope.
Dillane has spent years turning KidSuper into more than clothes, painting, music, unexpected stages. This edition doubled down on that. After the emerging designers showed, he sent out a handful of his own looks, including one worn by his mother, then handed the night to Wyclef. Reynoso kept the energy Brooklyn-loud: if you like it, cheer. Everybody’s VIP here.
For Haitian and Caribbean audiences, the night landed differently. Wyclef Jean remains one of the most visible Haitian artists of his generation, guitar, politics, carnival energy, and a catalog that never stayed in one lane. Seeing him pull Lauryn Hill onto the steps of a public building in Brooklyn, wearing a local designer’s coat, felt like the culture showing up for itself without asking permission.
The People’s Runway is still young. Dillane has already said he wants it to become annual and that the real measure is what the designers do after the lights go down. Saturday night gave them a stage, a crowd that included athletes and artists, and a closing act that most official Fashion Week shows never get.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haitian
The Broward County School Board on Tuesday considered giving Superintendent Howard Hepburn authority to begin the district's process for renaming Sawgrass Springs Middle School, at 12500 West Sample Road, in honor of the late Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer. No new name has been proposed.
District staff wrote that Metayer was deeply involved with the Sawgrass Springs school community, building relationships with students, families, educators, and staff. Naming the school for her, the item states, would recognize her legacy of education, service, environmental stewardship, and care for others.
Metayer, 38, was elected to the Coral Springs City Commission in 2020, becoming the city's first Black and Haitian-American woman commissioner. She was re-elected in 2024 and appointed vice mayor in December 2024, then appointed to a second term in the role in November 2025.
A first-generation Haitian-American born in Broward County and raised in Coral Springs, Metayer graduated from Coral Springs Charter School, earned a bachelor's degree in environmental science from Florida A&M University, and a Master of Health Science from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She worked as an environmental scientist on disaster relief and climate resilience efforts, including after Hurricanes Irma, Michael, and Dorian. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried had described her as the party's vice chair of Haitian outreach.
Metayer was found dead in her Coral Springs home on April 1. Her husband, Stephen Bowen, was charged with first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence; he has pleaded not guilty.
In April, U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz introduced legislation to rename the U.S. Postal Service facility at 3255 NW 94th Avenue the "Nancy Metayer Post Office Building." The bill cleared the House Oversight Committee in July and awaits a vote by the full House.
Tuesday's school board item only starts the renaming process; a final name change would still require community input and subsequent board votes.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haitian
See You In Jamaica!!
Haiti’s national team will play its first competitive matches since the 2026 World Cup this month, opening Concacaf Nations League play with two games at Sabina Park.
Match Calendar:
🇯🇲 Sept. 24 — Haiti vs. Trinidad and Tobago
Sabina Park Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica
🇯🇲 Sept. 27 — Haiti vs. Costa Rica
Sabina Park Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica
🇩🇴 Oct. 1 — Dominican Republic vs. Haiti
Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez, Santo Domingo
🇨🇷 Oct. 4 — Costa Rica vs. Haiti
Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá, San José, Costa Rica
The Grenadiers face Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 9 p.m., then Costa Rica on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 9 p.m. Both matches will be played in Kingston because Haiti remains unable to host internationals at home.
The window continues on the road. Haiti visits the Dominican Republic on Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. at Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez in Santo Domingo, then closes the stretch Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. against Costa Rica at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San José.
The four fixtures are part of the 2026–27 Concacaf Nations League League A group stage. Haiti is drawn with Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Curaçao, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. The top two teams in the group advance toward the quarterfinals, with a path that also feeds into qualification for the 2027 Gold Cup.
The timing matters. @FHFHaiti returned to the World Cup this summer for the first time since 1974 and exited the group stage after losses to Scotland, Brazil, and Morocco. The last match, a 4-2 defeat to Morocco in Atlanta, produced Haiti’s only two goals of the tournament. These Nations League dates are the first official matches since that campaign ended.
For the diaspora, Kingston is the reachable stop. South Florida, Jamaica, and the wider Caribbean can get to Sabina Park in a way they cannot get to a home game in Port-au-Prince.
Haiti will need points early. Costa Rica is the group’s most established side. Trinidad and Tobago is a familiar Caribbean rival. Two results in Kingston would give the Grenadiers a platform before the October trips to Santo Domingo and San José.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haitian
President Donald Trump has nominated Austin Holmes of Florida to serve as U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Haiti, according to a slate of nominations transmitted to the Senate on September 14. Holmes must still be confirmed by the Senate before he can assume the post.
Holmes is CEO of RallyX and previously served as CEO of Caribbean Security Group and chairman of Mission of Hope. He has worked in Haiti since 2009, previously lived in the country, and speaks Haitian Creole. His biography and public testimony describe nearly two decades of work spanning humanitarian response, disaster logistics, education programs, private-sector operations, and high-risk security coordination.
The nomination arrives months after Holmes testified in February before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. He appeared alongside then-U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Henry Wooster at a hearing focused on Haiti’s security crisis and U.S. assistance. During that session, Holmes argued that security and freedom of movement must come first if humanitarian aid and longer-term recovery are to succeed. He also pressed for Haitian-led security capacity rather than an open-ended foreign presence.
The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince has been led by a chargé d’affaires since mid-2025 after Ambassador Dennis Hankins left the post. Wooster, who took charge of the mission in June 2025, was later nominated as ambassador to Kenya. The Haiti ambassadorship has therefore remained vacant while gangs continue to control large parts of Port-au-Prince and the country prepares for long-delayed elections.
If confirmed, Holmes would take one of Washington’s most difficult Caribbean assignments: a political transition, armed-group violence, humanitarian collapse, and the question of how U.S. security and assistance policy should be sequenced. His supporters point to on-the-ground experience, Creole fluency, and a security-first record. Senate confirmation will determine whether that background becomes official U.S. policy in Port-au-Prince.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican
Ballon d’Or Names Melchie Dumornay Among 30 Nominees for 2026 Women’s Award
France Football has officially named Melchie Dumornay to the 30-player shortlist for the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or. The Haiti international and OL Lyonnes midfielder appears on the list released September 8, her second consecutive nomination for the sport’s highest individual honor. The winner will be announced October 26 in London.
Dumornay, 23, built her case on a complete season in France and Europe. She helped Lyon win a domestic treble Première Ligue, Coupe de France, and Coupe de la Ligue and reach the UEFA Women’s Champions League final. She was named Première Ligue Player of the Season and selected to UEFA’s Champions League Team of the Season, with a hat-trick in the French league final among her defining performances.
She is the first Haitian player ever nominated for the Ballon d’Or, a barrier she broke in 2025. This year she returns with a stronger résumé and is being ranked by several outlets among the leading contenders, alongside names such as Alexia Putellas, Ewa Pajor, Pernille Harder, and Khadija Shaw.
The official Ballon d’Or graphic places her in the same frame as the game’s established stars. For Haiti, that is the story: a player from Mirebalais standing on the shortlist on merit. October 26 will decide the trophy. The nomination is already history confirmed.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haitian
![Three of the Haitian music industry’s most recognizable names did not roll on Eastern Parkway for this year’s West Indian American Day Parade. The West Indian American Day Carnival Association says T-Vice, Tony Mix and SakPase Nation were barred because they failed to meet carnival rules. The bands tell a different story. T-Vice says it was not refused and chose to stay off the route. Tony Mix publicly announced he would not take part.
The annual parade stepped off Monday, Sept. 7, along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. Days earlier, The Haitian Times reported that WIADCA had kept the three groups off the official lineup. As of that Thursday, five other Haitian groups had been approved to participate. Haitian flags, mas and music were still on the Parkway. The missing piece was the big konpa trucks that usually stop traffic.
Cecile Ford is WIADCA’s board secretary and chair of the Mas Committee. She said organizers had warned the groups that the rules would be enforced.
“We’ve tried to work with them and each year there was a promise… they just take it as a joke,” Ford said. Ford later pointed to overcrowding on trucks as a safety problem.“We have pictures & photos [they] were not compliant with the number of people they have on their trucks, which is a security issue & safety issue,” she said.
WIADCA’s written rules state only bands with a WIADCA permit can enter the parade. Participants must be costumed. Artist trucks, advertising trucks and “T-shirt bands” are excluded. Band leaders are required to put marshals on the route, keep vehicles insured and stay within height and safety limits set with police and the city. Failure to comply can mean removal from the parade.
T-Vice answered Ford by name. The band said it was not refused. T-Vice said the Parkway absence was its own choice, while the carnival association said the group was barred. Tony Mix also spoke with an official announcement circulated that he would not take part in the 2026 Labor Day carnival. SakPase Nation did not respond.
Haitian mas and music was still on the route, including Lespri Ayiti and RAM among groups carrying the Haitian presence.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://www.lunionsuite.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/809209156_18633930094023307_3630959692441275516_n-512x640.jpg)
![Three of the Haitian music industry’s most recognizable names did not roll on Eastern Parkway for this year’s West Indian American Day Parade. The West Indian American Day Carnival Association says T-Vice, Tony Mix and SakPase Nation were barred because they failed to meet carnival rules. The bands tell a different story. T-Vice says it was not refused and chose to stay off the route. Tony Mix publicly announced he would not take part.
The annual parade stepped off Monday, Sept. 7, along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. Days earlier, The Haitian Times reported that WIADCA had kept the three groups off the official lineup. As of that Thursday, five other Haitian groups had been approved to participate. Haitian flags, mas and music were still on the Parkway. The missing piece was the big konpa trucks that usually stop traffic.
Cecile Ford is WIADCA’s board secretary and chair of the Mas Committee. She said organizers had warned the groups that the rules would be enforced.
“We’ve tried to work with them and each year there was a promise… they just take it as a joke,” Ford said. Ford later pointed to overcrowding on trucks as a safety problem.“We have pictures & photos [they] were not compliant with the number of people they have on their trucks, which is a security issue & safety issue,” she said.
WIADCA’s written rules state only bands with a WIADCA permit can enter the parade. Participants must be costumed. Artist trucks, advertising trucks and “T-shirt bands” are excluded. Band leaders are required to put marshals on the route, keep vehicles insured and stay within height and safety limits set with police and the city. Failure to comply can mean removal from the parade.
T-Vice answered Ford by name. The band said it was not refused. T-Vice said the Parkway absence was its own choice, while the carnival association said the group was barred. Tony Mix also spoke with an official announcement circulated that he would not take part in the 2026 Labor Day carnival. SakPase Nation did not respond.
Haitian mas and music was still on the route, including Lespri Ayiti and RAM among groups carrying the Haitian presence.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/809209156_18633930094023307_3630959692441275516_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=108&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=x34GLS09I-MQ7kNvwFqHCNl&_nc_oc=AdowqDCN9YT1Ab6Xr9C2sg7ga-9vqDxpgpSPQVu_SMkTWY4MV-DSZ2lzrsiKmJkeEI4&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=lX7gV5-fndulGJ1ZRXmSNg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQLu58FATCidOAZBB_NVb8vNPWwVC6dGHxdMPBs17OGwrBJ75tSPQsKTDYKZ8ywct-pGJw2XSo_P&oh=00_AQLC7YKuhFh5Rg4mlgp0saYTKVv-MQMDkeD4uF2pg8v7rw&oe=6AB3579D)
![Three of the Haitian music industry’s most recognizable names did not roll on Eastern Parkway for this year’s West Indian American Day Parade. The West Indian American Day Carnival Association says T-Vice, Tony Mix and SakPase Nation were barred because they failed to meet carnival rules. The bands tell a different story. T-Vice says it was not refused and chose to stay off the route. Tony Mix publicly announced he would not take part.
The annual parade stepped off Monday, Sept. 7, along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. Days earlier, The Haitian Times reported that WIADCA had kept the three groups off the official lineup. As of that Thursday, five other Haitian groups had been approved to participate. Haitian flags, mas and music were still on the Parkway. The missing piece was the big konpa trucks that usually stop traffic.
Cecile Ford is WIADCA’s board secretary and chair of the Mas Committee. She said organizers had warned the groups that the rules would be enforced.
“We’ve tried to work with them and each year there was a promise… they just take it as a joke,” Ford said. Ford later pointed to overcrowding on trucks as a safety problem.“We have pictures & photos [they] were not compliant with the number of people they have on their trucks, which is a security issue & safety issue,” she said.
WIADCA’s written rules state only bands with a WIADCA permit can enter the parade. Participants must be costumed. Artist trucks, advertising trucks and “T-shirt bands” are excluded. Band leaders are required to put marshals on the route, keep vehicles insured and stay within height and safety limits set with police and the city. Failure to comply can mean removal from the parade.
T-Vice answered Ford by name. The band said it was not refused. T-Vice said the Parkway absence was its own choice, while the carnival association said the group was barred. Tony Mix also spoke with an official announcement circulated that he would not take part in the 2026 Labor Day carnival. SakPase Nation did not respond.
Haitian mas and music was still on the route, including Lespri Ayiti and RAM among groups carrying the Haitian presence.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/788924694_18633930097023307_3043638025784358712_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=2C7Wl-aKuL0Q7kNvwF0SU-y&_nc_oc=AdqS67UJ5kM67AfhglIGf79iRqaHlSsnp0FyZd7KoG7qEtb5unEgcDoOFORhGwog7BI&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=lX7gV5-fndulGJ1ZRXmSNg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQIrBggsoEzFMywxzuD_68mglfGiySv11c6c59B46cRmjVNfzCg4LZV0YLHdGDlGGCE56Ms-YMuF&oh=00_AQIt1CaZD4YihWOb4kx5pl4aJT8cal0PolSfKdi94xBnJQ&oe=6AB34406)
![Three of the Haitian music industry’s most recognizable names did not roll on Eastern Parkway for this year’s West Indian American Day Parade. The West Indian American Day Carnival Association says T-Vice, Tony Mix and SakPase Nation were barred because they failed to meet carnival rules. The bands tell a different story. T-Vice says it was not refused and chose to stay off the route. Tony Mix publicly announced he would not take part.
The annual parade stepped off Monday, Sept. 7, along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. Days earlier, The Haitian Times reported that WIADCA had kept the three groups off the official lineup. As of that Thursday, five other Haitian groups had been approved to participate. Haitian flags, mas and music were still on the Parkway. The missing piece was the big konpa trucks that usually stop traffic.
Cecile Ford is WIADCA’s board secretary and chair of the Mas Committee. She said organizers had warned the groups that the rules would be enforced.
“We’ve tried to work with them and each year there was a promise… they just take it as a joke,” Ford said. Ford later pointed to overcrowding on trucks as a safety problem.“We have pictures & photos [they] were not compliant with the number of people they have on their trucks, which is a security issue & safety issue,” she said.
WIADCA’s written rules state only bands with a WIADCA permit can enter the parade. Participants must be costumed. Artist trucks, advertising trucks and “T-shirt bands” are excluded. Band leaders are required to put marshals on the route, keep vehicles insured and stay within height and safety limits set with police and the city. Failure to comply can mean removal from the parade.
T-Vice answered Ford by name. The band said it was not refused. T-Vice said the Parkway absence was its own choice, while the carnival association said the group was barred. Tony Mix also spoke with an official announcement circulated that he would not take part in the 2026 Labor Day carnival. SakPase Nation did not respond.
Haitian mas and music was still on the route, including Lespri Ayiti and RAM among groups carrying the Haitian presence.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/793639979_18633930061023307_6775081790007234048_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=103&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=959UMb3qNvsQ7kNvwH6rJK5&_nc_oc=AdoHvjiCVJ4RZCft2Zf1MqTKYnS3MeeZCdOl2uaqrtKnTljvUZTVU0tPPq5vVVaaMfI&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=lX7gV5-fndulGJ1ZRXmSNg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQJvd-85l08B_hXDYWT6kzdN1Hy9iaDZK5Vf3hoM7c7Tz3ie-5qEzPDPgrxPeYgyBMbkAG0_-h9W&oh=00_AQInkRcTDPi7gfDsXC6xSamFnLP9qvQ2lG_C0g1CaPaWvw&oe=6AB35D94)
![Three of the Haitian music industry’s most recognizable names did not roll on Eastern Parkway for this year’s West Indian American Day Parade. The West Indian American Day Carnival Association says T-Vice, Tony Mix and SakPase Nation were barred because they failed to meet carnival rules. The bands tell a different story. T-Vice says it was not refused and chose to stay off the route. Tony Mix publicly announced he would not take part.
The annual parade stepped off Monday, Sept. 7, along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. Days earlier, The Haitian Times reported that WIADCA had kept the three groups off the official lineup. As of that Thursday, five other Haitian groups had been approved to participate. Haitian flags, mas and music were still on the Parkway. The missing piece was the big konpa trucks that usually stop traffic.
Cecile Ford is WIADCA’s board secretary and chair of the Mas Committee. She said organizers had warned the groups that the rules would be enforced.
“We’ve tried to work with them and each year there was a promise… they just take it as a joke,” Ford said. Ford later pointed to overcrowding on trucks as a safety problem.“We have pictures & photos [they] were not compliant with the number of people they have on their trucks, which is a security issue & safety issue,” she said.
WIADCA’s written rules state only bands with a WIADCA permit can enter the parade. Participants must be costumed. Artist trucks, advertising trucks and “T-shirt bands” are excluded. Band leaders are required to put marshals on the route, keep vehicles insured and stay within height and safety limits set with police and the city. Failure to comply can mean removal from the parade.
T-Vice answered Ford by name. The band said it was not refused. T-Vice said the Parkway absence was its own choice, while the carnival association said the group was barred. Tony Mix also spoke with an official announcement circulated that he would not take part in the 2026 Labor Day carnival. SakPase Nation did not respond.
Haitian mas and music was still on the route, including Lespri Ayiti and RAM among groups carrying the Haitian presence.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/809209149_18633930070023307_3587221757907574561_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=107&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=cDkcXmtXmgUQ7kNvwG7_XWE&_nc_oc=AdqUNRkUmiI2HDlMNYW2RKlBoNeNg1nBz8vDkWeMc4a-QdkiQcmzu3lNwHbR-qzwvNY&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=lX7gV5-fndulGJ1ZRXmSNg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQLiCvQ43paPN2AWFdPX_VEwSoJ3GZ-y0whZQB1FCoErF7_951FOi5W3GW8yMiX-WBzwq4BirHKf&oh=00_AQKxIPnlEtum3XaI0idjg5HB8Wag91CQ9UJJjOIOCAWGFw&oe=6AB353BE)
![Three of the Haitian music industry’s most recognizable names did not roll on Eastern Parkway for this year’s West Indian American Day Parade. The West Indian American Day Carnival Association says T-Vice, Tony Mix and SakPase Nation were barred because they failed to meet carnival rules. The bands tell a different story. T-Vice says it was not refused and chose to stay off the route. Tony Mix publicly announced he would not take part.
The annual parade stepped off Monday, Sept. 7, along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. Days earlier, The Haitian Times reported that WIADCA had kept the three groups off the official lineup. As of that Thursday, five other Haitian groups had been approved to participate. Haitian flags, mas and music were still on the Parkway. The missing piece was the big konpa trucks that usually stop traffic.
Cecile Ford is WIADCA’s board secretary and chair of the Mas Committee. She said organizers had warned the groups that the rules would be enforced.
“We’ve tried to work with them and each year there was a promise… they just take it as a joke,” Ford said. Ford later pointed to overcrowding on trucks as a safety problem.“We have pictures & photos [they] were not compliant with the number of people they have on their trucks, which is a security issue & safety issue,” she said.
WIADCA’s written rules state only bands with a WIADCA permit can enter the parade. Participants must be costumed. Artist trucks, advertising trucks and “T-shirt bands” are excluded. Band leaders are required to put marshals on the route, keep vehicles insured and stay within height and safety limits set with police and the city. Failure to comply can mean removal from the parade.
T-Vice answered Ford by name. The band said it was not refused. T-Vice said the Parkway absence was its own choice, while the carnival association said the group was barred. Tony Mix also spoke with an official announcement circulated that he would not take part in the 2026 Labor Day carnival. SakPase Nation did not respond.
Haitian mas and music was still on the route, including Lespri Ayiti and RAM among groups carrying the Haitian presence.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/806298814_18633930079023307_5240743489890819950_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=Tu1p_3GnXYcQ7kNvwHCBznE&_nc_oc=AdoGAfypL7XDJNz56JST3QfXiJSWyQ3GRr6VD4WmE5UkMYkQmRxbf7qH83ujiaRfzbQ&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=lX7gV5-fndulGJ1ZRXmSNg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQI4mPHm2sjBKfOMSGkSc3LFB0mK-n_Z21SUoUHYxKzYsbZJIIiUmBMiQp9KiajiEkk0VGNgYD5k&oh=00_AQKz-1y1t8D_YYjiHK6GSNBPCxGu8CDKNbmtDi0hTEHq4w&oe=6AB36579)
![Three of the Haitian music industry’s most recognizable names did not roll on Eastern Parkway for this year’s West Indian American Day Parade. The West Indian American Day Carnival Association says T-Vice, Tony Mix and SakPase Nation were barred because they failed to meet carnival rules. The bands tell a different story. T-Vice says it was not refused and chose to stay off the route. Tony Mix publicly announced he would not take part.
The annual parade stepped off Monday, Sept. 7, along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. Days earlier, The Haitian Times reported that WIADCA had kept the three groups off the official lineup. As of that Thursday, five other Haitian groups had been approved to participate. Haitian flags, mas and music were still on the Parkway. The missing piece was the big konpa trucks that usually stop traffic.
Cecile Ford is WIADCA’s board secretary and chair of the Mas Committee. She said organizers had warned the groups that the rules would be enforced.
“We’ve tried to work with them and each year there was a promise… they just take it as a joke,” Ford said. Ford later pointed to overcrowding on trucks as a safety problem.“We have pictures & photos [they] were not compliant with the number of people they have on their trucks, which is a security issue & safety issue,” she said.
WIADCA’s written rules state only bands with a WIADCA permit can enter the parade. Participants must be costumed. Artist trucks, advertising trucks and “T-shirt bands” are excluded. Band leaders are required to put marshals on the route, keep vehicles insured and stay within height and safety limits set with police and the city. Failure to comply can mean removal from the parade.
T-Vice answered Ford by name. The band said it was not refused. T-Vice said the Parkway absence was its own choice, while the carnival association said the group was barred. Tony Mix also spoke with an official announcement circulated that he would not take part in the 2026 Labor Day carnival. SakPase Nation did not respond.
Haitian mas and music was still on the route, including Lespri Ayiti and RAM among groups carrying the Haitian presence.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/806298829_18633930142023307_1624406619840916561_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=107&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=DE1aFJcvdYoQ7kNvwGMRE4Y&_nc_oc=AdrbSY8j7ijpV3E193emKk-Sf2zlSBMkLFgVx-mlruFEt57U2WROiBFUjBEcGlb2Jcs&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=lX7gV5-fndulGJ1ZRXmSNg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQLFLq_Jd97vVGg31JMlyNIE60GQJmy6njUbbG7UqzPPFqBoFKi8UXklu3Me1XUVxVhAIGv5PiKt&oh=00_AQLJ2irs-Q5qRn4AnGsXNTub8yQ6SzK3mIByMiAPk16MyA&oe=6AB32F32)
