We are all about representing and supporting female creatives no matter what industry they’re in, but aside from the popular Kompa artist, we want to make sure we are sharing other amazing talents in the music industry. Today we’ve rounded up our first list of 10 dope Haitian female artists you need to know in 2017.
Think we missed anyone, email or comment your favorite Haitian female artist for our upcoming features. Subscribe to the site to keep up with all of our upcoming list.
Saskya Sky
South Florida native Sasky Sky was born and raised in Haiti. Her single “Touch Me” won her 1st place on Black Planet’s Jan 2010 One Minute to Shine contest. Saskya describes her music as fun, youthful, and also signifying her deep thoughts and feelings. By writing all of her music she relates to each one in some way, shape, or form. This makes her music reflect who she is. Her family migrated to the United States in 2003. Upon arriving she began to explore music as a way to help with her English. Her love for Michael Jackson & Celene Dion assisted her with english and singing.
It is Saskya’s hope that her music will provide a new means for her to give back to her native country Haiti. Saskya has plans to perform on bigger stages and grab a Grammy on the journey. She believes that, with God on her side, anything is possible for her to achieve and make her dreams come true. “I just want the world to know who I am and that Haitian’s are strong and talented people.
Rebecca Zama
Rebecca Zama is a Boston based singer/songwriter/recording artist. Growing up, she found her passion in singing and in music. She has been performing publicly from the age of 3 all around Massachusetts in venues such as Symphony Hall, Ryles Jazz Club, Middle East Downstairs, and the Hard Rock Cafe. She specializes in R&B/Pop, but sings a bit of everything. She constantly tries a included bits of her Haitian heritage, of which she is proud, into her music.
Her inspirations include old time legends like Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald and Whitney Houston and new sensations like Beyonce, Rihanna, Jasmine Sullivan, and Emeli Sande. She had no formal training until 2011, where she started taking voice lessons to perfect her technique. Since a young age she discovered songwriting and the ability to translate her emotions onto paper and sing them, in her album “brighter than the sun”, a few of her original tracks like “Take it Slow” and “Can’t Get To Me” are featured.
Riva Nyri Précil
Riva Nyri Précil was born in Brooklyn, New York, but moved to Haiti when she was 5 years old. Her mother—a journalist and Brooklynite of Irish and Russian background decided to relocate with her daughter and Précil’s father—a lawyer from Haiti—after she was offered a job working as Haiti’s foreign press liaison. Living in Haiti, Précil said, definitely awakened the artist inside of her. She started beading, dancing, singing, painting. She even took classes with the legendary Haitian sculptor Tika. Précil’s mother moved her back to Brooklyn when she was 15, after the political situation in Haiti began to grow dangerously unstable.
Today, she is gigging locally with her new band in small venues across the city. After releasing her her first album “Perle De Culture”, she is constantly gigging around the world to promote Haitian culture and its beauty. She has performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival —alongside Emeline Michel —Carifesta XII hosted in Haiti, the Haitian Flag Day Celebration at Brooklyn’s Borough Hall, and various other ceremonies. Recently, she has been working with a label, “Strictly Rhythm” to musically expand her horizon and work in different styles of music such as Afro House and dance music. She describes her music as kind of like if Sade or Erykah Badu were to have a Haitian album.
Princess Eud
Enide Edouarin, better known as Princess Eud, is often hailed as Haiti’s reigning queen of hip-hop. The singer/rapper/clothing designer was born in Petion-Ville, Haiti on April 25th. Rapping in Haiti is done mostly by men, so to be a female rapper, she describe herself as being a yon fanm solid—a strong woman who wants to make a difference in my community and show all women that if you want something, you can get it. Eud was introduced to the public as a member of the group Tribu de Job, and can be heard on their album “Zokot Filozofi”.
After a taking a break from music, she came back in 2007 focusing on a solo career. She released a couple singles the following year and worked on other artists projects as well. In the summer of 2009, it was announced that Eud became the fourth member of Mystik 703 after years of working and touring with the group. Edouarin’s goal to inspire women is evident in her music. The singer and rapper believes artists are “messengers,” and it’s her mission to share inspiring messages in an effort to provide hope and heal emotional wounds.
Steph Lecor
Steph Lecor was born and raised in Miami, Florida to Haitian parents. Lecor’s father was one of the founding members of the kompa band, Macho Man, she would watch him record at an early age. Her parents put her in choir practice and was given vocal lessons as a child.
In 2009, after touring nationwide as a backup singer for Ky-Mani Marley, Lecor started a solo career. Then, she discovered Jase and City Boi, who had collaborated on songwriting with various artists for Interscope Records and Atlantic Records, were looking for a female singer to create a group called Kulture Shock. Together, the group was signed by Poe Boy Entertainment in a joint venture deal with France-based record label Artop/Universal. In 2015, she was dubbed “The First Lady of the We the Best Music Group” when DJ Khaled‘s label released her debut solo single “Saturday.”
Phyllisia Ross
By the age of three Phyllisia Ross, known by her stage name, Phyllisia knew she was destined to be an entertainer. Her father envisioned her becoming a medical doctor. However, convinced that Phyllisia knew what she wanted, her father bought her a piano at the age of five.Throughout grade school Phyllisia cultivated her stage and musical presence by performing in numerous musicals and continuing her classical piano study. In music school Phyllisia developed a broad and extensive appreciation for many different genres of music spanning from classical, jazz, r&b, reggae, and soul which she is heavily influenced by and incorporates in her music.
Phyllisia has performed in multiple countries such as the USA, Haiti, Jamaica and multiple islands in the Caribbean, France, Italy and the Netherlands. Phyllisia has also collaborated with artists and musicians spanning across many genres including Jah Cure, NeYo, the Game, Young Jeezy, and the musicians of Winstons Crew Collective.
Rutshelle Guillaume
Rutshelle Guillaume was born on July 28 in Port au Prince in Haiti. Rutshelle began singing at the age of 5 years as part of her local church choir. She started her career by taking part in projects involving BIC, Barikad Crew or Fantom. It was in the year 2011 that her musical career took off and she became known in the Haitian musical universe. She has pursued her musical studies thanks to trainings with Emeline Michel, Stevenson Théodore and James Germain, and joined the Vwa Lye project in 2013. Rutshelle started a solo career and her first single ‘Kite’m Krye’ was released on her first album ‘Emotions.’ Since launching her solo career, Rutshelle has participated in numerous events and projects such as; The International Jazz Festival. Ayiti Coeur de Femme, Vwalye, Haiti Fashion Week, Miami’s Konpa Festival, The Kreyol Fest in New York, Nuits d’Afrique and Femmes d’ici et d’ ailleurs in Montreal, and many more.
Her hard work won her the woman artist of 2014 award given by Ticket Magazine and a recent hidden figured award from L’union Site. She has undoubtedly conquered the heart of Haiti with her World Music Rhythm & Style, a captivating and versatile songstress full of style and passion sings her repertoire both in French and Haitian Creole. Rutshelle released her latest album Rebelle and top the world charts within the first 24 hours.
Stichiz
Canadian born to Haitian parents Stichiz was raised in South Florida. The artist has opened up for music mega-stars, Fred Hammond, Shawn Mendes, Wyclef Jean, Nas, Lil Kim, Capleton, Damian Marley, Nick & Joe Jonas, Gucci Mane, as well as R.City to name a few. Stichiz is a musical smörgåsbord of styles. The multilingual artist fuses Hip-hop, Reggae, Soul and even Rock, all while having brief seamless transitions into French and Haitian Creole; this is coined by her as Stichzophrenic Music. At the age of 9 this vivacious young lady took over the mic like a young female tongue twisting speed monster. Now she’s tongue twisting, flipping and mixing Hip-Hop lyrics in English, Creole, French, and Reggae. Nominated for numerous awards such as Florida’s Best Female HipHop Artist, Best Lyricist, and Best Radio personality Stichiz is determined to make her mark.
Stichiz is currently finishing up her EP Titled Soul Searching which features her single Its Really Love which is now playing on mainstream radio. Stichiz is also a voice over talent and host and can be heard on various iHeart Radio stations. In addition, Stichiz is active in her community; currently serving as a mentor for Women of Tomorrow.
Ayiiti Coles
Ayiiti is a Haitian/French/Chilean Singer-Songwriter. She was born in Paris and moved to Haiti at the age of two. AYIITI whose real name is spelled Ayiti released her first album in December 2012 titled “Schizo.” The concept of “Schizo” is centered on the idea that we all have different facets of our personality, we are all one somewhat “schizophrenic”, she applied this concept to the album by exploring different musical styles. Ayiiti musical journey started when she wasin grade school but her decision to pursue music came after the earthquake. She put the public spotlight on her after releasing the song “Voodoo u do.”
Ayiiti explained in interviews that she has very diverse tastes in music and since she is still only at the beginning of her career, she have the opportunity to test and try until she figure out what works and what she like, she is experimenting with different genres and is looking forward for her next project to reflect her multicultural background of Haitian, French, and Chilean. In 2016, she released a new EP titled “No Heartbreak” with six songs for which she wrote the lyrics for. The EP has a variety of styles, a little pop, rock, and even a ballad that showcases the versatility of Ayiiti’s talents. Ayiiti recently recorded background vocals for Andres Cuervo, a Colombian, singer who currently has a number one hit on Billboards Tropical chart.
Anie Alert
Singer Anie Alert Joseph, was born in Cap-Haitien Haiti and made her musical debut at the age of 6 in the Adventist Church. She has participated and gained recognition at numerous talent arenas throughout the Caribbean such as Digicel Stars, for which she won 2nd place. She is also the winner of the “Schoolboy Podium” in 2009, (a contest that values the talents of young Haitian artists). She won 1st place in “Challenge of the High School Students”, which takes place in Guadeloupe each year. A dozen candidates from all over the Caribbean attended it. She has worked with many musical legends such as Fabrice Rouzier, Emeline Michel, and James Germain.
She is currently recording an album, not yet titled. Her first single was released in spring 2016. Anie Alerte has already appeared in many clubs, concerts and festivals in Haiti, the USA and the Caribbean. She’s performed both as a solo artist and as part of the back up singers or alongside heavyweights diva Emeline Michel, James Germain, singers and guitarists Jean Belony Murat (Bélo) and Jean Jean Roosevelt, Zouk artist Thierry Cham, Rutshelle Guillaume, and even President Michel Martelle, (Sweet Micky).
Think we missed anyone, email or comment your favorite Haitian female artist for our next feature.
I really love them…each one has a different story but they are all strong Haitian women and we are proud of you.
well made list I like it.
Malida Theodore