Haitian-born, Montreal-based artist Wesli returns with his seventh studio album, “Makaya,” a 24-track musical journey deeply rooted in Haitian identity, ancestral memory, resistance, belonging and connection to the land.
Named after the Makaya mountain range in southern Haiti, the album pays tribute to the first Maroons, figures associated with the struggle for freedom and Haitian independence. The project also explores cultural traditions carried from Africa through communities and traditions connected to the Igbo, Kongo, Alada, Nago, Yoruba and Dahomean peoples.
“Through this album, I want to remind the Haitian people and its diaspora that our roots are a light that illuminates the path to the future. Our culture is not a burden, but a compass that guides us.”
In Kikongo, “Makaya” means “leaf,” a sacred symbol in ancestral Vodou associated with healing, purification and renewal. Through the album, Wesli explores the survival and evolution of Haitian culture despite centuries of colonial oppression and restrictions.
Across its 24 tracks, Makaya moves through a rich range of Haitian and Afro-diasporic sounds. From the electronic pulses of “Nago Electro” and “Maloya Yanvalou” to the festive rhythms of “Blackman Samba” and “Lanmou ak Konbit Lakay,” Wesli celebrates the strength, beauty and dignity of the Haitian people.
The journey continues through tracks such as “Makaya,” “Papa Loco” and “Mèsi Bondyé,” where African roots and Vodou drums take center stage. Songs including “Rebel Union,” “Rèv Mwen” and “Rezistans” bring socially conscious themes of solidarity and resilience, while “Chacha,” “Makonay” and “Lanmou Nou” revisit Haitian troubadour traditions through poetry, humanity and contemporary musical arrangements.
The album also explores traditional sounds associated with Haitian Lakou culture and rhythms including Banda, Petro, Ganga, Nago, Congo and Yanvalou. Haitian Creole and Yoruba vocals intertwine with instruments such as bamboo, manouba, boula, manman, banjo, accordion and Fulani flute, creating an immersive soundscape deeply connected to Haitian spirituality and African heritage.
Makaya features collaborations with a diverse group of artists, including Afrotronix, Tamara Suffren, BIC Tizon Dife, Sika Valme, Ilam and Meryem Saci.
Together, these collaborations contribute to an album that creates a dialogue between ancestral traditions and contemporary global sounds.
More than a collection of songs, Makaya is Wesli’s artistic exploration of memory, healing and cultural renewal. Through the project, he invites Haitian communities and the diaspora to reconnect with their history and cultural roots while carrying that heritage into the future.
Born Wesley Louissaint in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wesli is an internationally recognized singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer known for building bridges between Haitian traditions and contemporary global music.
Based in Montreal, he blends Haitian Vodou, rara, Twoubadou, Afrobeat and reggae into his work. His collaborations have included artists such as Tiken Jah Fakoly, Afrotronix, Mes Aïeux, Paul Cargnello and Radio Radio.
Wesli was named a Radio-Canada Revelation in 2009–2010 and has received several major honors, including the Babel Med Music Prize, SOCAN Hagood Hardy Award, Académie Charles Cros award, JUNO Award, Félix Award and Canadian Folk Music Award.
He has toured extensively across North America, Haiti, Colombia, Brazil and Europe, appearing at major events including WOMEX, Mundial Montréal and Expo Musique Atlantique in Cape Verde.
His discography includes Immigrant and Ayiti Étoile Nouvelle (2015), Rapadou Kréyol (2018) and Tradisyon (2022), released internationally in partnership with Cumbancha.
