Kafe Kiskeya Invites Community June 29

Meet Historic Northeast author/editor and historian Harold Dellinger Friday, June 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. when he signs copies of "Jesse James: The Best Writings on the Notorious Outlaw and His Gang." at Kafé Kiskeya, 3226 E. 12 St.

Kafé Kiskeya is open weekend nights for art, entertainment and coffee. Proprietor Sarah Cool hosts Open Mic Night every Friday evening, and local artists and residents are welcome. Sign up by 7 p.m. and claim your 15 minutes of fame. “Anything” (family friendly) goes – acoustic instruments, a cappella vocals, poetry, comedy, soap box, etc. "Bring friends. Drink coffee. Enjoy!"

Kafe Kiskeya Invites Community

Trio Juju to play Friday June 22 @ 7pm

Trio Juju has offered to play during Open Mic this week! We'll be looking forward to hearing their Brasilian samba & bosanova tunes!

So who's next?

Kafe Kiskeya is in search of ...

... artists to display art for one month beginning with September. Opening nights will occur on every first Thursday of each month.

... musicians, vocalists, poets, comedians, etc to perform during Friday Open Mic Nights.

Contact Sarah 816.914.5096 or kafekiskeya@hotmail.com.

Weekend Highlights

Open Mic was a great success this Friday! Oh Blessed Thought, a band consisting of 5 students from Mid American Nazarene College in Olathe, played all of their own original songs. They use a wide range of instruments, even an accordion! And their stage set up includes several pieces of yard art, such as a really cool looking gnome! They are in the process of recording a CD at a studio in Kansas City with 5 songs completed and 5 more in the works. We had about 3 dozen folks in and out through the evening. I'm looking forward to others coming in on this Friday to reveal their talents!

I spent all day Saturday at the West Bottoms Urban Bazaar. What a great venue for what they (Foundation) call an eclectic shopping experience! I met tons of interesting people. And I probably purchased as much as I sold! Oh well. I found earrings, a wine rack and an ankle bracelet that I just couldn't do without. The Bazaar is scheduled for two more weekends this summer, July 20/21 & August 17/18. That's where you'll find me on those two Saturdays.

Saturday night after Kafe Kiskeya closed, I checked out the Downtown Neon Gallery at 1921 Truman Rd. Very cool! I even got to meet Russell Easterwood, recently featured in The Star, a local artist who has his artwork on display there. I just missed The Frontier Brothers. But I did pick up a CD of some of their music entitled Solar Power Struggle.

Sunday was fairly mellow. Several of the regulars stopped in for coffee or tea and conversation. I've finally figured out that I do have A/C and how to operate the controls. No more sweltering summer nights inside the Kafe. Although I prefer to have the door proped open, or better yet, sit outside. I can now offer a cool place to visit, should the weather continue acting as it has this weekend.

Gretchen Weible to visit Kafe Kiskeya Friday, June 15 from 6 to 10pm!

My sister and her children will be in Kansas City next week. Please come visit with them on Friday evening June 15th. She says coffee, soft drinks and refreshments are on her!

Keep in mind, every Friday is Open Mic Night. If you want to claim your 15 minutes of fame, sign-up by 7pm. "Anything" goes ... Acoustic instruments, A cappella vocals, Poetry, Comedy, etc. Bring friends. Drink coffee. Enjoy!

Photos from the Grand Opening

Pre-Grand Opening Success!

This week has been full with several activities at Kafe Kiskeya, including An Evening with Djaloki (http://djaloki.blog.com/) on Monday night where 18 folks learned about Memory Village (http://www.memoryvillage.blogspot.com/), a project in Haiti, and a play which supports it, 3 Innocents and a Spirit (http://www.3innocents.blogspot.com/).

Transformational Journeys (http://www.tjourneys.com/) held their monthly meeting on Tuesday evening at the Kafe.

And last night 14 people participated in a UMKC Communiversity course (http://www.umkc.edu/commu/) with Djaloki called Ancient Selves, New Consciousness. We also enjoyed live Haitian music from a local group called Kompa Unlimited!

Kompa Unlimited will perform again next week for Kafe Kiskeya's Grand Opening on June 1st from 8 to 10pm. Look forward to seeing you then! Bring friends. Dance. Drink coffee. Enjoy! :)

Coming to Kafe Kiskeya Friday May 25th from 6:30 to 8pm

In cooperation with UMKC Communiversity, Djaloki Dessables will lead the following course at Kafe Kiskeya. Contact Communiversity to signup: http://www.umkc.edu/commu/. Refreshments will be available during the hour prior to the course. Live Haitian music will follow the program from 8 to 10pm!

This event will mark the GRAND PRE-OPENING of Kafe Kiskeya!

http://www.umkc.edu/commu/catalog_summer2007/features.pdf

Course Title: Ancient Selves, New Consciousness

Course Description: We will briefly examine the concept of ancestral spirits in primordial tribal cultures, before engaging in a guided imagery session that will introduce us to an old primordial part of ourselves. We will then share and discuss our experience.

Also, a workshop called ANCIENT WISDOM AND SPIRITUALITY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEEKERS will be offered at Kafe Kiskeya on Saturday & Sunday May 26 & 27. Please email or call for more details: kafekiskeya@hotmail.com or 816-914-5096.

Workshop Summary: During this workshop, we will review concepts common to many shamanic and animistic cultures. Using a modern paradigm and language, we will interpret how the spirit worlds interact with the human world in these cultures. We will then examine how these ancient pieces of wisdom apply to the global shift of consciousness currently in progress, and how they can help us navigate its waves. We will use a combination of mini lectures, questions & answers, group discussions, guided imagery, and time for reflection and personal journal entries, in a friendly atmosphere.

Bio: Jean Luc Dessables, also known as Djalòki, is an international consultant and lecturer from Ayiti (Haiti) in cross-cultural awareness and paradigm shift coaching. His intention, through his consulting, workshops and lectures, is to help create a sustainable multicultural global society showing reverence for the diversity of life and valuing inclusive excellence among people and institutions. He believes that the time has come for the shift of global human consciousness prophesized by many ancient people.

Born in 1961, Djalòki grew up between Ayiti, Belgium, France and Senegal. After his graduation in France as an engineer, he started a career in the corporate world in the fields of Total Quality Management and Organizational Development. He soon felt that, instead of enriching relationships, cultural differences between institutions or people often prevent good communication and mutual respect. He then shifted his career focus toward raising cross-cultural awareness, more specifically between the modern Western culture and the traditional Ayitian culture.

His current activities and positions include: - founder of "21 Jenerasyon", which raises cross-cultural and cross-spiritual awareness through international public speaking and workshops, and coaches people in the process of paradigm shifting; - co-founder and vice-president of the "N a Sonje" Foundation, which aims at healing the historical wounds between the peoples of Africa, Europe and the Americas; - associate of "DOA/BN", which specializes in transformational cultural tourism in Ayiti; - individual and group Guided Imagery.

For the last three years, Djalòki has been speaking at several educational institutions in the US, including Saint Mary's College of the University of Notre Dame, Keystone College, University of Southern Maine, Earlham College, Naropa University, Temple University, Indiana University in South Bend, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, New York University, the New Seminary Center for Interfaith Studies, and other community and spiritual centers. His speaking engagements also took him to Europe. He has been published in the Black Arts Quarterly of Stanford University.

Djalòki lives in Port-au-Prince, Ayiti. He speaks French, Ayitian Kreyòl, English and Spanish, and is currently studying at the New Seminary of New York to become an ordained Interfaith Minister.

Some of the cut metal art pieces available.

A few views of the new shop!

2 Rasin (2 Roots) performing Timoun Yo

Timoun Yo, written by Mona Augustin about Haitian street children, is performed here in Kreyol by Mona, Welele, Ron, Nicole, Carla and Levy.

TIMOUN YO (lyrics)

Gad timoun nan lari yo
Y ap viv tankou zanimo
Pèsonn pa pran penn pou yo
Dirigan pa fè anyen pou yo
Paske se ed timoun sa yo
Ki fè yo antre gwo mago
Nan men etranje ki fè lacharite

Ref:
Timoun yo
Ede yo
Timoun yo
Ede yo

Si n pa vle yo fè sak dwòl
Fòk nou mete yo lekòl
Pou yo aprann li ak ekri
Demen pou yo gon meye vi
Si non nou k ap premyè viktim
Lè anpil nan yo ap fè krim
Mwen pa yon pwofèt
men m konnen sa ap fèt

Ref.

Timoun se lespwa de demen
Tanpri trete yo kòm imen
Sa yo ki rich ni sa k ki pòv
Yo dwe toujou jwenn lòv
Lòv, lòv, lòv, lòv..........

Gad timoun nan lari yo
Y ap viv tankou zanimo
Pèsonn pa pran penn pou yo
Dirijan pa fè anyen pou yo
Paske se ed timoun sa yo
Ki fè yo antre gwo mago
Nan men etranje ki fè lacharite

Ref.

THE CHILDREN (lyrics)

Look at the children in the streets
They’re living like animals
Nobody is caring for them
The politician aren’t doing anything for them
Because it’s the money the children bring in
Which gives them lots of loot
From the foreigners who are giving charity

Refrain:
The children
Help them
The children
Help them

If we don’t want them to do what’s wrong
We need to put them in school
So they can learn to read and write
Then they will have a better future
If not, we’ll be the first victims
When so many of them will become criminals
I’m not a prophet
But I know this will happen

Refrain

Children are the hope of tomorrow
Please treat them as humans
Those that are rich as well as those that are poor
They should all find love
Love, love, love, love

Look at the children in the streets
They’re living like animals
Nobody is caring for them
The politician aren’t doing anything for them
Because it’s the money the children bring in
Which gives them lots of loot
From the foreigners who are giving charity

Refrain

Music/text by: Mona Augustin 2005

Meet the Artists

Serge Jolimeau was born in June 1952 in Croix des Bouquets, Haiti near Port au Prince. He began his cut metal art career 35 years ago.










Jolimeau and about 10 apprentices and helpers, three of whom are pictured here, can craft nearly anything out of recycled 55 gallon metal oil drums. A dozen of his pieces will be on display and for sale at Kafe Kiskeya.
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G. W. "Herbie" Marshall (right) was born in August 1961 in Jacmel, Haiti. He started working in papier mache 18 years ago. He uses recycled cardboard and brown paper sacks, and other locally found and produced materials. He is pictured here with Beyond Borders staff, Tim Murphy.








One of Marshall's three children, Herbison age 16 pictured here, works with him, as well as several other apprentices and helpers.










Personally, I really like Marshall's masks, although he can create any type of creature, real or imagined! Look for them at Kafe Kiskeya.
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Thomas Oriental was born in October 1958 in Jacmel, Haiti. He has painted and done papier mache, also using recycled and local materials, for 15 years with the help of 10 to 12 others.

Besides the gigantic masks pictured here, he also creates placemats, trays and coasters with various flowers, bird, and food designs. Having no way to transport his masks to the US on the airplane with me, I had to bring back the later, several of which you'll see at Kafe Kiskeya.
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Here I am, with a friend and painter who lives in Port au Prince, William Louissaint, on Saturday as I was leaving Gwo Jan for the Port au Prince airport. As soon as I get his paintings back from the framer, I'll post some photos of them. William also plays the guitar and writes poetry!

Grilling Coffee

This afternoon I watched as Jinya and her neighbors Haitian roasted/grilled the raw coffee beans we purchased at the market on Saturday. What an amazing process! Before any of the roasting/grilling begins, the beans are cleaned and washed over and over again.

The following steps shown here in these photos include roasting/grilling the beans over hot coals in a very hot pot, then adding a couple cups of raw brown sugar, then stirring and stirring the beans and sugar mixture until the sugar crystalizes, then pounding the crystalized beans into a fine powder, which finally produces coffee to be brewed!

Trip #2

I'm well into my second trip to Haiti now, having spent a few nights in the mountains above Port au Prince in Gwo Jan. Besides visiting with cut metal artists in Croix des Bouquets, I also shopped for arts/crafts in Port au Prince. We ate lunch one afternoon on the veranda at the Hotel Olaffson (pictured here), a famous gingerbread Victorian hotel near the center of the capital. It was the setting for "The Comedians" by Graham Greene. I also purchased 25 pounds of raw coffee beans at an open air market which are being Haitian roasted/grilled for me this week! I can already see that it will be a challenge for me to get everything home that I’ve found on this trip.

I received a rare treat on Saturday night, as I got to experience a jam session of the band 2 Rasin (2 Roots) with their six members Carla, Welele, Mona, Ron, Nicole and Levy (pictured here). They have a great repertoire of more than a dozen original pieces written in Kreyol on current Haitian social and political topics with a blend of Haitian and American rhythms. I know they would be well received in the States, should they choose to tour there!

Yesterday I rode with friends some 6 hours or so up to the north coast. We are now in Cape Haitian for a few nights. It was a beautiful drive through, up, down and around many mountains. We passed the Citadel (pictured here in the distant center), built by Henri Christophe as a stronghold against the French if they should attempt to re-conquer Haiti in the early 1800s. I found a good article on this topic, if you'd like to read further: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5018/.

This short video gives you an idea of what most of our 6 hour ride from Port au Prince to Cape Haitian was like, especially the through-up-down-and-around-many-mountains part!



Towards the middle of this week I'll be in Jacmel for a few days again, meeting more artists and enjoying the south coast, before starting home on Saturday. I will then be posting pictures of the artwork I found, which will be on display and for sale in my shop once it opens in early June, and the artists who created it.

Trip #1

Tables Turned

A recent humanitarian trip to Haiti allowed me the chance to accept acts of mercy and hospitality from others.

The group I went with had no special project to complete, nor did we bring anything with us, other than a willingness to complete our “mission”: to listen, learn and be changed. And that’s what happened.

The changes began the day I left on the trip when accepting a $20 bill from a stranger, after the first of several flights I’d be on that day. She’d overheard my conversation with the bank about how I’d realized that I'd forgotten the PIN to my debit card just before leaving, and so I’d left home without any cash. As I hung up my cell phone, with no resolution from the bank, this stranger pressed a $20 bill into my hand, insisting that I just couldn’t be without any cash. I didn’t want to take her money. $20 seemed like too much. I wanted her to give me her address so that I could return it to her as soon as I got back home. She refused, telling me to just pay it forward. I assured her that I would, as I was on my way to Haiti for a week.

The group I went with stayed with Haitian families for several nights in the mountains where there was no electricity and little running water. These families shared everything they had with us: food, water, time, and friendship. In fact, they slept on straw mats on the floor while we were given their beds. That was the most difficult for us, but what were we going to do, refuse to accept what they had to give?

Again and again we were treated like royalty, from wonderful meals, to visits with local artisans to see and even learn their crafts, to lessons with the elders of the community about their rich history, culture, economy and politics. Songs were prepared and sung for us on several occasions. We were treated with hospitality beyond anything I’d ever experienced. We were included in their daily activities and fellowship like we’d lived amongst them for all of our lives. We were cared for and looked after as if we were their own. And yet, we’d only just met. We were strangers and family all in the very same instant.

It’s as if I was plopped down in the middle of what my associates and I hope it’s like for our neighborhood friends visiting Cherith Brook, the new Catholic Worker house we’ve recently opened in downtown Kansas City. I was at the reverse end of all the hospitality and acts of mercy we’ve been offering in our new community. Now I was the one receiving rather than giving. It felt somewhat awkward, but reassuring too.

I tried to pay that $20 forward several times over during the trip, both monetarily in the purchases I made from artists that I might not have otherwise, and also in the attention I paid to those around me, and in the extra awareness I had of my surroundings.

And now, being back on the other side of giving, I have a different appreciation of what it feels like to receive. Although uncomfortable at times, it’s very inspiring to know that God puts folks in our path to take care of us when we’re most in need. And likewise, God puts us in the path of those who most need us.

What more did I receive from Haiti?

I went on this trip with such misconceptions about the country, her culture, and her people. I imagined that what I’d been told by the media and others was true, that most of the land was brown from deforestation, that most people lived in stick and mud huts, that I should be fearful of disease and for my safety, and other misinformation I dare not even repeat. Once there, the only thing I feared were the armed UN officers patrolling the streets in their tanks.

In fact, after having arrived, I was almost instantly ashamed of myself for not having gone to Haiti before to find out the truth for myself. It feels as though something powerfully evil has been at work, poisoning the world’s view of Haiti and therefore her ability to turn the tide. And for what purpose must the world persecute this tiny speck of an island? The bible verse that comes to mind is the parable of the laborers in Matthew 20:16. So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. In the end, I envision that Haiti shall be first, and the rest of the world, especially the US, last. Haiti will be, must be, chosen.

On the contrary to my false impressions, I found Haiti to have an atmosphere of peace and calm beyond anything I’d felt before. Her people were genuinely interested in getting to know us, and in us getting to know them. We hiked up into mountains covered with lush vegetation and trees full of fruits, some I’d seen before and some I’d never heard of. We experienced waterfalls, swam in the bluest ocean waters, and saw the most beautiful palm trees. We learned of her struggles and of her triumphs. What a strong people she holds!

Haiti revealed to me the most deeply spiritual and genuinely honest people I’ve ever encountered. Things I’ve wondered about all of my life became crystal clear during my short stay on her sacred ground. I feel a profound gratitude towards Haiti and her people for accepting me, embracing me, taking me as I was, in the midst of all the negative notions that I had, and helping me to see her in a new and clear light. What a gift!

And what will I give back?

I’m committed to telling her story, the true version, to as many as will listen. I will encourage others to do as I did: go and see it, experience it, feel it for yourself. I will share the lessons that I learned, carry her in my heart, speak well of her, sending positive vibes with all that I say and do. These are my responsibilities, now that I know better. To do less or otherwise would be reprehensible. It’s as if I’m bound by a contract, one more powerful and obligatory than if it were written, to uphold the truths as I’ve seen them, to promote a different consciousness about Haiti, to do my part to turn the tide.

For more information on Haiti, please visit http://www.beyondborders.net/ or http://www.haititravels.org/.