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Wyclef Jean honours 200th anniversary of Haiti's independence

TORONTO, July 6 /CNW/ - There's a Haitian proverb that says: "Mize nan wout, pote bon nouvel," which means "You may take your time, as long as you come home with good news." Sak Pasé Presents: Welcome to Haiti Creole 101 is the album singer and activist Wyclef Jean has promised for many years and he is spreading the good news with joyous sounds that exude his Haitian pride.

"Haiti was the first Black Republic to gain independence from slavery and since 2004 is the 200th anniversary of this victory, I thought it was the perfect time to highlight our rich history," says Jean.

Since the mid 1990's when The Fugees garnered international fame with their critically-acclaimed CD, The Score, Wyclef has been cultivating the idea of a musical tribute to his homeland. "I've been working on this Creole album for a while," explains Jean, "but it took me some time because I have been mixing different types of music together over and over again. Whether someone speaks English, Spanish, Creole or French, I wanted them to hear the music and feel like it's one fluid piece."

After 4 solo albums, including his 1997 multi-Platinum release Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival, several Grammy nominations and numerous Top 10 Billboard hits, the singer/songwriter/producer is ready to fully unveil the vibrant rhythms of his native country. Using his mother tongue and a blend of traditional Creole beats like Konpa, Zouk & Rara, Wyclef aptly pays homage to Haiti with a fantastic musical party.

"I have always incorporated elements of my heritage into my music and videos," says Jean, "but this album represents a total unification of my two worlds."

Creole 101 is the first release from Jean's newly created record label, Sak Pasé, which means "What's Up?" in Creole. "This is Sak Pasé's debut album, so I am determined to make it successful, it's the blueprint for how I want the label to sound," explains Jean.

The first single and video, "Party By The Sea", is an authentic carnival anthem that emotes the universal message of jubilation.

Wyclef Jean's North American tour schedule includes 4 Canadian dates: Quebec City - July 12th, Ottawa - July 13th, Montreal - July 14th & Toronto - July 18th. Sak Pasé Presents: Welcome To Haiti Creole 101 will be in stores on July 27th.

BMG Canada Inc. produces recordings of Canadian artists under the ViK.recordings label and is the Canadian recording company of BMG. BMG is the global music division of Bertelsmann AG, one of the world's leading media companies. BMG owns more than 200 record labels in 41 countries including Ariola, Arista Records, J Records, Jive Records, RCA Records and RCA Label Group - Nashville. In addition, BMG's music publishing operations are the third largest in the world.
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