Mirlande

Mirlande Butler’s "Mimi & Friends" Quartet
Mirlande Butler’s "Mimi & Friends" Quartet
Saturday, December 1st at 7:00 PM


Haitian jazz singer, Mirlande Butler and her quartet, Mimi & Friends, will be performed a rare evening concert on December 1, 2007 at The Ashland Public Library as part of the “Library Concert Series” sponsored by The Friends of the Ashland Library.

A native of Haiti, Mirlande has developed a following in France, Brazil and US for her unique and delicate style of singing—a mix of pop, jazz, Bossa Nova and French and Haitian Creole. Performing since childhood, Mirlande has sung to large and small audiences alike, in Chicago, New York, Brazil and France, and locally at the John Hancock Hall and Strand Theater.

Writer and producer, John Elder says, “Mimi sings beautifully and with emotional power in four languages. Her style is the human heart .”


This event is free and open to the public. CDs will be available for purchase during a tea reception following the concert. The performance marks the third season of concerts sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Library. A schedule of upcoming performers can be found at www.FriendsoftheAshlandLibrary.com. The Friends of the Ashland Library is a non-profit, volunteer organization committed to supporting programs at the Ashland Public Library.

- Ashland Library

Mirlande Butler's doing fine, thanks.
No more "sweetening the sea." No more "burning the water."

The Haitian Creole replies to "How are you?" don't make much sense when you're an American.

It's not just because our language isn't so image-laden. It's because our life isn't so hard.

In the land of her birth, "human beings are being deprived of what makes them human, to be able to learn."

That's why she and her husband, Lawrence Butler, established the Eritaj Foundation to help Haitians, particularly children and women, have a chance for a better future. Eritaj's collaborative projects include The Gift of Education scholarships; The Vine micro-loan program and support group for women; and Our Churches, Our Strength, which pairs churches here with churches in Haiti to provide aid and "promote the efforts of church members within their church community, motivate action and back efforts to foster social change."

"The irony for Haitians is they are called the first black republic, but as a people we are crippled, we are depending on others to do the walking for us," Butler said yesterday.

"The tide is changing," but there is still a long way to go. Hunger and poverty are facts of life, even for those considered upper-middle class, as Butler's family was.

"I remember when I finished what you call high school," which includes two years of college-level courses, "here I am, trying to enter university and I wanted to take a typing class, and I could not find any money to take the class that would be $20 U.S."

In 1988, she came to study in Boston, first at Bunker Hill Community College and Northeastern, then at Boston University, where she earned a degree in social work. While working at a mental health clinic in Somerville, she met "this tall, white man (who) came in speaking Haitian Creole to me."

The Butlers, who've been married 13 years, now live in Ashland with their three sons.

"Unfortunately, my brothers have not met my husband or my children." While her parents were able to leave Haiti and settled in Milton, some of her siblings, including a brother who's a minister and one who is a doctor, have not been able to get visas.

"I can understand the immigration issues. You cannot let everyone come." There are concerns about people who "might hurt us, and I say 'us.' I do feel more American now than Haitian.

"We cannot have an open-door policy. It would not be appropriate. But to have such harsh policies for people who have risked their lives" by setting out on homemade rafts and drifting in the ocean for days to reach America, "this is very wrong.

"There is a strong racism component" to America's handling of Haitian refugees, said Butler. "The idea Cubans are much more persecuted than Haitians, I don't buy that. The conditions of Haitians are so much more precarious and difficult.

"I want to believe" conditions will improve. "I think we are much more responsible" global citizens than in the past, but many Americans don't know much about life beyond our borders. In some countries, "they feel America has no compassion," she said. "This is unfortunate. You want people to feel America is a giant, but a good giant."

The help offered by Eritaj isn't giant, but the foundation has made a difference "big time," since its start in 2000. "To date, we have about 500-plus kids we've helped with partial scholarships. We gave $500 to 10 groups" for women's micro-loans.

But "we want to do so much more."

She's using her voice, which has brought her concerts in France, Brazil and Canada, to do just that.

She was about 15 when someone told her, "Wow, you sing just like Edith Piaf," the late French songstress best know for "La Vie en Rose." Butler wasn't sure she agreed with the comparison. "She has a very particular style. Not everyone likes her."

But others adore the chanteuse's sultry sound, and so "I said, 'OK, I will sing and use that as an income for the foundation."'

Butler's CD, "Mirlande Sings," includes songs popularized by Piaf and other French performers. For information on ordering the CD, or more details about the foundation, go to eritajfoundation.org.

(Julia Spitz can be reached at 508-626-3968 or jspitz@cnc.com.)
- By Julia Spitz/Daily News staff

Mirlande Butler's doing fine, thanks.
No more "sweetening the sea." No more "burning the water."

The Haitian Creole replies to "How are you?" don't make much sense when you're an American.

It's not just because our language isn't so image-laden. It's because our life isn't so hard.

In the land of her birth, "human beings are being deprived of what makes them human, to be able to learn."

That's why she and her husband, Lawrence Butler, established the Eritaj Foundation to help Haitians, particularly children and women, have a chance for a better future. Eritaj's collaborative projects include The Gift of Education scholarships; The Vine micro-loan program and support group for women; and Our Churches, Our Strength, which pairs churches here with churches in Haiti to provide aid and "promote the efforts of church members within their church community, motivate action and back efforts to foster social change."

"The irony for Haitians is they are called the first black republic, but as a people we are crippled, we are depending on others to do the walking for us," Butler said yesterday.

"The tide is changing," but there is still a long way to go. Hunger and poverty are facts of life, even for those considered upper-middle class, as Butler's family was.

"I remember when I finished what you call high school," which includes two years of college-level courses, "here I am, trying to enter university and I wanted to take a typing class, and I could not find any money to take the class that would be $20 U.S."

In 1988, she came to study in Boston, first at Bunker Hill Community College and Northeastern, then at Boston University, where she earned a degree in social work. While working at a mental health clinic in Somerville, she met "this tall, white man (who) came in speaking Haitian Creole to me."

The Butlers, who've been married 13 years, now live in Ashland with their three sons.

"Unfortunately, my brothers have not met my husband or my children." While her parents were able to leave Haiti and settled in Milton, some of her siblings, including a brother who's a minister and one who is a doctor, have not been able to get visas.

"I can understand the immigration issues. You cannot let everyone come." There are concerns about people who "might hurt us, and I say 'us.' I do feel more American now than Haitian.

"We cannot have an open-door policy. It would not be appropriate. But to have such harsh policies for people who have risked their lives" by setting out on homemade rafts and drifting in the ocean for days to reach America, "this is very wrong.

"There is a strong racism component" to America's handling of Haitian refugees, said Butler. "The idea Cubans are much more persecuted than Haitians, I don't buy that. The conditions of Haitians are so much more precarious and difficult.

"I want to believe" conditions will improve. "I think we are much more responsible" global citizens than in the past, but many Americans don't know much about life beyond our borders. In some countries, "they feel America has no compassion," she said. "This is unfortunate. You want people to feel America is a giant, but a good giant."

The help offered by Eritaj isn't giant, but the foundation has made a difference "big time," since its start in 2000. "To date, we have about 500-plus kids we've helped with partial scholarships. We gave $500 to 10 groups" for women's micro-loans.

But "we want to do so much more."

She's using her voice, which has brought her concerts in France, Brazil and Canada, to do just that.

She was about 15 when someone told her, "Wow, you sing just like Edith Piaf," the late French songstress best know for "La Vie en Rose." Butler wasn't sure she agreed with the comparison. "She has a very particular style. Not everyone likes her."

But others adore the chanteuse's sultry sound, and so "I said, 'OK, I will sing and use that as an income for the foundation."'

Butler's CD, "Mirlande Sings," includes songs popularized by Piaf and other French performers. For information on ordering the CD, or more details about the foundation, go to eritajfoundation.org.

(Julia Spitz can be reached at 508-626-3968 or jspitz@cnc.com.)
- By Julia Spitz/Daily News staff

Jennifer Santos 05.FEB.09


Haitian jazz singer, Mirlande Butler brings to the stage a unique jazz style that is steeped with pop, jazz and bossa nova. Butler performs her music in four different languages; French, English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.

On Saturday, Butler performed at the Hyde Park Branch Library with guitarist and former Artist At Large Gil Francs who also performed songs in Haitian Creole.

Butler graduated in 1999 from Boston University with a degree in social work and later began working in Washington D.C. While Butler did enjoy social work, she thought it was unfair when she visited Haiti and saw mothers choosing between providing food or an education for their children.

"I wanted to find out how we could help Haiti because I remember traveling there one day and thinking how unfair it was to see people there struggling without an education, said Butler.

So, in 2000, Butler received a non-profit status and established the charitable foundation known as The Eritaj Foundation in the U.S. Eritaj is the Haitian Creole word for heritage.

"The main challenge is how to recruit Haitians outside Haiti to get involved," said Butler. "Take a look around the room, we are in Hyde Park and there could easily have been more Haitians who showed up today," said Butler.

Butler said she would like to visit Haiti three times a year, but lately, she’s been only able to go once a year. One of the most rewarding things Butler described when she goes to Haiti is seeing the children going to school in Haiti.

Through the Eritaj Foundation, Butler has been successful in organizing projects in Port au Prince, Haiti to promote organizational, health, social and economic development in the country for the past nine years. With her foundation, Butler said she has raised money for scholarships, has helped supply churches and libraries with children’s books and has given grants to mothers in poverty.

In her closing number, Butler sang "New York, New York," but added her own twist with "Hyde Park, Hyde Park." Other musical numbers included "La Vie En Rose," "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and Haitian Creole songs.

- The Bulletin Newspapers

Jennifer Santos 05.FEB.09


Haitian jazz singer, Mirlande Butler brings to the stage a unique jazz style that is steeped with pop, jazz and bossa nova. Butler performs her music in four different languages; French, English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.

On Saturday, Butler performed at the Hyde Park Branch Library with guitarist and former Artist At Large Gil Francs who also performed songs in Haitian Creole.

Butler graduated in 1999 from Boston University with a degree in social work and later began working in Washington D.C. While Butler did enjoy social work, she thought it was unfair when she visited Haiti and saw mothers choosing between providing food or an education for their children.

"I wanted to find out how we could help Haiti because I remember traveling there one day and thinking how unfair it was to see people there struggling without an education, said Butler.

So, in 2000, Butler received a non-profit status and established the charitable foundation known as The Eritaj Foundation in the U.S. Eritaj is the Haitian Creole word for heritage.

"The main challenge is how to recruit Haitians outside Haiti to get involved," said Butler. "Take a look around the room, we are in Hyde Park and there could easily have been more Haitians who showed up today," said Butler.

Butler said she would like to visit Haiti three times a year, but lately, she’s been only able to go once a year. One of the most rewarding things Butler described when she goes to Haiti is seeing the children going to school in Haiti.

Through the Eritaj Foundation, Butler has been successful in organizing projects in Port au Prince, Haiti to promote organizational, health, social and economic development in the country for the past nine years. With her foundation, Butler said she has raised money for scholarships, has helped supply churches and libraries with children’s books and has given grants to mothers in poverty.

In her closing number, Butler sang "New York, New York," but added her own twist with "Hyde Park, Hyde Park." Other musical numbers included "La Vie En Rose," "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and Haitian Creole songs.

- The Bulletin Newspapers