IN THE HEARTS OF MAKAYAWith Makaya, his seventh album, Wesli delivers a masterful work at the crossroads of continents and collective memories. Between Haiti, Africa and the diaspora, the Montreal-based Haitian artist weaves a conversation between roots, resistance and modernity through a twenty-four-track musical journey. Deeply anchored in the history and spirituality of the Haitian people, this album project is both a tribute to the ancestors, a cry of hope and a celebration of life.
“Through this album, I want to remind the Haitian people and its diaspora that our
roots are a light guiding the way forward. Our culture is not a burden but a
compass.” – Wesli
Named after a mountain range in southern Haiti, Makaya pays homage to the first maroons, figures of resistance and freedom who led the struggle toward Haiti’s independence in 1804. As a symbol of the living heritage of Africa, Wesli revives the ancestral traditions passed down by the Igbo, Congos, Aladas, Nagos, Yorubas and Dahomés, bringing to life songs in Yoruba, Minan, Fon and Ewe. Preserved over centuries by the Lakous (Haitian Vodou sanctuaries) such as Lakou Kongo, Lakou Dahomé and Lakou Soukri, these intangible legacies remain the guardians of Haitian spirituality, music and identity. In Kikongo, Makaya means “leaf,” a sacred symbol in ancestral Vodou associated with healing, purification and renewal. Despite centuries of colonization and prohibitions, this culture has survived and evolved, still resonating through chants, rara rhythms and Vodou rites. Created in collaboration with an exceptional array of artists, including AfrotroniX, Ilam, Meryem Saci, Tamara Suffren, BIC Tizon Dife and Sika Valmé, each bringing their own universe and
contributing to a harmonious dialogue between tradition and modernity.Throughout the album, Wesli explores a vast and daring soundscape where electronic textures meet ancestral rhythms, blending musical modernity with the depth of Haitian roots.
🎶 Wesli – Concerts 2026November 20, 2026 – Mundial Montréal – Montréal, QC
November 7, 2026 – Kamouraska – Kamouraska, QC
October 15–16, 2026 – Folk Canada Festival – Hamilton, ON
September 25–26, 2026 – Voces del Jazz y del Caribe – Colombia
September 11, 2026 – Festival Mosaïque – Laval, QC
August 1, 2026 – Festival Caribéen de Magog – Festival Site – Magog, QC
July 24, 2026 – WOMAD Festival – Neston Park – Wiltshire, England, UK
July 19, 2026 – Festival Concert – Halifax, NS
July 18, 2026 – Festival Concert – Halifax, NS
July 14, 2026 – Festival International Nuits d’Afrique (invité Tifane) – Montréal, QC
July 13, 2026 – Festival International Nuits d’Afrique (invité Emeline Michel) – Montréal, QC
July 12, 2026 – Festival International Nuits d’Afrique (invité BIC) – Montréal, QC
July 12, 2026 – Festival de bières de Laval – 6:00 PM – Laval, QC
July 9, 2026 – TOTC (Taste of the Caribbean Festival) – Old Port of Montréal (Main Stage / Headquarters) – 7:30 PM – Montréal, QC
July 2, 2026 – Canada Day Festival – Whitehorse, YT
July 1, 2026 – Canada Day Festival – Whitehorse, YT
June 27, 2026 – TD Victoria International JazzFest – Bullen Park – 7:00 PM – Victoria, BC
June 14, 2026 – Festival Solstice – Québec City, QC
June 13, 2026 – Luminato Festival – Harbourfront Centre (outdoor stages) – Toronto, ON
May 30, 2026 – La Sag – Sutton, QC
May 15, 2026 – Théâtre Plaza – Montréal, QC
July 16 – La Visitation (Quebec City, QC)
July 17 – Nuits d’Afrique (Montreal, QC)
July 18 – Afrik Fest (Halifax, NS)
July 19 – Afrik Fest (Halifax, NS)
July 27 – Haiti en Folie (Montreal, QC)
July 30 – Lethbridge, AB
August 2 – Dream Café (Penticton, BC)
August 3 – Revelstoke, BC
August 7 – Edmonton Folk Fest (Edmonton, AB)
August 8 – Edmonton Folk Fest (Edmonton, AB)
August 9 – Edmonton Folk Fest (Edmonton, AB)
August 15 – Bear Creek Fest (Grande Prairie, AB)
August 16 – Bear Creek Fest (Grande Prairie, AB)
August 17 – Bear Creek Fest (Grande Prairie, AB)
August 23 – Centre ICI (Montreal, QC)
August 24 – Afromonde (Old Port, Montreal, QC)
We are very happy to announce that Wesli has been nominated for the 2026 ADISQ Premier Gala in the Album of the Year – Global Music category for his album Makaya!
Makaya is Wesli’s seventh album and features 24 tracks, with collaborations from several artists, including AfrotroniX, Ilam, Meryem Saci, Tamara Suffren, BIC Tizon Dife and Sika Valmé. Congratulations, Wesli! The entire Famgroup team is proud of this recognition and wishes Wesli and his entire team continued success! The ADISQ Premier Gala will take place on November 4, 2026.
Wesli’s album MAKAYA has reached #7 on the Top 10 Best World Music Albums, as ranked by the Transglobal World Music Chart! A powerful recognition of an incredible album that celebrates culture, rhythm, and global sound. This achievement is so well deserved! 👏✨
ABOUT WESLI
A committed musician recognized on the international stage, Wesli builds bridges between tradition and modernity, between Haiti and the rest of the world. His music is a powerful vehicle for cultural transmission, a cry from the heart, and a song of freedom. His extraordinary journey—from crafting an instrument out of an oil can strung with nylon to winning a JUNO Award—reflects his resilience, creativity, and deep connection to his Haitian roots.
Born Wesley Louissaint in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wesli has established himself as a prolific singer-songwriter, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. Now based in Montréal, he brings together diverse musical traditions, blending Haitian Vodou and rara with twoubadou, Afrobeat, reggae, soul, hip-hop, and contemporary global sounds. His work has featured collaborations with renowned artists such as Tiken Jah Fakoly, AfrotroniX, Mes Aïeux, Paul Cargnello, and Radio Radio.
Since being named Radio-Canada Révélation 2009–2010, Wesli has received numerous prestigious distinctions, including the Babel Med Music Prize (2010), SOCAN’s Hagood Hardy Award for Composition (2016), an Académie Charles Cros Prize (2019), a JUNO Award for World Music Album of the Year (2019), a Félix Award for World Music Album of the Year (2019), and a Canadian Folk Music Award for World Solo Artist of the Year (2020).
Wesli has toured extensively across North America, Haiti, Colombia, Brazil, and Europe, performing at major international events and showcases including WOMEX, Mundial Montréal, and the Atlantic Music Expo in Cape Verde. His dynamic performances and distinctive musical vision have established him as an important ambassador for Haitian culture on the world stage.
His discography includes the critically acclaimed Immigrant and the traditional Ayiti Étoile Nouvelle (2015), followed by Rapadou Kréyol (2018) and Tradisyon (2022), released internationally in partnership with American label Cumbancha.
In November 2025, Wesli released ** Makaya **, his seventh album: an ambitious 24-track project celebrating Haitian heritage, African ancestral connections, cultural identity, resistance, and freedom. Featuring collaborations with AfrotroniX, BIC Tizon Dife, Ilam, Meryem Saci, Tamara Suffren, and Sika Valmé, the album brings together traditional Haitian rhythms, rara, Vodou-inspired sounds, Afrobeat, and contemporary electronic influences.
In 2026, Makaya reached No. 7 on the Transglobal World Music Chart’s Top 10 Best World Music Albums and earned Wesli a nomination at the 2026 ADISQ Félix Awards in the Album of the Year – Global Music category, further affirming the international reach and cultural significance of his work.
Through his music, Wesli continues to celebrate Haiti’s rich cultural heritage while creating a bold, contemporary sound that resonates with audiences around the world.
In Haïti, there is a serious problem with juvenile delinquency. Political activism, the trafficking and use of drugs, prostitution, itinerance, violence, car theft, scams and kidnapping are a part of the daily life of most Haïtian adolescents.
Young people between the ages of 12 and 18 are especially affected, while their families are too poor to support their basic needs, much less the cost of education.
In 2014, Ayiti Étoile Nouvelle (New Star of Haïti) was founded by Wesley Louissaint to aid the youth of the Bel-Air/Fort National quarter of Port-au-Prince. The project brings together music education, studio practices and performance.
