haiti – NOT NEW YORK

By Bob Doto on March 23, 2011 ( 1 Comment )

Vodou Brooklyn: Five Ceremonies with Mambo Marie Carmel, by Stephanie Keith

The first Vodou party I ever attended was a Gede party for a new Priestess, in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn. I didn’t know who or what Gede was. I […]

By Bob Doto on March 11, 2011 ( Leave a comment )

Life of a Vodou Drummer in Brooklyn

Can’t stop. Won’t stop. Above is a short clip from the documentary “The Other Side of the Water: the Journey of a Haitian Rara Band in Brooklyn.” The official synop goes as follows: The Other Side of the Water follows a group of young immigrants who take an ancient music […]

By Bob Doto on March 7, 2011 ( 5 Comments )

“The Spirits Don’t Want Old People” // A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn, by Liza Buzytsky

Vodou at the Crossroads: Conversation with a Mambo & book signing Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute March 2nd, 2011 Some people felt Mambo Marie Carmel was too young when she became a priestess. But, her frankness easily skirts the skeptics aside: “The spirits don’t want old people,” Mambo Marie […]

By Bob Doto on January 21, 2011 ( Leave a comment )

The Passion of Christ the Dice Thrower

I picked up this amazing depiction of Christ’s crucifixion for a $1.50 at the San Lazaro Botanica at 127 Rivington St. the other day. Now, I like to think that I have a good handle on the signs and symbols of religious iconography, and while some of the symbols are […]