Juanito, best known by his stage name WANITO, was born on April 21, 1988, in Jeremie, Haiti. He was raised by his mother until he moved to the Port-au-Prince to continue his secondary education at Lycée de National de Petion-Ville. Though he was very shy, he continued to follow his dreams by performing around students, friends, and family. Upon hearing his unique voice, his peers encouraged him to participate in talent shows like, “Konkou Chante Nwel,” and “Digicel Stars”. Although he didn’t make the finals of either competition, he wasn’t discouraged. PeaceTones, a Boston-based NGO aims to empower musicians in developing countries by teaching them how to create, protect, and sell their music throughout the world.
In April 2011 the NGO held a competition called, “Haiti Chante” (Haiti Sings). Gracefully, WANITO was declared the winner, and there, he found his break. With this victory, many doors were opened for him; the NGO brought him to the US to record his first-ever solo album. On December 2011, WANITO released “Biyografi Mwen” (My Biography). His extensive involvement in the Haitian community made WANITO a star even before the album hit the market. He has made headlines in most of the widely-read newspapers, blogs, and online magazines in Caribbean/Haiti and in the Haitian diaspora.
