Author: Opastaff
Opa was in attendance when Wyclef Jean was handed his diplomatic passport last night by his uncle, Raymond Joseph, Haiti’s ambassador to the United States. The honor was handed to him at SOBs in New York one day after the hip-hop star celebrated his 35th birthday. The self proclaimed number one Haitian received the title “Roving Ambassador” by Haiti president Rene Preval who was unable to attend the ceremony however many people came to show their support to the Grammy award winner, song writer, producer and founder of Yele Haiti; an organization that uses music, sports and the media to…
“I wish I could find these guys and kick their ass” a quote by American Rap Industry rapper 50 cent in this month’s September 21st issue of Rolling Stone Magazine. What made the rapper so upset to make such a bold statement? He was referring to the Internet bashing his recent album release. The rapper admits to reading the viewers comments religiously. There is no exception when it comes to Haitian artists. They, too, are obsessed with reading internet bashing even though they’re not subjected to a mere fraction of brutal criticisms that other countless industry artists endure. Nonetheless, that…
It is with great sorrow we announce the death of Alan Gregoire, the sound engineer for Nu Look. After arriving in New York on Friday September 21 with the band, Alan complained of a stomach ache. He was taken to St John’s Hospital in Queens the following day for observation and later released when doctors weren’t able to find anything wrong with him according to sources. He flew back to Florida were he was found dead at his home early this morning. His body is currently in a Florida morgue waiting to undergo an autopsy to determine the cause of…
In the past few days, our team at Opa has been diligently piecing together information regarding the mysterious circumstances surrounding Haitian party promoter, Mr. Robenson’s disappearance. Scheduled to depart Haiti for New York on August 17th to celebrate his son’s birthday in Philadelphia, Robenson’s plans were thwarted by Hurricane Dean, which disrupted all direct flights. His last known communication was with his son’s mother, informing her of his rerouted trip to Puerto Rico. Since then, details about Robenson’s whereabouts have become increasingly murky. Conflicting reports have emerged, with some sources close to Robenson suggesting that he was arrested upon his…
Tupac Shakur (2Pac) Murder: Tupac Shakur, a prominent rapper and actor, was fatally shot on September 7, 1996, in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was shot multiple times while sitting in a car with Suge Knight, the head of Death Row Records, after attending a Mike Tyson boxing match. Shakur succumbed to his injuries six days later, on September 13, 1996, at the age of 25. The murder remains officially unsolved, although various theories suggest it was connected to gang violence, East Coast-West Coast rap rivalries, or retribution for previous altercations. The lack of witnesses willing…
Larivierre has recently been at the center of numerous controversies, from a riot in Haiti at Djoumbala to an alleged kidnapping in Hinche, and more. Despite the turmoil, Mr. Larivierre has maintained his silence, not addressing the media at all. Amidst rumors of a potential band breakup, there’s been no comment from the Maestro. What is on Arly’s mind right now? According to a very close source to the Maestro: Arly is fully aware of his issues with tardiness and is committed to addressing them. However, it’s important for people to understand that his lateness is not due to carelessness.…
Gracia and Gazzman What’s Behind the Bad Blood. August 30, 2008 by The Buzz · Leave a Comment Gazzman had a girl by the name “M” I won’t post her whole name but it starts with that letter. Gracia started dating the girl while Gazzman was with the girl and even married her if I’m not mistaken, she was his first US wife. The girl and Gracia got into some beef and she went back to Gazzman and got Gracia arrested for domestic violence. Gracia thought Gazzman was behind it I don’t know if that’s true but this is the…
On Saturday, May 27th at around 1:00AM in the morning, Opa received a phone call that Djakout Mizik’s musicians were the victims of an attempted murder. It’s unclear at the moment who was the actual target. As the van that was transporting the musicians to the club that they were supposed to be playing in pulled up, an assailant in a Honda pulled up and open fire on the van. Few shots were fired and two of them hit Djakout Mizik’s sound tech, Belloni Jean Philippe. He was rushed to the hospital where he underwent immediate surgery and had the…
Shedly Abraham has been in the music industry for over 16 years. From his early days in Cap-Haïtien to DJAZZ LA Music Studio in Brooklyn, New York, Shedly Abraham has become a household name. He has been an astonishing musician as well as an amazing Producer. Currently, he is working on his sixth volume of Djazz La. This album is expected to be the best in his musical repertoire. The importance for any musician releasing albums in a series of volumes, one can expect for him to excel with each release; Shedly falls into the category respectively. As the volume…
FROM THE DESK OF JOHN “PAPA JUBE” ALTINO/ DIRECTOR OF SOBS First and foremost, S.O.B.’S wishes to thank the entire community for their continued support in helping us to establish and maintain a solid presence of Haitian music and culture in Manhattan for the past 20 years. S.O.B.’S is a multi-genre venue, with a world-wide reputation as “The Respectable Mecca of Music” in New York, we have had the honor of introducing Universal Music to those who have passed through our doors. Legends including Stevie Wonder, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Tabou Combo, to newer groups like The Roots, Eryka Badu,…