Born in 1980 to a financially-challenged family of seven children in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wesli (Wesley Louissaint) built his first guitar at the age of eight by stringing an old oil can with nylon fishing line. From these humble beginnings, he has gone on to become one of Haiti's most inspiring and celebrated musical ambassadors. Wesli has earned acclaim across the globe for his appealing music, energizing live performances and charming personality. In 2019, his accomplishments were officially honored when he won the Juno Award (the Canadian equivalent of the GRAMMY) for World Music Album of the Year.
Be it in an acoustic formation (guitar, voice and percussion) or with his bigger band, Wesli consistently delivers a rich, festive and uniquely engaging sound. He conquers the heart of his audience through complex musical arrangements and universal messages of hope, truth and peace. Bringing together a wide range of Montreal and Haitian talents, Wesli's music unites Haitian voodoo and rara with roots, reggae, Afrobeat, electronic music and hip-hop flavors.
The sounds of Wesli's childhood - from Evangelical gospel to reggae, Afrobeat, funk and, of course, the diverse roots music of Haiti - continually influence his compositions, which blend traditional Haitian rhythms and lyrics with a wide range styles. Based in Montreal since the early 2000s, Wesli explores a variety of genres while keeping his musical identity firmly anchored in his roots and Haitian cultural heritage.
Since moving to Canada, the versatile singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer has accompanied the greatest Caribbean artists and several big names in African music during their stays in Montreal. He opened for Tiken Jah Fakoly and Magic System at the Olympia in Montreal, as well as for Alpha Blondy at the Metropolis to sold-out crowds. Since 2008, Wesli and his group have regularly performed on more than 50 major festival stages in Canada, in addition to touring the entire world, always offering captivating performances.
The many prestigious awards he has earned since 2016 are the results of his immense talent: The Hagood Hardy SOCAN Award (2016); the Dynasty World Music Award (2017); the JUNO award for World Music Album of the Year (2019), as well as the Felix for the World Music Best Recording Award at ADISQ in the same year. For Wesli, winning the JUNO award proved to him that the musical and cultural value he brings to the world had been accepted and welcomed, a message he hopes other young Haitian musicians will see as a sign that they too can inspire change with their craft. In 2020, he also won the Coup de Coeur Academie Charles-Cros Prize (France, 2020), the Best World Music song from the American Independent Music Awards, as well as the title of Best World Music Artist at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
show less
Be it in an acoustic formation (guitar, voice and percussion) or with his bigger band, Wesli consistently delivers a rich, festive and uniquely engaging sound. He conquers the heart of his audience through complex musical arrangements and universal messages of hope, truth and peace. Bringing together a wide range of Montreal and Haitian talents, Wesli's music unites Haitian voodoo and rara with roots, reggae, Afrobeat, electronic music and hip-hop flavors.
The sounds of Wesli's childhood - from Evangelical gospel to reggae, Afrobeat, funk and, of course, the diverse roots music of Haiti - continually influence his compositions, which blend traditional Haitian rhythms and lyrics with a wide range styles. Based in Montreal since the early 2000s, Wesli explores a variety of genres while keeping his musical identity firmly anchored in his roots and Haitian cultural heritage.
Since moving to Canada, the versatile singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer has accompanied the greatest Caribbean artists and several big names in African music during their stays in Montreal. He opened for Tiken Jah Fakoly and Magic System at the Olympia in Montreal, as well as for Alpha Blondy at the Metropolis to sold-out crowds. Since 2008, Wesli and his group have regularly performed on more than 50 major festival stages in Canada, in addition to touring the entire world, always offering captivating performances.
The many prestigious awards he has earned since 2016 are the results of his immense talent: The Hagood Hardy SOCAN Award (2016); the Dynasty World Music Award (2017); the JUNO award for World Music Album of the Year (2019), as well as the Felix for the World Music Best Recording Award at ADISQ in the same year. For Wesli, winning the JUNO award proved to him that the musical and cultural value he brings to the world had been accepted and welcomed, a message he hopes other young Haitian musicians will see as a sign that they too can inspire change with their craft. In 2020, he also won the Coup de Coeur Academie Charles-Cros Prize (France, 2020), the Best World Music song from the American Independent Music Awards, as well as the title of Best World Music Artist at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
Born in 1980 to a financially-challenged family of seven children in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wesli (Wesley Louissaint) built his first guitar at the age of eight by stringing an old oil can with nylon fishing line. From these humble beginnings, he has gone on to become one of Haiti's most inspiring and celebrated musical ambassadors. Wesli has earned acclaim across the globe for his appealing music, energizing live performances and charming personality. In 2019, his accomplishments were officially honored when he won the Juno Award (the Canadian equivalent of the GRAMMY) for World Music Album of the Year.
Be it in an acoustic formation (guitar, voice and percussion) or with his bigger band, Wesli consistently delivers a rich, festive and uniquely engaging sound. He conquers the heart of his audience through complex musical arrangements and universal messages of hope, truth and peace. Bringing together a wide range of Montreal and Haitian talents, Wesli's music unites Haitian voodoo and rara with roots, reggae, Afrobeat, electronic music and hip-hop flavors.
The sounds of Wesli's childhood - from Evangelical gospel to reggae, Afrobeat, funk and, of course, the diverse roots music of Haiti - continually influence his compositions, which blend traditional Haitian rhythms and lyrics with a wide range styles. Based in Montreal since the early 2000s, Wesli explores a variety of genres while keeping his musical identity firmly anchored in his roots and Haitian cultural heritage.
Since moving to Canada, the versatile singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer has accompanied the greatest Caribbean artists and several big names in African music during their stays in Montreal. He opened for Tiken Jah Fakoly and Magic System at the Olympia in Montreal, as well as for Alpha Blondy at the Metropolis to sold-out crowds. Since 2008, Wesli and his group have regularly performed on more than 50 major festival stages in Canada, in addition to touring the entire world, always offering captivating performances.
The many prestigious awards he has earned since 2016 are the results of his immense talent: The Hagood Hardy SOCAN Award (2016); the Dynasty World Music Award (2017); the JUNO award for World Music Album of the Year (2019), as well as the Felix for the World Music Best Recording Award at ADISQ in the same year. For Wesli, winning the JUNO award proved to him that the musical and cultural value he brings to the world had been accepted and welcomed, a message he hopes other young Haitian musicians will see as a sign that they too can inspire change with their craft. In 2020, he also won the Coup de Coeur Academie Charles-Cros Prize (France, 2020), the Best World Music song from the American Independent Music Awards, as well as the title of Best World Music Artist at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
read more
Be it in an acoustic formation (guitar, voice and percussion) or with his bigger band, Wesli consistently delivers a rich, festive and uniquely engaging sound. He conquers the heart of his audience through complex musical arrangements and universal messages of hope, truth and peace. Bringing together a wide range of Montreal and Haitian talents, Wesli's music unites Haitian voodoo and rara with roots, reggae, Afrobeat, electronic music and hip-hop flavors.
The sounds of Wesli's childhood - from Evangelical gospel to reggae, Afrobeat, funk and, of course, the diverse roots music of Haiti - continually influence his compositions, which blend traditional Haitian rhythms and lyrics with a wide range styles. Based in Montreal since the early 2000s, Wesli explores a variety of genres while keeping his musical identity firmly anchored in his roots and Haitian cultural heritage.
Since moving to Canada, the versatile singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer has accompanied the greatest Caribbean artists and several big names in African music during their stays in Montreal. He opened for Tiken Jah Fakoly and Magic System at the Olympia in Montreal, as well as for Alpha Blondy at the Metropolis to sold-out crowds. Since 2008, Wesli and his group have regularly performed on more than 50 major festival stages in Canada, in addition to touring the entire world, always offering captivating performances.
The many prestigious awards he has earned since 2016 are the results of his immense talent: The Hagood Hardy SOCAN Award (2016); the Dynasty World Music Award (2017); the JUNO award for World Music Album of the Year (2019), as well as the Felix for the World Music Best Recording Award at ADISQ in the same year. For Wesli, winning the JUNO award proved to him that the musical and cultural value he brings to the world had been accepted and welcomed, a message he hopes other young Haitian musicians will see as a sign that they too can inspire change with their craft. In 2020, he also won the Coup de Coeur Academie Charles-Cros Prize (France, 2020), the Best World Music song from the American Independent Music Awards, as well as the title of Best World Music Artist at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
show less
Date/Times:
Freight & Salvage
6 Upcoming Events
2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
The Best Events
Every Week in Your Inbox
From Our Sponsors
UPCOMING EVENTS
Great suggestion! We'll be in touch.
Event reviewed successfully.