i rarely blog real-time, so this is a rarity, but just watched the hope for haiti benefit concert on tv. it was a long day at work finishing up the invites to the un screening that my boss is taking with him to sundance, but in effect haiti's been on my mind all day today.

at first i thought it was the most unparalleled cast of characters i've ever seen--bill clinton, madonna, denzel--and then i thought half the actors were probably on a detour from sundance and would be flying off in a matter of hours. but i have to say the song choices were excellent--J-Tim on Hallelujah? brilliant. but to the point of this blog, watching wyclef rap up the show (dug his haitian flag/scarf), caught my homie Tiga backing him up on percussion. this dude plays about fifteen instruments, including the dijeridoo, and I didn't even recognize the horns he was blowing after he dropped the djembe.

i've been thinking abt him and all my other haitian friends, wondering how their families are doing, and failing to pick up the phone. busy busy busy, i always stay, but it's a nervous energy. i have a feeling that huge holes have opened up in people's lives that will never be filled. even my coworker lost a college friend at home for the holidays with family in Port-au-Prince.

big ups to the little boys and girls rescued from the rubble who never gave up hope. we're all praying for you.

There's a really amazing thing happening with Wyclef at the moment surrounding media reports about his NGO Yele Haiti, saying that the money may be a little funny.

Wyclef posted a heated response vid on YouTube denouncing the accusations and saying how he's been digging up children's bodies, and how could anyone question his integrity. I know he is doing great work, but the donations will still likely take awhile to get to work on the ground given the online/cellphone donation system he's using.

It's a shame that it had to get so dirty, though.

Clef performed at Calabar Carnival...I heard Akon was there too...although I didn't get to see the show. I was so heated since we spent the better part of the day waiting for the damn parade to start. In the end, my cousins just wanted to go home and not cap the night off with a show. Only problem was someone blocked our car in on the street and my cousin Mimi had to break in (they left their Mercedes window open), put the car in neutral, and have me and my cousin Yaya push it out of the way. By the time we got on the road and I started talking about going to the stadium, nobody was trying to hear me.

I caught this vid online though, looks like the show was FIYah. He's always been one of my favorites.