On Wednesday, January 20, Wyclef Jean made a guest appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to discuss the current conditions in Haiti. He shared some of his own personal footage taken after the earthquake hit Haiti earlier this month.
Jean cried as he recalled hearing the Haitians singing “Amazing Grace” every night after the devastation, despite what they were going through. “The thing about us Haitian people is that the only thing that we can hold on to is our pride,” said Jean to Oprah. Jean compared the smell in Port-Au-Prince to a dead dog that has been there for days, adding that there is no one to take care of those bodies. Jean speaks about the loss of his friend Jimmy-O, whom he also mentioned during an interview with CNN, noting that he would be flying to Haiti after the interview to confirm the death of his friend. Jean describes Port-Au-Prince as an apocalypse. “The entire city feels like a morgue,” says Jean.
Jean continues to be the spokesman of the Haitian people and continues to fight for his native country. “The Haitian people told me that they don’t need anymore photo-ops. We need logistics, we need people to go to the airport who can get stuff out of the airport and to the people,” said Jean.
Rihanna also appeared on the Oprah show, to sing “Redemption Song” in dedication to the people of Haiti. Rihanna also performed amongst the likes of Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Mary J. Blige, Bruce Springstein, Bono and The Edge, during the “Hope For Haiti” benefit on Friday, January 22, which was hosted by George Clooney and Wyclef Jean. The benefit was televised commercial-free worldwide. All performances are available on iTunes and all proceeds will go to Haiti relief funds…
Written by Francesca Cange
