7 minutes read | originally published on December 15, 2023 at 4:49 p.m., modified on April 12, 2025 at 8:20 a.m.
In 2023, Haiti produced ten outstanding personas, from athletes, musicians, and journalists to entrepreneurs, who have made significant contributions across diverse industries. These talented individuals are leading Haiti to new heights and achieving a participatory impact on the world.
We enter 2024 with gratitude for their extraordinary achievements, to celebrate their successes. While our editorial team congratulates all ten individuals on our list and hopes they will continue to achieve greater success in the years to come.
Melchie Dumornay: A notable talent in Haitian women’s football. She participated in the 2023 FIFA World Cup, with a stand against Chile in the final of the intercontinental play-off, securing Haiti’s first qualification to this prestigious competition. In January 2023, she took a major career extension, after leaving Stade de Reims, signing a three-year contract with Olympique Lyonnais. In the highly competitive D1 Arkema league, Dumornay’s talent shone in 2023, she wins multiple player of the month awards with Stade de Reims and Olympique Lyonnais.
Tafa Mi-Soleil: She is one solo artist in the 2023 music charts. In March, Evenie Rose Thafaina Saint-Louis won the charts with her new solo music video “Lakou.” Within a week of its release, this single, a preview of Tafa’s upcoming album, reached number one and quickly became a top sensation. As a solo release, it dominated the charts and has been viewed five million times to date. The song explores the spiritual dimension of the voodoo ritual through its medium, a revered pilgrimage and healing site for Haitians. In May, Tafa Mi-Soleil released a second extended song (EP) titled “Phoenix.”
Martine Phébé: Phébé, better known as Thòy’Art, is a 30-year-old Haitian artist, activist, gardener, and actress. She has made a name for herself as the founder of the Thoy’Art group, whose primary concerns are agriculture and the environment. Sustainability is at the heart of her artistic work, while she promotes her practices and encourages Haitians abroad to participate in reforestation efforts in Haiti through companies like Thoy’Art. With over half a million followers on Facebook, she inspires her audience to adapt to change while understanding the sustainable needs of our community and environment.
Milourie Sylfrard: The 29-year-old is one of the initiators of the Massacre River Canal construction project and is committed to the equitable distribution of binational water resources on the border with the Dominican Republic. For several months, she coordinated important work on the canal project, as documented on social media.
King Street: “Is violence in the blood of the drillers?” asks King Street. King Street a Haitian rising star, and has been representing a different aspect of drill music for some time. One of his latest albums is called “La musique des meurtres” and went viral immediately after its release. Another of his songs, “Ki plan w pou mwen,” also went viral, reaching over six million views on YouTube. Not long after, he released a new song in collaboration with Durkheim titled “E kounya.” The video was released three months ago and has already garnered an impressive 7.3 million views on YouTube. On Thursday, November 30, 2023, he released another song titled “Eseye grandi.” People everywhere are listening to his song and he is focused on making something good out of his popularity and helping to change the negative connotation of drill music.
Loutchina Décius: The acclaimed gospel star is making waves in the industry. At just ten years old, Décius won the Summer Sun Award in 2011 and was honored with the Media Levanjil Awards in 2022 for her incredible vocal talent. This year, she released two new songs: “Lanmou sensè” and “Sa k fè w renmen m”, a collaboration with evangelical singer Frè Gabe, as well as “Lyon Jida”. She was recently nominated for the Alleluia Awards in the categories “Evangelical Album of the Year” and “Gospel Music of the Year” for the song “Sa k fè w renmen m”.
Marco Azèd: Known online as Azèd, is a content creator, focuses primarily on music but also covers political topics. Through monologues, reviews, and informative videos, the Azèd platform offers his followers a unique perspective, allowing them to discover hidden meanings and gain new insights on a wide range of topics. His online community has attracted the attention of numerous influential figures in Haiti. His documentary-style educational videos on Facebook have over 130,000 loyal followers.
Emmanuella M. Laguerre: An influencer with nearly 10,000 followers on Facebook, Laguerre has gained considerable recognition through his platforms, where he shares compelling stories from personal experiences and imparts valuable life wisdom. He was recently elected as the 2024 local president of JCI Delmas, underscoring his commitment and leadership in the community. Over the years, he has used his diverse activities to share his ambitions with the Haitian community.
Doc Exama: He was born on June 24th in Saint-Marc, Haiti. He studied law at the Faculty of Law and Economics (FDSE) before deciding to become a doctor and study medicine at the University of Lumière. On Facebook, he presents a virtual consultation under the name “Jean Rodrigue Junior Exama,” in which he shares valuable health information with his followers. On his platform, he teaches on topics related to “Sante Anba Tonèl” and has 31,000 subscribers. He is the driving force behind the NAS project, which has provided nearly 200 children with three years of free schooling. In addition to these socio-educational initiatives, he recently launched a program that teaches 50 young people valuable craft skills.
Steven Aristil: The Port-de-Paix-born journalist has made significant contributions during his eight-year career. Aristil’s coverage of the 2023 Women’s World Cup provides insightful reports and compelling stories to the tournament’s global audience was well recorded. In addition to his work as a sports journalist, he has worked with major media outlets such as ABC News, BBC News, Russia Today, and France 24. He produces video journalism for the news agencies Reuters and Ruptly.
Read this issue also in French: Les 10 jeunes haïtiens les plus influents en 2023
Discussion about this post