One of the attractions of Miami is the city’s great diversities of culture, allowing you to experience the food, music and art of several different cultures in one destination, so for those fascinated by the culture of Haiti, a trip to Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood can be extremely rewarding. Almost at the center of the neighborhood is a brightly-painted architectural wonder called the Caribbean Market that is beautiful, but sadly closed for renovations. The good news is that work seems to be going on, so the market should soon be open again. Nearby in the next block is
Librerie Mapou, a Haitian bookstore that is the perfect place to learn more about Haiti’s amazing history and culture. The downstairs room is filled to the rafters with books (many in Kreyol or French) while the upstairs is a gallery of Haitian art, traditional
Rada drums and priceless artifacts. Record stores like Sonny Sounds or Fifi Records offer the Haitian national music style known as Kompa (short for
kompa direk or “direct hit”), but the latter has the deepest selection of classic groups like Les Difficiles de Petion-Ville or Tabou Combo. You can finish your day of shopping with authentic Haitian food at any of a number of restaurants along 2nd Avenue or 54th Street.
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