Please Help Jerôme Simeon Heal and Rebuild

Greetings,

This a humble request for support for my dear friend and mentor, Jerôme Simeon, otherwise known as Junior "Racine Mapou”, who is currently facing great adversity and is in need of medical attention. For those not aware of Junior’s legacy, Jerôme Simeon is a beloved and highly respected master musician and craftsman of the traditional drums of Haiti.

Last year, I had the pleasure of hosting Junior in New York for a series of classes and workshops, where he generously shared his knowledge and passion for Haitian drum culture, with a diverse array of appreciative audiences. Visiting NY with a temporary artist visa, Junior then returned to Haiti, as the capital of Port au Prince descended further into violence and chaos. Neighborhood after neighborhood began falling under gang control, eventually causing the closing of the airport and US embassy.

After a prolonged series of attacks and battles between the gangs and police, four months ago Junior’s neighborhood in Tabarre was finally completely overtaken. Along with the entire neighborhood, Junior and his wife and children were forced to evacuate under a hail of gunfire and clouds of tear gas. In the chaos Junior fell, and was trampled by the fleeing crowd. He sustained injuries to his back, shoulder, and arm.

Four months later, Junior is still in constant pain, and has not regained use of his arm. He has seen a doctor on several occasions, had xrays and been prescribed medicine to ease the symptoms. He now needs advanced imagery scanning, and further consultations with a specialist, which is very costly.

Junior’s entire livelihood; his stock of raw drum shells, along with the tools of his trade, are all still at his home where he is unable to return due to insecurity. In his current condition, even if he had access, his injuries would prevent his ability to work. And of course there is the ongoing situation in the country, which has essentially brought commerce in and around the capitol to a halt.

There is so much suffering, so much trauma, and so much senseless death and destruction going on in Haiti. There are countless victims, and anyone with friends or loved ones there likely has multiple people in need of support. That said, any act of generosity and support will go directly and 100% towards helping Junior and his family during this difficult time. Junior did not ask me to do this campaign, but I did receive his permission to mount this little grassroots effort, as its clear he needs the help.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Markus Schwartz, on behalf of Jerôme Simeon & his family.