Outdoor Concert: Lakou Mizik

This year, the July Outdoor Concert Series celebrates the French Caribbean with some of best musicians from Guadeloupe and Haiti.

Lakou Mizik is a multigenerational collective of Haitian musicians united in a mission to spread awareness about traditional Haitian culture. In Haitian Creole, the word lakou carries multiple meanings. It can mean a backyard or a collective place where people gather to play music and dance. It can also be an extended community, or a connection to one’s ancestors. As a band, Lakou Mizik embodies a little of each meaning—bringing music, community, and spiritual connection to backyards (and festivals) across the globe. Lakou Mizik also incorporates elements of Rara, a form of Carnival music based in Vodou, in which drummers and horn players lead joyous processions through the streets. The group formed in Port-au-Prince in 2010 in response to the combined catastrophes of a devastating earthquake, an epidemic, and a political crisis.

Free. For accessibility concerns, call 413 458 0524. Bring a picnic and your own seating. Rain moves the performance to the auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center.