A powerful conversation with Haitian artist, choreographer, performer, and sociocultural activist Linda Isabelle François Obas—exploring dance as memory, resistance, healing, and a living expression of Haitian identity.

Trained since 1991 at Artcho/Ayikodans under leading figures in Haitian dance, Linda has developed a rich artistic vocabulary spanning Haitian, Afro-Cuban, contemporary, and modern dance. Her international career has taken her across Europe, the United States, the Caribbean, Japan, and Africa. In 2024, her work Kenbe Alada was presented at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival.

As Artistic Director of Xpression Ayiti, Linda continues to preserve and reimagine Haitian cultural expression. She is also the creator of Thera-LakAy, a therapeutic practice that brings dance and spirituality together as pathways toward healing, reconnection, and wholeness.

In this episode, we discuss:

✨ Linda’s evolution as a Haitian dancer and cultural ambassador
✨ The body as an archive of ancestral knowledge
✨ Dance as resistance, restoration, and spiritual practice
✨ Her work with Xpression Ayiti and Thera-LakAy
✨ Her artistic contribution to Ayiti Bèl Nanm
✨ Why Haitian stories must be preserved, embodied, and presented on the world stage

Ayiti Bèl Nanm is a magnificent celebration of Haiti told through music, dance, storytelling, poetry, spirituality, and visual expression. This historic production invites Haitians, the diaspora, and friends of Haiti to encounter the beauty, resilience, and sacred inheritance of a people who helped redefine liberty for the world.

📅 Saturday, August 15, 2026
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Adrienne Arsht Center
🌴 Miami, Florida
🎭 Presented by Production Bèl Ayiti

🎟️ Purchase your tickets today:
https://www.arshtcenter.org/tickets/2025-2026/ayiti-bel-nanm/ayiti-bel-nanm/#buyTickets

🌐 Learn more about the production:
https://ayitibelnanmofficial.com/ayiti-bel-nanm

Bring the whole family—and come witness Haiti’s soul take the stage.

Instagram: @francoislinda
Facebook: Linda Isabelle Francois
YouTube: Linda Isabelle Francois Obas

Remember to like, comment, subscribe, and share this conversation with everyone who believes Haitian culture deserves to be celebrated, protected, and experienced in its full brilliance.

#AyitiBelNanm #LindaIsabelleFrancoisObas #TheEmpressAddiPodcast #EmpressAddi #ProductionBELAYITI #XpressionAyiti #TheraLakAy #HaitianDance #HaitianArt #HaitianCulture #HaitianDiaspora #Haiti #NouSeAyitiBelNanm #ZiffOperaHouse #MiamiEvents #15Aout2026

Experience Ayiti Bèl Nanm Live. Connect With Linda Isabelle François Obas

www.addicasseus.com

www.ascendrevenuegroup.com

Elizabeth Guérin

Haitian media trailblazer Elizabeth Guérin joins Empress Addi for a compelling conversation about Haitian culture, history, identity, media, and the responsibility of telling our own stories.

Beginning her career at eight years old, Elizabeth went on to co-host Woy, Les Voilà!, lead Haiti’s first live television talk show on Télémax, found Imaginart Media Productions, co-own Island TV, and host What’s Up Caribbean. She also shares her connection to the historic production Ayiti Bèl Nanm.

🎭 Ayiti Bèl Nanm
August 15, 2026 | 7:00 PM
Ziff Ballet Opera House, Adrienne Arsht Center—Miami

🎟️ Tickets:
https://www.arshtcenter.org/tickets/2025-2026/ayiti-bel-nanm/ayiti-bel-nanm/#buyTickets

🌐 Official website:
https://ayitibelnanmofficial.com/ayiti-bel-nanm

Connect with Elizabeth Guérin:
Facebook: Elizabeth Guérin
YouTube: Island TV / What’s Up Caribbean

A short clip on my personal definitions of Voice, Sound, and Audio

Season Two of The Empress Addi Podcast opens with a powerful and unforgettable conversation featuring the legendary Carole Demesmin — artist, cultural icon, Manbo, producer, and fierce guardian of Haitian memory.

In this episode, Empress Addi sits with Carole to explore Haiti beyond the surface: music as ancestral archive, Vodou as cultural inheritance, the responsibility of artists, the bridge between Haiti and Benin, and the sacred work of preserving who we are.

This conversation also honors Carole’s upcoming production, Ayiti Bèl Nanm, a theatrical celebration of Haitian heritage through poetry, music, dance, visual storytelling, ancestral wisdom, and spiritual tradition.

🎟️ Purchase tickets for Ayiti Bèl Nanm here:
https://www.arshtcenter.org/tickets/2025-2026/ayiti-bel-nanm/ayiti-bel-nanm/#buyTickets

📍 Adrienne Arsht Center — Ziff Ballet Opera House
📅 August 15, 2026
🕖 7:00 PM

Subscribe to The Empress Addi Podcast for conversations on culture, spirit, history, identity, and the stories that keep us rooted.

#TheEmpressAddiPodcast #CaroleDemesmin #AyitiBelNanm #HaitianCulture #Haiti #Vodou #HaitianArt #AncestralMemory #BlackDiaspora #Benin #HaitianHeritage

What does it really mean to claim Indigenous identity in the U.S.—and how is that different from “Foundational Black American” (FBA)? In this episode, constitutional advocate Geronimo Moimaiya joins Adlore “Empress Addi” Casseus to unpack the intersections of nationality, identity, treaties, and documentation. We go deep on maternal lineage research (to 1741 NC), treaty history (Powhatan, Miami, etc.), reclassification from “Indian” to “Negro/Colored,” and why federal recognition can complicate ideas of sovereignty.You’ll hear practical steps for tracing family history (Library of Congress accounts, Fold3, Ancestry), how contract law and trusts show up in everyday identity paperwork, cautionary notes on commercialized “tribal citizenship,” and why reconnecting to custom, language, and governance matters. We also touch on child support administration, the voluntary program debate, and the larger question: how do we rebuild identity with integrity—across the African diaspora, Caribbean lineages (Haiti, Jamaica), and the Americas?Educational content only. Nothing here is legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a qualified professional.Correction on Africa's original name(s): Alkebulan, as in, "mother of mankind" or "garden of Eden"-however, the many names of Africa over the ages are: Kemet, Ethiopia, Cush, and Corbye. It is believed that the name, "Africa" was coined by Romans. Chapters:00:00 Intro & intent (education, not legal advice)02:05 Geronimo’s lineage: maternal records to 1741 (North Carolina)08:22 Contract law, courts & becoming a constitutional advocate14:10 Child support administration: structure, penalties & reform questions19:40 FBA vs. Indigenous identity: definitions, overlaps, tensions27:18 Treaties 101: Powhatan, Miami, reclassification & 1924 citizenship35:55 Federal recognition vs. sovereignty—what people miss42:10 Tracing your lineage: elders, records, Library of Congress, Fold3, Ancestry49:30 Cherokee “citizenship” cautions & commercialization concerns55:05 Spiritual customs, fasting, Sabbath, and cultural continuity1:00:15 Caribbean lineages (Haiti, Jamaica) within Indigenous histories1:05:40 Trusts, names, and documentation: getting the paperwork right1:10:10 Action steps & resources + closingShow Notes / Resources Mentioned:Library of Congress (create a free account to access treaty scans and archives)Fold3.com (military records)Ancestry.com (census, birth/marriage/death records)City/county clerk & archives (local deeds, probate, and vital records)Elders & family documents (Bibles, letters, photos, obituaries)Call to Action:If this conversation helped you think differently about identity, subscribe and share. Have a lineage win or question? Drop it in the comments. For future episodes and essays, follow Empress Addi and The Empress Addi Podcast.Guest: Geronimo MoimaiyaHandles: IG: @GeronimothecherokeeIG: @TrusttheconstitutionTiktok: @GeronimothecherokeeTiktok: @TrusttheconstitutionFacebook: @Geronimo Chaha Moimaiya Facebook: @TrusttheconstitutionEmail: [email protected] page: https://linktr.ee/TrustthenstitutionHost: Adlore “Empress Addi” CasseusPodcast: The Empress Addi Podcast | Essays: addicasseus.com

Coach and advocate Tamera Rowls joins Empress Addi for a candid, solutions-focused conversation on navigating hostile systems, documenting retaliation, protecting your peace, and building careers that match your brilliance. We ground this talk in data, lived experience, and practical tools leaders can use to fix the “broken rung.”What you’ll hear:Receipts vs. rhetoric: why merit must be measured, not assumedDocument–then–decide: a simple playbook for speaking up safelyThe “broken rung” for Black women—and how to repair itMoney as community power: circulating dollars, building brandsSelf-care as strategy: boundaries, therapy, and soft-era practicesGuestTamera Rowls — Coach, brand strategist, and advocate for Black women at work.Connect with Tamera on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamera-rowls/Keep going!!!Read the companion article on The Write Movement:https://addicasseus.com/2025/09/18/beyond-the-stereotype-black-women-work-and-what-real-merit-looks-like/Grab Addi’s book: What’s Next For You: Living In Purposehttps://a.co/d/1VNWtd8Work with Addi (Ascend Revenue Group): [email protected] this resonated with you, please like, subscribe, and share with someone who deserves people-centered systems at work.#EmpressAddi #BlackWomenAtWork #WorkplaceEquity #CareerAdvancement #Leadership #DEI #Retaliation #Meritocracy #TheWriteMovement

Physician–memoirist and CMO Dr. Marie Andrine Constant joins Empress Addi to explore care that honors the whole person—clinical excellence, cultural wisdom, and spiritual safety. We talk language as a medical intervention, trauma-informed design, diaspora identity, and the systems moves that make equity real.What you’ll hear:Equity as design (not charity): levers leaders can pull nowSpiritual safety in exam rooms: honoring faith, ritual, languageMigration-aware care: trust, interpreters, and outcomesMemoir as medicine: stories that teach leadershipGuest: Dr. Constant—physician, former Consul of Haiti in Boston and Ambassador to Cuba, now Chief Medical Officer at a federally qualified health center.Work with Addi:• Ascend Executive Prep (8-week leadership for young adults)• Book: What’s Next For You: Living in Purpose (https://a.co/d/dN2U5pF)• Contact: [email protected], subscribe, and share this episode with someone building people-centered systems.

This is a video about “Passports, Purpose, and Play: An Honest Talk with Kenol Thomas”Kenol is a marketing professional who’s spent the past few years helping companies grow through creative campaigns and cross-team collaboration. He enjoys connecting people and ideas to make things happen.Beyond work, he founded Black MAN Travels, a platform created to inspire people to explore the world, no matter their background or budget. Travel has been a big part of his journey, and he shares tips, stories, and resources to make it easier for anyone to start exploring.At the core, Kenol is about growth—helping businesses reach new heights and encouraging people to discover new places along the way.Check out Black Man Travel: http://www.blackmantravels.com/Also, GRAB MY BOOK TODAY! CHANGE YOUR LIFE: What's Next For You: Living In PurposeA practical guide to aligning your passion with prosperity can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLXJZV4C?...

In this episode of The Empress Addi Podcast, I sit down with Michelle Moreno, MS, RDT, CPT—a registered drama therapist, performer, and healer based in Miami, FL. Michelle partners with the Adrienne Arsht Theater and educational institutions to bridge the gap in mental health awareness through creative arts therapies, psychoeducation, and trauma-informed practices.She is also the co-founder of Drama Therapists United (DTU), a collective making mental health and play accessible to all—free of cost—through grants and community partnerships. Beyond her clinical work, Michelle has performed on stages across South Florida, bringing both laughter and transformation through her craft.✨ Connect with Michelle:📧 [email protected]🌐 lwchealingarts.com📖 Continue Your Journey with My BookIf today’s conversation inspired you, grab a copy of my book:What’s Next For You: Living in Purpose – A Practical Guide to Aligning Your Passion with Prosperity👉 Get it on AmazonThis guide blends practical steps and soulful reflection to help you align your purpose with prosperity.🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe for more episodes of The Empress Addi Podcast—where we honor our ancestors, reclaim our stories, and step boldly into our future.#DramaTherapy #HealingThroughArt #TheEmpressAddiPodcast #WhatsNextForYou #CreativeHealing #PlayAndHealing

The Hidden Power of Haitian Vodou: Decolonizing Spirituality & Psychology with Dr. Charlene Désir
Join Empress Addi in conversation with Dr. Charlene Désir as they explore Haitian Vodou beyond stereotypes — as a healing system, an alternative psychology, and a tool for decolonizing mind and spirit. Together, they unpack ancestral wisdom, identity, and how Vodou offers pathways to wholeness often overlooked in Western frameworks.