My last international trip before COVID-19 happened was to Cap-Haitien, Haiti to dance…a long time dream of mine. Thanks to Haitian-American singer, dancer and goddess Riva Nyri Precil and Le Getaway Adventure, I had the opportunity to visit one of my ancestral homelands and connect with it via spiritual folkloric dance. We danced to honor the spirits and our ancestors on historic sites including Amiga Island, where Christopher Columbus first landed. It was truly a special experience — a divine group of Caribbean-American women (and Monvelyno!) who became forever bonded by the trip.

On this episode of “Spirit in the Material World,” I chatted with Riva about her mission of destigmatizing Haiti especially vodou. She is committed to sharing the beauty of Haitian culture through folkloric dance, music and art and I got to experience. We discuss our trip to Haiti, her upbringing there and connecting with revolutionary spirit.