The Haïti Jazz Foundation, the French Institute in Haiti, and the Centre Culturel Caraïbes are opening the stage to emerging young talent through a monthly event series running from September to December 2026.

As a lead-up to the 20th edition of PAPJAZZ, the Haïti Jazz Foundation (FHJ), the French Institute in Haiti (IFH), the Centre Culturel Caraïbes (CCC), and their partners are announcing the first "Scène découvertes" (Discovery Stage) event. It will take place this Thursday, September 10, at 5:00 PM at the Centre Culturel Caraïbes (Street Chavannes, Pétion-Ville).

The call for applications, launched last August, generated remarkable interest, with over 40 submissions received for the four-part series running from September to December 2026. Four artists and groups have been selected for the first evening. The organizers continue to accept applications for the three subsequent Discovery Stage events, scheduled for Thursdays, October 8, November 12, and December 10, 2026.

The PAPJAZZ Discovery Stage—a program running since 2017—consists of a series of showcases dedicated to emerging local artists across all musical genres. A showcase is a short musical performance allowing an artist or group to present a representative sample of their musical style, repertoire, and stage presence in a professional setting. Each artist or group is allotted 20 minutes on stage to perform before an audience under professional concert conditions.

Selected artists receive a professional stage setup, photo and video recording of their performance, a professional EPK (Electronic Press Kit), and broadcast coverage on television and YouTube via the platforms of Radio Télévision Caraïbes, PAPJAZZ, and the French Institute, as well as a transportation stipend. At the end of each evening, a "Coup de cœur" (audience and jury favorite) is selected based on public voting and an on-site jury's evaluation. More than just a concert series, the "Scène découvertes" aims to be a genuine professional gathering where media representatives, music industry professionals, concert programmers, and emerging artists connect. It seeks to build a lasting bridge between Haiti’s young artistic talent and performance circuits, while contributing to the renewal of the national music scene.

IH/ iciHaiti