It took the help of the American military to restore Aristide to power in 1994. As parliament and the ministries blame each other for holding up hundreds of millions of dollars in aid, the country awaits the aftermath of the withdrawal of UN forces. While blacks have always had an overwhelming majority, mulattos have had advantages within education, government and the military. Language, like the country itself, is an internecine battleground. Nearly all blacks speak Creole, but French, spoken mainly by the mulatto elite, is the official language and as such it's required for access to higher education, most well paying jobs and high level government positions.
Rituals involve dancing and drumming, spirit possessions and the occasional zombie.
Haitian music has been influenced by Cuban forms and American jazz. One of the most popular styles is the compas, though zouk, reggae and soca have significant followings. All rights reserved.