Michel Martelly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michel Martelly
Martelly in 2011
47th President of Haiti
In office 14 May 2011 – 7 February 2016
Prime Minister	Jean-Max Bellerive Garry Conille Laurent Lamothe Florence Duperval Guillaume (acting) Evans Paul
Preceded by	René Préval
Succeeded by	Evans Paul (acting) Jovenel Moïse
Personal details
Born	Michel Joseph Martelly (1961-02-12) 12 February 1961 (age 64) Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Political party	Repons Peyizan
Spouses	Unnamed first wife (until 1986; divorced) Sophia Martelly ​ (m. 1987)​
Children	4, including Olivier
Musical career
Genres	Compas
Occupation(s)	Musician composer
Instruments	Vocals keyboard
Years active	1988–2011 2016–present

Michel Joseph Martelly (born 12 February 1961) is a Haitian musician and politician. He served as the 47th president of Haiti from 2011 until 2016. Before becoming president, Martelly was famous as a musician, known by his stage name Sweet Micky.

He was one of Haiti's most well-known musicians for over ten years. After his time as president, Martelly returned to music. He has often traveled between the United States and Haiti for his music and other activities.

As a singer and keyboard player, "Sweet Micky" was known for his Kompa music. This is a Haitian dance music style, mostly sung in Haitian Creole. He mixed Kompa with other music styles. Martelly helped make a "new generation" of Kompa popular. This style used smaller bands with synthesizers and electronic instruments.

From 1989 to 2008, Martelly recorded many studio albums and live CDs. As a musician and club owner in Haiti in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was connected with some military and police figures. He supported the 1991 Haitian coup d'état against Jean-Bertrand Aristide. In 1995, after Aristide returned to power, Martelly faced threats and stayed away from Haiti for almost a year. He did not run for political office until 2010.

After the terrible 2010 Haiti earthquake, Martelly won the 2010–11 Haitian general election for his party, Repons Peyizan (Farmers' Response Party). He won after a second round of voting against candidate Mirlande Manigat. Martelly became the President of Haiti on 14 May 2011. One of his campaign promises was to bring back the nation's military, which had been ended in the 1990s. He left office as president in February 2016.

Early Life and Education

Michel Martelly was born in Côtes-de-Fer, Haiti. His father, Gerard Martelly, worked for a company called Shell Oil. His mother was Marie Madeleine Martelly. His grandfather, Auguste de Pradines, was a musician who wrote funny protest songs. These songs were against the United States occupation of Haiti from 1915 to 1934.

After finishing high school, Martelly joined the Haitian Military Academy. He later moved to the United States in 1984. There, he worked in construction and briefly went to a community college in Miami. In 1986, he returned to Haiti. In 1987, Martelly went back to Miami with his girlfriend, Sophia Saint-Rémy. They got married in Miami, Florida, and then returned to Haiti in 1988.

When he came back to Haiti, Martelly started his music career. He played keyboard in local places in Pétion-Ville and Kenscoff. These are upscale areas near Port-au-Prince. Martelly played "playful, romantic songs" with a slow méringue beat called Kompa. After a change in government in 1991, Martelly opened a club called the Garage.

Music Career

Martelly is known for being a pioneer of a special kind of compas music. This Haitian dance music is mostly sung in Haitian Creole. The original Kompa style was created by Nemours Jean-Baptiste. Martelly, who played keyboard, called himself the "President of Compas." He made popular a "new generation" style. This style used smaller bands with fewer members. They used synthesizers and electronic instruments to make a bigger sound.

Martelly's live shows and recordings sometimes included jokes and funny comments about society and politics. He is a very recognized musician and public figure in Haiti.

Recording Albums

By 1988, Martelly's music and stage performances became very popular. That year, he recorded his first song, "Ou La La," which was a big hit. He followed this with "Konpas 'Foret des Pins'" in 1989. From about 1988 to 2008, Martelly, using his stage name Sweet Micky, recorded fourteen studio albums and many live CDs. His music included slow méringue, compas, troubadour, carnival méringue, and rabòday.

In 1997, Martelly worked with hip hop star Wyclef Jean of The Fugees. He was featured on a song for Jean's solo album. Also in 1997, Martelly released an album with one of his most famous songs, "Pa Manyen" ("Don't Touch"). This song was based on "Angola," a song by Ramiro Mendes. "Pa Manyen" was later included in different music collections.

Political Journey

In 1992, Martelly played for free at a protest. This protest was against a UN representative who was trying to help Jean-Bertrand Aristide return after the 1991 change in government. Martelly later said he did not want Aristide to come back. He felt it was his right to support what he believed in.

After Jean-Bertrand Aristide was back in office, some people connected to the old government faced danger. In February 1995, a list of such people was shared, and Martelly's name was on it. After someone on the list was harmed, Martelly's wife told him not to return from his music tour. He stayed away from Haiti for almost a year. During this time, he released a song called Prezidan. This song was about wanting a president who played Kompa music.

In 1997, Martelly took part in a music video called "Knowledge Is Power." This video taught people about preventing the spread of HIV. He also did humanitarian work as the president of the Fondation Rose et Blanc. This foundation was created by his wife Sophia and himself to help people in need. Because of this work, the Haitian Government chose him as the Good Will Haitian Ambassador for the Protection of the Environment.

In 2004, after another change in government against Aristide, Gérard Latortue, a friend of Martelly's, became prime minister. Martelly was living in Florida at this time. In 2007, he moved back to Haiti.

After the 2010 earthquake, Martelly ran for President of Haiti in the general elections. He used his fame as a musician to gain support. He held musical rallies that drew large crowds and media attention. He also had support from Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. On 3 February 2011, it was announced that he would be in a second round of voting. On 4 April 2011, it was shared that Martelly had won the presidential election. He received more than 60% of the votes.

Presidency

Martelly meets with Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in Madrid, 7 July 2011

Martelly became President of Haiti on 14 May 2011. This was a historic moment because it was the first time in Haiti's history that a president peacefully gave power to someone from the opposition. On the anniversary of the earthquake, the Prime Minister, Jean-Max Bellerive, resigned. This allowed Martelly to choose his own prime minister. Martelly quickly promised to make changes for the country's rebuilding after the earthquake.

In August 2011, Martelly announced a plan to bring back the nation's military. This plan caused some discussion. Many human rights groups were worried about the return of a military that had been involved in difficult events in the past.

In September 2011, Martelly created an advisory board. This board included business leaders, bankers, and politicians like former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Martelly hoped this board would help improve the economy.

In February 2012, Martelly's Prime Minister Garry Conille resigned after five months in office. He was replaced in May by Laurent Lamothe, who was Haiti's Foreign Minister.

Between March and April 2012, Martelly faced questions about financial dealings. There were claims that he had accepted money during and after the 2010 earthquake and presidential election. These claims suggested he did this to help a construction company get contracts. Martelly denied these claims.

In November 2013, protests were held in the country. People were protesting the high cost of living and concerns about corruption.

Mid-term Senate elections were supposed to happen in May 2012. Local elections were also three years behind schedule. They were postponed again on 26 October 2014. This was due to disagreements between the government and some opposition senators about an election law. The Haitian government faced months of protests because of the delayed elections. Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe resigned on 14 December and was replaced by Evans Paul. But street protests continued, with more calls for the president to resign.

On 13 January 2015, the parliament ended its term. Four days later, thousands of protesters in Port-au-Prince again asked for the president's resignation. Police used tear gas and water cannons to break up the crowds. Martelly asked protesters to respect public order. He said he had reached an agreement with the opposition to form a new government. New election dates were announced in March 2015 for both parliament and for president. Martelly could not run again because Haiti's constitution does not allow presidents to serve two terms in a row.

On 9 August 2015, the first election under President Michel Martelly took place. Citizens voted to choose members for the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. In the capital, some polling stations were closed due to disruptions. The first round of Haiti's presidential election was set for 25 October 2015.

Presidential elections were held in Haiti on 25 October 2015. The second round of this election was planned for 27 December 2015. According to early results, Jovenel Moïse received 32.81% of the votes, and Jude Célestin won 25.27%.

After the early results were shared, Jude Célestin said he did not accept them. Other presidential candidates also criticized the results. They said the results were "anti-democratic" and asked for the people's votes to be respected. Martelly openly supported Moïse. Supporters of Célestin protested in the streets. The police used tear gas to control the crowds.

Martelly left the presidency on 10 February 2016. Haiti was without a president for a week. On 17 February 2016, Jocelerme Privert became interim president. Because of claims of issues in the 2015 elections, Privert created a commission to check the election process. In May 2016, the commission looked at many ballots. They decided that the elections had problems and suggested a complete redo of the election.

In 2015, Pras of the Fugees finished a documentary called Sweet Micky for President. The film showed Martelly's journey to becoming President of Haiti.

International Sanctions

On 17 November 2022, the Government of Canada placed sanctions on Martelly. These sanctions were based on "serious human rights violations in Haiti." Martelly was accused of supporting violent groups in Haiti.

In August 2024, the U.S. Treasury Department also placed sanctions on Martelly. These sanctions were for allegedly using his influence to create "an environment allowing certain activities" and turning Haiti into "a transit point for illegal goods entering the United States." The sanctions also mean he cannot travel to the United States.

Personal Life

Martelly divorced his first wife in 1986. He has a brother named Girard.

It is believed that Martelly lives in Haiti. He lives with his wife, Sophia Saint–Rémy, and their four children: Olivier, Sandro, Yani, and Malaika. In 2006, Martelly said he was retiring from music. But two years later, he announced he was returning to music with a new song. He is a cousin of Port-au-Prince hotel manager and musician Richard Morse.

In April 2012, Martelly was flown to the United States for medical treatment. It was found that he had a blood clot, which was linked to his arm being still after shoulder surgery.

Honours

•  Panama:
  • Collar of the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero (February 18, 2014)
•  Taiwan:
  • Grand Cordon of the Order of Brilliant Jade (April 22, 2014)

Discography

See also

In Spanish: Michel Martelly para niños