©radyoshak is the voice of the Port-au-Prince Ghetto Biennale lakou 2015

Based in an existing or to-be-constructed shack in the Grand Rue Atis-Resistans compound, radyoshak will broadcast Ghetto Biennale happenings, visiting artist interviews and project updates, news-of-the-day, Haitian revolutionary history, transportation information, weather, public service announcements and musical entertainment over FM radio and/or internet radio and/or analog broadcast amplified through speakers and PA set up in the Grand Rue, daily, from approximately November 20^th through December 15^th, 2015. The shack will be decorated within an inch of its life by local sign painter Michel Lafleur.

Scheduling and participation in radyoshak broadcasts is rooted in community commitment to a founding principal of the Ghetto Biennale project, namely the interchange between local Grand Rue artist/residents and visiting artist/participants. All are eligible and encouraged to contribute as both interviewers and interviewees. Residents and visitors alike are urged to propose programming of all types. Priority will be given to concepts and topics that broaden the exchange between locals and visitors.

Music programming will include sets by local and visiting DJs including Manno Charlemagne, Franso (aka Bwa Pen), Win Butler (Arcade Fire), Love Leonce (of Ti Moun Rezistans), DJ Chors, Michelange Quay, DJ Richard Nixon, Roberto Peyre, Rob Peterson, and Leah Gordon.

Whenever possible, radyoshak looks for the melding of musical programming with all other kinds of information. With this in mind, it is hoped that visiting and local musicians will be found who are able musically to deliver the day’s happenings and other facts and commentary. For instance, we envision a Twoubadou (Troubadour) combo improvising songs based on important news, in the tradition of West African griots, but in ballad form.

We look forward to broadcasting exclusive music like recordings of Kod Kreyol, resident Rara band of the Ghetto Biennale. A Rara is a kind of ambulatory musical vodou army, whose marching energizes the lakou. Local rap artists will be welcome to bring their music and rhymes to our studio. We hope to rebroadcast performances by RAM, the house band at the Oloffson Hotel, whose ticket prices make attendance at live shows a near-impossibility for Grand Rue residents.

Technical requirements STUDIO:

A shack.

At least three chairs.

A table.

Something sturdy on which to put necessary equipment.

At least three microphones, microphone cables, and headphones.

A mixer of some kind, with at least three headphone outs, or a headphone distribution amplifier.

Stereo-mini jack to RCA cables, to connect laptops, ipods and phones to mixer.

Output cables to FM transmitter, Internet uplink, Power Amplifier(s)

Power: AC connection to EDH, but also connection to Delco / generator, unless we only want to broadcast when EDH (Electricité De Haiti) is providing power.

NOTE: FM transmitters are often 12volt, and could run off any car battery.

(Power strip).

Technical requirements FM TRANSMITTER:

Something like the switchable 1 or 7 watt FM radio transmitter by Sainsonic (“SainSonic-AX-7C-Transmitter”), current price on Amazon at the time of writing was $69.99:

Note this is entirely illegal for use in the United States and this may affect availability of such devices. In Port au Prince, given proper, elevated installation of the antenna, range of this unit should be at least 2km. This is the transmitter only; it would transmit anything fed into it from a mixer, ipod, etc.

A decent dipole antenna, presumably adjusted to our preferred transmission frequency. This needs to be mounted as high as possible on a building in the Grand Rue, simultaneously as near to our shack as possible.

Coaxial cable, to run from our transmitter to our antenna.

Technical requirements LOCAL:

An amplifier sufficient to drive speakers.

Speakers and sufficient cable to connect speakers to Amplifier.

AC power.