From the left: (standing) Ludger Chickel, Fritz Ducheine, Doumafis Lafontant, Valantin Iviquiel, Lélio-Fils Nicolas, Tontongi, Danielle Legros-Georges, Ella Turenne, (seating from the right) Charlot Lucien, Patrick Sylvain and Emmanuel Védrine in 2004.
The late icon of Haitian letters, Paul Laraque, once told me that one of his worst fears was the loss of a younger friend. I felt the same way upon learning the news of Ella Turenne’s untimely passing on December 25th 2021. This loss leaves us with a deep sadness for its suddenness and unexpectedness. Ella, this vibrant woman, was so full of life. She generously maintained her social and artistic ties to the Boston Haitian community by way of her active engagement with the Haitian Artists Assembly of Massachusetts throughout the two decades since she left the state after completing her MSW from Boston University.
Although she grew up in the United States, Ella Turenne held Haiti tightly in her heart. In 2004, she dedicated to Haiti’s liberation the trilingual book she edited to commemorate the country’s 200th anniversary of independence, “Revolution, Revolisyon, Revolution: An Artistic Commemoration of the Haitian Revolution”. I remember visiting her in Queens, New York, in the context of editing that book, to which I contributed some poems. Ella Turenne eventually moved to Los Angeles, where she continued her militancy on behalf of African American civil rights and women’s rights in particular.
Ella Turenne was an educator, a poet, and a performing artist, featuring in an array of films and theatrical works including her one-woman show, “Love, Locs & Liberation”, which won a Producers Encore Award at the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival. She was also the founder of BlackWomyn Beautiful.
Ella was dynamic and thoughtful, a wonderful artist with a great mind and heart. We send all our condolences to her family and friends. She will be deeply missed by us all and by everyone she touched. Emmanuella Turenne, Présente!
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Omaj pou yon fanm vanyan, Emmanuella Turenne
From the left: (standing) Oreste Joseph, Serge Valmé, Nekita Lamour, Fontenelle Pointjour, an HAAM guest, Doumafis Lafontant, Ella Turenne, Idi Jawarakim and Patrick Sylvain at Roxbury Community College in 2005.
Michan nonm letre ayisyen an, Paul Laraque, te di m yon jou ke youn nan pi move laperèz li gen nan lavi l se pèt yon jèn zanmi li. Mwen te santi m menm jan an lè m te aprann nouvèl lanmò Ella Turenne ki rive 25 desanm 2021. Pèt sa a kite nou ak yon gwo tristès pou lefèt ke l rive toudenkou, yon manyè inatandi.
Ella, fanm vanyan sa a, te tèlman plen lavi. Li kontinye kenbe lyen sosyal ak atistik ak kominote ayisyen an nan Boston atravè angajman aktif li avèk Asanble Atis Ayisyen nan Massachusetts pandan de dekad depi l te kite Eta Massachusetts la apre l te fin diplome nan Boston University.
Ella Turenne holding with pride a Haitian flag.
Elle Turenne te yon aktè, yon powèt, yon atis pèfòmis ki t ap fè lapli e le beau temps nan Los Angeles kote l t ap viv apre l kite Nouyòk kèk lane de sa. Li te etidye Atizay Teyat nan Stony Brook University, pèfòmans avanse nan Harlem Theatre Company, ak At vizyèl nan University of California. Li te manm Asanble Atis Ayisyen nan Massachusetts depi lè l te jèn etidyan kolèj nan Boston.
Ella Turenne pèfòme nan yon layite fim ak pyèsteyat ki gen pami yo yon One-woman show (pèfòmans yon sèl fanm) ki rele Love, Locs & Liberation ki te pran Pri Producers Encore Award at the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival. Ella te edite liv trileng Revolisyon / Révolution / Revolution : 1804–2004, an Artistic Commemoration of the Haitian Revolution (yon komemorasyon atistik revolisyon ayisyen an), e li te fondatè BlackWomyn Beautiful.
Ella te yon fanm dinamik ki respekte moun, yon atis ki gen yon entèlèk djanm ak bon kè. Nou voye tout kondoleyans nou bay fanmi ak zanmi l. L ap manke nou anpil ak tout moun li kite e touche yo. Emmanuella Turenne, nou onore w !