Bayo 2025: Michael Brun’s Celebration of Haitian and Caribbean Culture

On June 28, 2025, at the Barclays Center in New York, Michael Brun brought his BAYO festival to life in what can only be described as the biggest celebration of Haitian music and culture Brooklyn has ever witnessed. The evening was packed with incredible artists from multiple genres across Haiti and the Caribbean, creating an amazing musical experience that felt both huge and deeply personal at the same time.

The show kicked off with Sabine Blaizin, and she set the mood right from the start. Her massive beats perfectly blended house music with the musical genius of Haitian kompa. Blaizin was the perfect launch for what would become an unforgettable night.

Spotlighting the Beauty of Haitian Culture in Brooklyn

The stage looked absolutely incredible. Working with Haitian artist Steven Baboun, the visual experience was built around the theme of transportation. The vivid colors and visuals made you feel like you were actually in Haiti, there were beautiful floral images everywhere, scenes of vibrant street life, classic cars, and traditional clothing. You literally felt like you were at a block party in Port-au-Prince.

That's the whole point of BAYO, the name means "to give" in Haitian Creole, as this event has always been about sharing Haitian music, Haitian culture and Caribbean culture at large. BAYO started from Brun's early days back in Haiti where he put together a block party with his friends. He took that raw block party energy and has brought it to Central Park, Prospect Park and now brought it to Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Nobody ever knows the lineup of artists in advance, but at this point, people trust Brun completely to curate an amazing dance party.

The beautiful part about BAYO is the positive lens through which it shows Haitian culture. Oftentimes in the media images and stories about Haiti are negative and this event highlights the best parts of Haitian culture. BAYO serves as a bridge to bring people into Haitian culture and the larger Caribbean culture as the festival has grown. Brun has had artists from Jamaica, Ghana, Nigeria, Colombia (J Balvin), making it a very multicultural event.

Music From Haiti, Ghana, Nigeria and Beyond

Throughout the night, you could see Brun's genius at work as he brought together sounds from all over the African diaspora. Konpa, Haiti's national rhythm, was the foundation of everything, but then he layered in all these other influences such as kizomba. The crowd was absolutely electric, dancing and vibing to every single track.

When Moliy from Ghana came out, the fusion was incredible. West African rhythms blending with Caribbean sounds created something completely new but still felt so connected to the Haitian roots. Nigerian influence was present with DJ K9 also, and it all just flowed together perfectly.

Jamaican music also made an appearance with Charly Black hitting the stage to sing his classic "Gyal You a Party Animal". Everyone was singing along and you could feel Jamaica's dancehall spirit filling up the whole space. Anthony Ramos brought that Puerto Rican flavor, and the crowd went wild for those familiar hits.

Each artist was adding their own piece to this incredible Caribbean puzzle, showing how our music can bring together so many different communities. It was amazing how all these artists could command the 19,000 seat venue but still make it feel intimate, like we were all at a neighborhood party.

Moving BAYO from Prospect Park to Barclays Center could have been risky. But somehow it worked perfectly. The acoustics were perfect for the delicate Haitian percussion to those massive electronic drops that made your chest vibrate.

Dedication of BAYO to Brun’s Mother

The evening's most emotional moment came at the very end when everything shifted from this massive celebration to something incredibly personal. Brun brought his whole family on stage to honor his mother, who had passed away from cancer last year. His sister sang, Michael played guitar, Brun’s brother and father, who is also a well-known producer, stood there with so much pride.

Brun gave us his most vulnerable self. It reminded everyone that behind all these big cultural celebrations are real families, real stories, real people who make it all meaningful.

The whole experience reminded me of those South African New Year festivals. I attended Cape Town’s Jerk x Jollof festival this past January. Music from across the African continent came together in this joyous celebration. Just like that gathering, BAYO 2025 proved that music is still our most powerful way to build bridges across distance and difference.

This wasn't just a night of music, it was a declaration that we're here, we're strong, and we're creating something beautiful together. It was truly an extraordinary night that Brooklyn, and all of us who were there, will never forget.