Radio Soleil is THE radio station for New York City’s Haitian community, serving a million captive, dedicated listeners. Founded in 1992, Radio Soleil is a go-to source for Haitians to receive news and information about Haiti. As Haitian artist Kessler Pierre says, “when we want to find what’s going on at home, we don’t get it from the New York Times or CNN.” After the Haitian earthquake, hundreds of Haitian New Yorkers gathered outside the radio station for news. In addition, the station is the one place where Haitians can hear their own music, featuring programs such as Haitian Boleros and Escale Caraibeenne (Saturday Night Ball). Radio Soleil has helped its community maintain ties with the homeland for more than 20 years.

Ricot Dupuy, Director of Radio Soleil, was born in Gonaives, Haiti and studied philosophy and medicine in Port Au Prince. By 1974, the oppressive Duvalier dictatorship and declining Haitian economy forced Dupuy to depart for New York City, where he and two siblings settled with their older brother in Brooklyn. Before and during his studies at Brooklyn College, Dupuy devoted significant energies to mobilizing local public opinion against the dictatorship. As he recalls, “from 1974 until the end of the regime in 1986, it was an uninterrupted fight. I gave this thing all that I had.” After graduating, Dupuy worked as an accountant, but radio and politics were always in his blood. He had developed radio experience in Haiti, and in Brooklyn, a friend called on Dupuy’s skills to help launch a local pirate station. Eventually, he would serve as Saturday commentator for a series of New Jersey-based programs, and when those folded, he joined Radio Soleil.

In 2002, Dupuy took over as the station’s director. He recalls, “It got to a point where things were developing so fast in Haiti. And the Haitian presence here got bigger and bigger. So, we could not give them stuff a la carte anymore. There were major demands for us to do more and more and more. So I said to myself, well, that’s what I will do.” Radio Soleil operates with a limited staff, most of whom are volunteer. Dupuy is the principal commentator, and hosts a daily show at 7:30pm, as well as a two-hour show on Sundays. His commentaries and analyses have major resonance in the Haitian community here and abroad. His views are aired on a number of radio outlets throughout the United States, and he is consulted regularly by the American press on Haitian issues. Dupuy has been featured in the NY Times and the other major NY Newspapers, and he has been interviewed by CNN, NBC, ABC and CBS. In addition, he has had one on one interviews with a number of presidents including, Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela, to name just a few. Dupuy now hosts a daily show at 9pm, an analysis of the news and major issues of the day and Vois Et Verites, newsmaker interviews with the major actors on the Haitian political scene.

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