Revealed

SHOW #35

Wyclef Jean

Writing and producing some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century, Wyclef Jean is best known for his work with the 1990s band, The Fugees. More than a musical legend, Wyclef Jean is a staunch and proud Haitian, whose Creole roots have always shined through.

When the magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti last month, it took Jean just a few hours to make it to his homeland. For him, it was both a personal tragedy and a very public shared experience of grief and chaos:

"The mentality was that I had to be there, so they can see me on the ground. I felt it would have been strange to sit in New York with my arms crossed and wait a few days."

Many celebrities have responded to the tragedy by fundraising and generating attention in the media. Revealed speaks to Jean about how he went one step further. About his experience amidst the chaos on the island:

"We went in the deep slums looking for bodies, bringing them to the cemetery, pulling people out of the rubble, getting them to care. I've seen the eyes of the physicians in the aftermath; I've never, in the existence of mankind, have seen such a thing."

Jean has always been passionate, outright and active in his concerns for Haitian welfare. In 2005, five years before the earthquake ripped Haiti apart, he set up a non-profit organization to help his country called "Yele Haiti." Revealed joined Jean in 2009 on a trip to La Guardia college in New York, where he spoke to a group of students about the dire need for aid in Haiti. His interaction with the young people on campus helped to understand his passion for the cause – and the effect of his magnetic presence.

Recent allegations surrounding accountancy problems with Yele funds have suggested that Jean's charity also boosts funding for his own personal projects - this is something he strongly denies on the program. He tells Revealed that after the earthquake, when he returned from Haiti he was shocked to hear the accusations:

"I was devastated for an hour – I was like 'how was I on the ground picking up bodies and I come back and they accusing my charity saying they didn’t do this they didn't do that?' The way you govern is real simple, you learn from your mistakes, fix your mistakes and move forward. So all I ask is the same group of people who attacked us – in the next 3 to 4 to 5 months – come and visit me again."

Jean also invites Revealed in to his recording studio. Demonstrating some of the melodies he has written for the Fugees and his solo albums, he talks to us about the creative process of writing and producing records. Jean is well known for hits like "Gone Til November," but many don’t know that he also wrote Whitney Houston's "My Love is Your Love," Shakira's "Hips Don’t Lie," and Santana's "Maria Maria."

Jean has dedicated his latest song "Hold On" to the people of Haiti - the song expresses an atypically optimistic message for the future of the nation:

"But if they can hear my voice – I just telling them they gotta hold on be strong – no matter what they going through it gonna be ok – so when you hear the song hold on it’s a song of hope for the generation."