claudia zanes haitian singer
Claudia Zanes (left) and husband Dan Zanes have recorded their first album as a duo, "Let Love Be Your Guide." Photo by Mark Mann

As a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Claudia Zanes witnessed the uncertainty, isolation and later the unrest that characterized the coronavirus pandemic last year, she struggled to find existing songs that captured the unprecedented nature of the time.

“We were starting to see the upheaval, the murder of George Floyd, the protests, the stuff that was happening was so in your face,” said Claudia, 41, of Baltimore. “Sometimes you’ve got to write your own songs, sometimes the songs that are out there don’t necessarily say the things that you want to say.” 

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Sam is a reporter for The Haitian Times and a 2020 Report for America corps member. He has covered Haiti and its diaspora since 2018. His work has also appeared in USA Today, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Haiti Liberte. Sam can be reached at sam@haitiantimes.com or on Twitter @sambojarski.