For Haitian-born Natalie Guillaume, the path to healing is paved with both the precision of acupuncture needles and the soul-stirring notes of a piano. A spiritual healer who seamlessly bridges the worlds of art and medicine, Guillaume's unique perspective comes into sharp focus during this month's Miami鈥檚 F猫t Gede celebration.
F猫t Gede is a traditional Haitian celebration observed every November, a time to honor the ancestral spirits.
Guillaume, a spiritual healer, emphasizes that the commemoration is fundamentally about life.
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鈥淚t is a time to honor the ancestors 鈥� not to mourn them, and to celebrate life through them,鈥� Guillaume told SA国际传谋鈥檚 Michael Stock 鈥淔olk and Acoustic Music鈥� show. The interview aired last weekend.
She views the celebration as a profound acknowledgment of existence鈥檚 cyclical nature.
鈥淔猫t Gede is about acknowledging that life and death are one. We dance, we sing, we cry 鈥� all in the same breath. It鈥檚 a celebration of spirit,鈥� she said.
Guillaume's journey is one of intertwined disciplines. Raised in a musical family, she began playing the piano at age three and was recording as a teenager. While initially studying pre-med, her life changed course after she experienced the profound benefits of acupuncture as a patient.
鈥淚 realized healing isn鈥檛 just physical 鈥� it鈥檚 emotional, spiritual, energetic,鈥� she said.
This realization became the foundation of her dual career. She noted a powerful connection rooted in her study of Chinese medicine.
鈥淚n Chinese medicine, the same character for 鈥榤usic鈥� also means 鈥榤edicine.鈥� That鈥檚 when it clicked for me 鈥� sound is healing.鈥�
Her commitment to healing extended globally after the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, where she joined 鈥淎cupuncturists Without Borders鈥� to provide trauma care and pain relief.
Today, Guillaume fuses her Haitian roots with her global training through her project, 鈥淰odou Alchemy鈥�, which features Haitian spiritual music blended with jazz and sacred rhythms. She works to dispel common misconceptions about her ancestral traditions.
鈥淰odou isn鈥檛 dark; it鈥檚 light. It鈥檚 about remembering who we are 鈥� our ancestors, our spirits, our power**,鈥� she said.
Ultimately, whether through the energy work of healing or the emotional release of performance, Guillaume sees all her work as connected.
鈥淚鈥檓 a doctor by day and an artist by night,鈥� she said with a laugh. 鈥淏ut really, it鈥檚 all the same work 鈥� healing.鈥�
In her interview for SA国际传谋鈥檚 鈥淔olk & Acoustic Music鈥� show, she performed a traditional Gede song, leaving a final, powerful Haitian affirmation: 鈥淎yibobo 鈥� it means thank you, peace, and amen, all at once.鈥�
