Maurice Sixto

Maurice Sixto - Topic

Maurice Alfrédo Sixto was a pioneer of a Haitian oral literary genre known as Lodyans, and distributed his works widely through the audio technology of his time, including LP's and cassettes. To this day Sixto remains the best known author in the genre. He was also a professor, ambassador, translator, and tour guide.
The son of an engineer, Maurice Alfredo Sixto and Maria Bourand, he attended St Louis de Gonzague in Port-au-Prince for his secondary studies. Upon graduation he attended l'Academie Militaire where he remained for only three months. He eventually studied law at the Faculte de Droit from 1945-1948 while working for Radio HHBM.
Sixto is remembered in Haitian culture for his contributions to oral literature. His ability to use rich, descriptive, and iconic Haitian Creole idioms and expressions create a narrative that displays the true face of Haitian culture.
Sixto prefaces every story with Regards sur choses et gens entendu.
In 2018, Sixto, his work and legacy were the subject of an academic colloquium in Port-au-Prince.
Sixto's influences in the Lodyans genre include Justin Lhérisson while his successors include Charlot Lucien.