Overview:
In Mexico City, Haitian singer F-MACK is chasing a dream sparked by watching Selena as a kid in Port-au-Prince. Blending gospel, jazz, R&B and Latin sounds, he’s building a name with help from mentors, collaborators and fans. Featuring insights from engineers, musicians and cultural leaders, this story charts his rise from church choirs in Haiti to headlining stages across Mexico.
MEXICO CITY— When Fermilus Mackenson Fils Lenor watched the movie “Selena” as a child in Port-au-Prince, he knew he wanted to be an entertainer. One scene stayed with him: Jennifer Lopez, portraying the late Mexican-American icon Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, takes the stage at a packed Mexican festival early in her career. The crowd is skeptical at first, but as Selena begins to sing “Como La Flor,” she wins them over. “‘Como La Flor,’” the Haitian star sang softly from his Mexico City apartment while speaking with The Haitian Times.
“I saw it and said, ‘I want to be that.’”
That childhood dream has taken shape in unexpected ways. Now 35, Lenor—known professionally as F-MACK —performs across Mexico, where he’s building a loyal audience with a distinct sound that fuses R&B, soul, gospel, funk and Caribbean influences. His debut album, Gatear— Spanish for “to crawl” is expected later this year.
“I was right about my dream,” F-MACK said. “I just needed to perfect it.”
F-MACK is a Haitian voice that has been reshaped in Mexico.
He moved from Haiti to the Mexican state of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave six years ago to study at the prestigious Centro de Estudios de Jazz at Universidad Veracruzana. He now lives in Mexico City and has performed at major festivals, including Bahidorá in Las Estacas and Remind GNP in Guadalajara.
Many of his songs seamlessly switch between English and Spanish; some earlier ones are in French and Haitian Creole. His extended play (EP) RENACIDO—Spanish for “reborn”—features two rising tracks and is part of what he calls his artistic evolution. “Now the baby is crawling,” he said of his album provisionally named Gatear, which will be released this year, continuing the metaphor.
I was right about my dream. And I just needed to perfect it.
Fermilus Mackenson Fils “F-MACK” Lenor
The new album incorporates more Latin and rock elements but stays rooted in his signature soulful fusion. “My songs improve as I improve as an artist,” F-MACK said.
His collaborators also include Mexican musicians and writers. One crowd favorite, “A Huevo,” uses a slang term loosely meaning “let’s go!” to capture the spirit of F-MACK’s cultural crossover.
“I just make a song, honestly. This is my Spanish, this is my English—do you like it?” F-MACK said.
From Port-au-Prince churches to the stage in Mexico
F-MACK grew up in a modest household in Port-au-Prince, where his mother owned a restaurant and his father worked in construction. His musical foundation came early—he was singing before he could talk, his mother said, and learned to harmonize with friends in the Haitian capital to Celine Dion ballads.
At 17, he joined a Christian choir after auditioning with Britney Spears and Mariah Carey songs. Gospel music taught him vocal discipline and showmanship.
When he was older, the maestro of the Haitian group Hallelujah Gospel discovered F-MACK during an event and told him to audition. It was a performance that even surprised him.
“Suddenly, I was discovering I was special,” he said, recalling a breakthrough performance of “Jesus, You’re Everything to Me” at age 19.
After failing to get into Haiti’s École Nationale des Arts (ENARTS) in 2001, he tried again—and was accepted the next year to study classical music. That discipline would shape his professional path.
He wants to be a frontman. When he steps onto the stage, he becomes somebody else.
Diego Zumaran, F-MACK’s sound engineer and production manager
In 2012, a bassist invited F-MACK to front a combo at the PAPJAZZ festival, Haiti’s annual jazz celebration gathering various global celebrities of the music world. There, he saw Haitian jazz singer Mélanie Jean Baptiste Charles perform a scat solo, and after connecting with her after the show, she gave him his first scat lesson.
“I was in love with her [artistry]. I wanted to do what she was doing,” F-MACK said.
That same year, he met traditional musician Camil Meseguer Rioux of the Mexican band Sonex. Years later, F-MACK reached out, looking for a way to leave Haiti and expand his music career. Rioux welcomed him to Veracruz and introduced him to the jazz program that would change his life.
Rioux still remembers the first time he heard F-MACK sing. “He hit an incredibly high whistle note,” the founder of Sonex told The Haitian Times.
Building a stage presence—and a brand
Adjusting to Mexico wasn’t easy at first. F-MACK didn’t speak Spanish and found professional culture more formal than what he’d experienced in the U.S. and Europe. But he adapted, rising from backup gigs to headlining smaller venues.
Rioux, recalling the positive interactions between Haitian immigrants and F-MACK’s mother in Québec City, Canada, agreed to help. F-MACK and his friends arrived in Xalapa, where Rioux helped them settle. They were in the garden of Rioux’s cultural center when he heard F-MACK sing for the first time. “I remember it perfectly…and I said, ‘Wow, this guy is incredible,’” he recalled.
His summer 2024 appearance at Les Escales Festival in Saint-Nazaire, France, marked a career highlight and a source of pride for him. He shared a stage with renowned artists like those of the British band Jungle, founded by London-based producers Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland. F-MACK’s performance on the occasion received glowing praise from the newspaper Le Monde, which called him “the revelation of the 32nd edition” of the international music event.
“I felt the crowd’s energy,” the Haitian singer said. “It’s like I knew what they needed.”
That ability to read and respond to the audience sets him apart. “There’s a difference between a singer and an entertainer,” he said. Entertainers like Prince or James Brown—whom he loves—bring “spontaneity,” he explained. They react to the moment.
He ventured an incredibly high whistle note, and I said, ‘Wow, this guy is incredible
Camil Meseguer Rioux, founder of Mexican band Sonex
Today, F-MACK is enhancing his stardom, amassing followers and over 10,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
On stage, F-MACK becomes just that. In April, wearing oversized sunglasses and a jumpsuit, he performed at the Mexico City music venue and bar Tonal. When he sang “A Huevo,” fans sang along. One interrupted mid-set for an autograph. Others jostled toward him just to touch his hand.
“He wants to be a frontman,” said Diego Zumaran, F-MACK’s production manager. “When he steps on stage, he becomes somebody else.”
Though quiet and reserved offstage, F-MACK lights up when performing, channeling charisma and control into every set.
“Mexico needs a showman,” he said. “I want to show every Haitian it’s possible.”