(The Daily Beast) — Haiti’s new president is making his debut on the world stage in New York this week, and after 19 months of post-earthquake chaos, his youthful energy and charm are wowing the business and political elite gathered for the annual United Nations General Assembly. “Haiti is open for business!” declared Michel Martelly, jumping to his feet onstage at a Clinton Global Initiative–sponsored event to attract investors to the ravaged country. The former hip-hop singer known as “Sweet Micky” and infamous for disrobing onstage gushed in a smooth French accent about Haiti’s “most beautiful coasts … and rich past.” Strikingly handsome, with a shaved head and huge dimples, the 50-year-old disarmed the crowd by even mentioning the allure of “voodoo.” It made one want to rush out and open a boutique in Port-au-Prince. The feel-good event, hosted by former president Clinton during his annual summit, was an invigorating contrast to the troubling images of poverty and destruction coming from the island since the January 2010 earthquake. But the next night, a different Martelly showed up at a fancy event in Greenwich Village hosted by Donna Karan—a cautious, imperious politician surrounded by a gaggle of protective aides and security.
