She who sings!
Sherly Michel—whose name means “she who sings”—entered the world on April 4, 1977, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, destined to illuminate every place her voice touched. Born to Dieudonne Michel and Elvie François Michel, Sherly carried a purpose woven into her very name and ancestry. “Michel,” rooted in the spiritual lineage of the third triad of Archangels, seemed to whisper even before her birth that she was meant to shine, sing, teach and to lead.
Her journey as a vocalist began long before she took her first breath. While she was still in the womb, her beloved uncle, William Destin, would sing to her—music becoming her first language and her earliest calling but, Sherly did more than receive the music; she surpassed every expectation. She emerged with an angelic voice capable of stirring souls, healing hearts and provoking the kind of eargasms only heaven-touched voices can offer.
Her brilliance was evident early on. At the astonishing age of one, she became one of the first toddlers admitted into pre-K and she continued to excel academically and musically. Sherly was not alone in her musical gifts; the Michel’s family is steeped in extraordinary vocal talent. Her older brother, James Michel and her younger brother, Moise Michel, were choir directors from a young age. Sherly herself embraced that calling at just 17, stepping into leadership with grace, confidence and natural authority. Her younger sisters—Sophonie Michel and Ruth Michel—also carried the family’s musical flame, serving as choir leads and backup vocalists on the album “Dèt Mwen Yo Peye Deja” with director and singer Abimael Innocent.
From childhood, Sherly was known as “the girl who sings”—a young woman whose devotion to music was inseparable from her devotion to people. She invested herself in mentoring and uplifting young girls in her community, forming her first group called Groupe Lumière meaning “The Light.” She chose the name because she believed every one of them was destined to experience, embody and spread light. Sherly taught them not just how to sing but, pray, lead, walk with purpose and she organized an annual crusade so they could put those lessons into action.
Her gift touched countless lives, including artists such as Salina Charles and respected directors like Lours Marseille, Daniel, and many others who crossed her musical path. At age 12, she joined her church’s mass choir, Soldats de Christ (Christ’s Soldiers) and only five years later she was promoted to choir director—a role she fulfilled with passion until the very end of her earthly journey.
Sherly’s purpose went far beyond music. She was a servant-leader, missionary and a vessel of compassion. She traveled by bus, by boat or by whatever means necessary to reach those in need. She fed the hungry, prayed for the sick, comforted the suffering, and even officiated mass weddings for couples who could not afford a ceremony—all with the support and unity of her choir.
Her mother—herself a lifelong missionary and a woman of immense compassion—was one of Sherly’s greatest inspirations and supporters. Their home was known as a place of refuge, a community haven that many called a “heavenly embassy.” If you asked anyone in the town for the Michel residence, they would point you without hesitation, knowing that inside those walls lived love, generosity and open doors.
Even in her final moments, Sherly remained true to herself. As she prepared to cross over, she asked her dear friend, Markes Jn Baptiste, to play music for her—choosing to be carried into eternity the same way she entered life: wrapped in melody.
Sherly Michel lived a life of extraordinary purpose. She sang heaven into the hearts of people. She led with humility, faith and grace. She served until her last breath. And she leaves behind a legacy of light, leadership and divine music that will echo through the generations.
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