Jean-Bertrand was born in Port-Salut, Haiti. He studied at La Vega, Grand Seminaire Notre Dame, and the State University of Haiti. Mr. Aristide completed his post-graduate studies in 1979 and was ordained as a priest of the Roman Catholic Church in 1983. After leaving the priesthood in 1995 he married Midred Trouillot in 1996. Mr. Aristide has authored several books including: Why (1978); Raise the Table (1986); 100 Verses of Dechoukaj (1986); The Truth in Truth (1989); Aristide: An Autobiography (1992); Theology and and Politics (1993); Dignity (1995); and Eyes of the Heart: Seeking a Path for the Poor in the Age of Globalization (2000). He is fluent in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Hebrew, English and in his native Creole and French. Mr. Aristide is an accomplished musician and composer, he plays the guitar, saxophone, organ, drums, clarinet and piano.