Compas music

Compas music
Cultural origins	Haitian Méringue
Typical instruments	Drum, conga, cowbell, Guitars, Keyboards, Horn section, modern Synthesizer, Bass
Derivative forms	Kadans, zouk, kizomba, kuduro, Cabo verde compas, soca
Fusion genres
Reggaeton
Regional scenes
Haiti, French West Indies, Dominica, Canada, France, Africa, Panama, Cape Verde, South America, North America, Portugal, Angola, Brazil
Other topics
Music of Haiti - Nemours Jean Baptiste - Weber Sicot - Haiti

Music of Haiti
General topics
Related articles
Genres
Cadence rampa Kompa Kadans Méringue Mizik rasin Rara
Media and performance
Music festivals	Carnival
Nationalistic and patriotic songs
National anthem	La Dessalinienne
Regional music
Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Aruba Bahamas Barbados Bermuda Bonaire Cayman Islands Cuba Curaçao Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Guadeloupe Jamaica Louisiana Martinique Montserrat Puerto Rico St Kitts and Nevis St Lucia St Vincent and Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Virgin Islands

Compas music (written as Compas Direct in French and Kompa or konpa in Haitian creole) is a modern Méringue, the national music genre of Haiti that people have been dancing and singing since the 1800s. Popularized by Haitian sax and guitar player Nemours Jean-Baptiste in 1955, Compas is the main music of many countries such as Martinique, Guadeloupe, Dominica, etc. Whether it is incorrectly called zouk where French Antilles artists of Martinique and Guadeloupe have taken it or compas in places where Haitian artists have toured, this meringue style is very influential in the Caribbean, Africa, Cape Verde, France, part of Canada, South and North America.

History

Compas direct is a modern meringue popularized in 1955 by the sax and guitar player Nemours Jean Baptiste. Nemours Jean-Baptiste presented his orchestra “Ensemble Aux Calebasses” in 1955 (named after the club “Aux Calebasses” located at Carrefour - a western neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital - where the band used to perform on weekends). Compas popularity took off likely due to the genre's ability to improvise and hold the rhythm section steady. Jean-Baptiste incorporated a lot of brass and easily recognized rhythms. Compas music is sung in Haitian Creole, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, etc.

kadans

Main article: kadans

Webert Sicot left Nemours Jean Baptiste band to popularize his cadence rampa in 1962. Because of the frequent tours of the Sicot brothers, cadence became very influential in the Caribbean. Actually cadence and compas are the same modern Haitian meringue. Rivalery between Nemours and Sicot created these names for the meringue.

Mini-jazz

Main article: Mini-jazz

The Mini jazz movement started in the mid-1960s, small bands called mini-djaz (which grew out of Haiti’s light rock and roll yeye bands of the early 1960s) played kompa featuring paired electric guitars, electric bass, drumset and other percussion, often with a saxophone. This trend, launched by Shleu Shleu after 1965, came to include a number of groups from Port-au-Prince neighbourhoods, especially the suburb of Pétion-Ville. Tabou Combo, Les Difficiles, Les Loups Noirs, Frères DéJean, Les Fantaisistes de Carrefour, Bossa Combo and Les Ambassadeurs (among others) formed the core of this middle-class popular music movement.

From 1968 to 1975 prominent mini-jazz like Bossa Combo, les Shleu shleu, les Ambassadeurs, les Freres Dejean, les Difficiles, les Gypsies and mostly the majestic Tabou Combo have exerted a dominance on the Caribbean and many places in Europe and south America musical scene. For example, Tabou Combo has remained on the Paris hit parade for weeks with its New York City hit. Tabou did filled New York Central park in the same period. Guitar based mini-jazz such as les Difficiles and Gypsies influenced many flamenco artists. The guitar was the king instrument.

These young Haitian mini-jazz musicians were critical in the creation of new technics that contribute to the fancyness of the style. Although Raymong Guaspard (Nemours) had already started it in the 50s, however, guitar players such as Ricardo/Tiplum (Les ambassadeurs), Robert Martineau (Les Difficiles/Gypsies/Scorpio/Topvice...), Dadou Pasket (Tabou combo/Magnum band), Jean Claude Jean (Tabou combo/Super star...), Claude Marcellin (Les Difficiles/DP. Express/Zekle...), Police Nozile (Freres Dejean/DP. Express...) and many more have created intricate mostly rhythmic guitar styles that constitute a strong distinguishable feature of the meringue (compas/cadence).

In the mid-70's, When the sounds of the Antillean and Dominican cadence bands such as les Aiglons, Grammacks, Exile One (among others) started hitting the airwave and the Haitian youth loved it, some guitar-based mini-jazz added a full-horn section. The prominent cadence or compas band Exile One of Dominica was the first to introduced keyboard synthesizers to the music.

The French Antilles cadence or compas

The Haitian compas music or cadence was introduced to Dominica, the French Antilles and other Caribbean countries during the mid 50s. The frequent tours of Nemours Jean-Baptiste, the originator of the first meringue-compas band after 1960's and Webert Sicot, the initiator of the first meringue-cadence band in 1962, have cemented their music, specially, in Dominica, Martinique and Guadeloupe. This modern Méringue (compas or cadence) has helped unite all the former French colonies of the Caribbean by combining their cultural influences. These were followed by the Antillean mini-jazz bands like Les Gentlemen, Les Vikings de Guadeloupe, Les Leopards, Tabou # 2...and bands like Grammacks, Exile One, la Perfecta, Simon Jurade, kassav, etc.

Cadence-lypso or Dominica kadans

Main article: Cadence-lypso

Cadence-lypso is another name for kadans in Dominica. The most influential figure in the promotion of Cadence-lypso was the Dominican group Exile One(based on the island of Guadeloupe) that featured the calypso music from the English speaking Caribbean and mostly cadence rampa of Haiti. It was pushed in the 1970s by groups from Dominica, and was the first style of Dominican music to find international acclaim.

Gordon Henderson, the band leader and founder coined the name "Cadence-lypso" in his full band that used a full-horn section and was the first to use the synthesizers in kadans. Many mini-jazz from Haiti and the French Antilles followed this format. Exile One was the first Caribbean band to sign a production contract with major label Barclay Records. The first to export kadans music to the four corners of the globe: Japan, the Indian Ocean, Africa, North America, Europe, The Cape Verde islands.

Post mini-jazz

In the mid 70s several of the guitar-based mini-jazz went back to the usual formula with a horn section. However, being the land of music, Haiti has several music styles such as troubadour, "rara", "koujay", the fast, mid and slow tempo "meringues".

meringue troubadour bands such as Coupe Cloue (Gesner Henry), Rodrigue Milien, Toto Necessite, Althiery Dorival, However, etc. have by nature always performed without a horn section.

Other heavy meringue and compas bands such as Orchestre Tropicana, Septan Trional, Les Freres Dejean, Bossa Combo, Meridional, La Ruche de Leogane, Panorama des Cayes, etc. have always used a full horn section and keyboards.

Les Ambassadeurs, les legendaires, Ibo combo, Les Freres Dejean, Bossa combo were all full bands with keyboards and horn section. They were classified as mini-jazz because they were born in the same time but were all full bands from their creation.

The majestic Tabou combo started with a guitar-based and accordion format and later adapted to new technology like every other bands.

During 1975 -1986 the Meringue-compas reached its zenith. Artists from many countries were featuring compas hits. Among the most copied and played were Tabou combo and DP Express. This trend continues till now. For example many south American artists such as Wilfrido Vargas, Bonny Cepeda, Reggaeton stars Dady yankee, Don Omar, etc. The fugees, Carlos Santana, Cabo verde artists, etc. have all featured compas tunes. Music groups such as Djet-X, Skah Sha #1, Magnum band, Tabou Combo, Coupe Cloue, DP Express, Freres Dejean, Scorpio, Tropicana, Volo Volo, Bossa combo, System band, etc were all popular bands that dominated the music scene. The Caribbean and specifically the compas lands of Dominica and the French Antilles are ideal destinations for these bands. Large cities of North and south America are also good destinations. Africa received its share of compas through many countries.

Digital era, new generation or light compas

In the early 80s French Antilles kassav, which music repertoire is 80% compas music, was the first in the Caribbean to apply the MIDI technology already in use in pop and rock, in compas music. In the late 80s, young Haitian music groups applied this technology that in addition to reduce the band's size offers a variety of new sounds. They were called nouvelle generation; however, most of them later, along with many other musicians in the world, went back to a full band with live instruments. The new generation was a moment of experiment with the MIDI technology.

Compas nouvelle generation

In the early 2000, several compas bands such as Carimi, T-vice, Top vice, and Zeglen toured the French Antilles as usual with success. The singer Vro with Softcore and many others Antillean artists have adopted this light compas style, which is more popular in France and the Caribbean. Cabo Verdean, Caribbean and African artists usually feature one another via compas songs. Popular artists includes artists like Jacky Rapon in song like "Mi Amor", Ludo in song like "Weekend", Jackito in song like "Je l'aime a mourir" and Priscillia in song like "Dis le moi", Ali Angel in song like "Zouk Bordel 2003", and Iron in song like "Mr DJ" . This light compas style is called zouk love in the French Antilles.

Meringue-compas music and its derivatives

Today the meringue compas, deeply rooted in many countries, has influenced many music styles and been called other names:

Cadence/Kadans/cadence-lypso

In Dominica, the same meringue called either cadence or compas introduced in the late 50s with the frequent tours of the Sicot brothers is often called cadence-lypso. Webert Sicot, the originator of cadance known for his great harmonic skills, was well appreciated in Guadeloupe. This is why the term cadence was more popular than the word compas. Exile One, the ring leader of the word cadence-lypso, featured some reggae, calypso but mostly cadence music. It is not sure whether the band's intent was to fusion Trinidadian calypso with Haitian cadence since little was done. For example, the song "La Dominique" in the album "Exile One Old School Session" features something closed, however, not often repeated. Exile one music repertoire is mostly cadence with all the features of the style. Of course the band had its personality; it was a great kadans band.

Coladeira

The coladeira is the compas music. Cabo Verdeans have been exposed to the meringue in the USA and France where they adopted the styles. In addition to their tours in US and France, French Antillean artists whose main music is compas toured the Island to spray the seed. Many Cabo Verdean artists feature compas music. A good example is The talented Tito Paris who produced several CDs. "danca mami Criola" 1994, is a good compas CD close to Tabou combo, kassav, Caribbean Sextet, Tropicana, etc... Today new generation of Cabo Verdean artists feature a ligh compas close to Haitian and French Antillean New generation.

Etymology and characteristics

The word “Compás” in Spanish means “beat” or “rhythm,” and one of the most distinctive characteristics of Compas music is the consistent pulsating beat (Tambora (drum)), a trait common to many styles of Caribbean music. Compas music is easy and fun to dance to, incorporating musical traditions like Méringue, which propel dancers around the floor with lively, active beats (though Compas has a slower beat and dance than Merengue). You may hear the notes of Compas music in a community of Haitian immigrants anywhere in the world, and where there is Compas, dancers are usually not far behind. Compas / Kompa is a genre of music that is emulated throughout the Caribbean and parts of Africa. In North America, compas festivals take place frequently in Montreal, New York, Miami, Boston and Orlando.

Most influential meringue (compas/cadence) bands

Jazz Des Jeunes, Nemours Jean-Baptiste, Ensemble Webert Sicot, Les Guais troubadours, Ochestre Tropicana, Martha Jean-claude, Les Gypsies de Petion ville, DP Express, Tabou combo, Magnum band, Coupe Cloue, Les Freres Dejean, System Band, Exile One, Grammacks, Kassav, Les shleu sleu, Djet-X, Les Skah Sha, Sweet Miky, etc.

Notable compas or meringue artists

• Tabou Combo
• Les Skah Sha
• Les Freres Dejean
• Les Shleu Shleu
• DP Express
• Jet-X
• Volo Volo
• Les Leopards
• Carimi
• Coupé Cloué
• Sweet Micky
• Tito Paris
• La Perfecta
• Kassav, the greatest compas band.
• Experience 7
• Gabel
• Eric Virgal
• Tanya St. Val
• Patrick St. Elois
• Jocelyne Beroard
• Alan Cavé
• Nu Look
• Toxic
• Karizma
• Djakout Mizik
• System Band
• Harmonik
• T-Vice
• Dan Junior
• Kreyol La
• Kompa Kreyol

See also

• Cadence rampa
• Méringue
• Zouk
• Music of Haïti
• Caribbean music
• World Creole Music Festival

References

• Manuel, Peter (2006). Caribbean Currents: Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae (2nd edition). Philadelphia: Temple University Press. ISBN 1-59213-463-7. 
• Experience Haitian music on Mizikpam Internet Radio Accessed May 18, 2010
• Gage Averill (1997). Caribbean Current: A day for the hunter. A day for the prey. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press.