Overview:
Konpa has gone through a variety of phases over the past 70 years as new technologies, talent and trends emerged. But whether the music comes from a band with a dozen musicians or a solo vocalist’s SoundCloud stream, the original rhythm can’t be beat.
NEW YORK — Haitians have always drawn inspiration from music in other continents, cultures and circumstances — blending them exceptionally well. In 1955, that openness gave us konpa. Since then, the genre has evolved as a core rhythm blended with ever-newer technologies, talent and trends.
Here’s a look at the key moments in konpa’s evolution, based on interviews with living legends, previous reporting and music history books.
Photo Credits
- Pre-1955 — Haitians celebrating in front of the Garde d’Haïti 1946.jpg – Wikimedia Commons – Haitians celebrating in front of the Garde d’Haïti headquarters in Port-au-Prince after a military junta ousted President Élie Lescot circa 11 January 1946. Credit: The Chicago Defender via Wikimedia Commons
- 1955 — Nemours Jean-Baptiste and band members in 1957. Dream Variants Blog
- 1960s-1970s — Image of Les Difficiles de Petion-ville circa 1973. Credit: Emmanuel Mirtil, Musiques D’haïti / Musiques Haïtiennes, http://musique.haiti.free.fr/discographie
- 1980s-1990s — Screenshot of Zin performing on stage in the 1990s. Credit: Sylvestre Production via YouTube
- 2000s-2010s — Nu Look’s Arly Lariviere completing participating in the worldwide ice bucket challenge while on stage, 2014. Haitian Times file photo
- 2020s-Present — DJ Colmix at Banbôch Kreyol, an annual celebration of Haitian music and culture at the Coney Island Amphitheater in Brooklyn, New York, on Sunday, May 26, 2024. Credit: Bill Farrington
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I am Juhakenson Blaise, a journalist based in the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I cover the news that develops in this city and deals with other subjects related to the experience of Haitians for the Haitian Times newspaper. I am also a lover of poetry.
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