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Compas (also known as compas direct in French, or konpa dirèk in Creole or simply konpa) 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 Dominica and the French Antilles, 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 méringue style is very influential in the Caribbean, Africa, Cape Verde, Portugal, France, part of Canada, South and North America.

History

Compas direct is a modern méringue popularized in 1955 by the Nemours Jean-Baptiste, a Haitian sax and guitar player. 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 is sung in Creole, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, etc. Nemours' popularity grew in and out of the country. Its clean horn section was remarkable and the band featured méringue tunes that gained instant popularity.

Cadence rampa is also known as kadans ranpa. As early as the late 50s Nemours and the Sicot Brothers from Haiti would frequently tour the Caribbean, especially Dominica and the French Islands of Martinique & Guadeloupe to spread the (drum-cowbell-conga) seed of the méringue-cadence.

Webert Sicot, the originator of cadence recorded three LPs albums with French Antilles producers: two with "Celini disques" in Guadeloupe and one with "Balthazar" in Martinique. In addition to the Sicot brothers, almost all existing Haitian compas bands have toured these Islands that have since adopted the music and the dance of the méringue. For example, in Martinique, several music groups: Ensemble Abricot (bienvenue, festival compas), les djoubap's (Isabelle), combo jazz (electronique compas, pa gadem sou cote), Georges Plonquitte (vini dance compas direct), etc. have all within a year conquered the public with the many tunes or compositions of Nemours. Haitian compas and cadence bands were asked to integrate Antillean musicians.

Consequently, the leading "Les Guais troubadours", with influential singer "Louis Lahens" along other bands, played a very important role in the schooling of Antilleans to the méringue compas or kadans music style. Later Nemours became a favorite of Dominican president, Joaquín Balaguer who often contracted the band. This is why hits like "ti Carole", "Chagrin d'amour" featured by known Dominican stars Luis Miguel and others are also sung in Spanish.

Dance style

The dance-style that accompanied konpa dirèk in the 1950s, was a two step dance called kare (square).

Mini-jazz

Mini-jazz is a reduced méringue-compas band of the mid-60s characterized by the rock bands formula of two guitars, one bass, drum-conga-cowbell, some use an alto sax or a full horn section, others use a keyboard, accordion or lead guitar.

Méringue-compas and its derivatives

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

Cadence-lypso

Cadence-lypso is the Dominican kadans. The leading figure in the promotion of the Cadence-lypso was the Dominican group Exile One (based on the island of Guadeloupe) and Grammacks that featured the Haitian Cadence rampa or compas with the Trinidadian calypso, hence the name cadence-lypso; however, most of the bands repertoire was kadans. This fusion of kadans and calypso accounts only for a small percentage of the band's repertoire: Exile One like all Dominica kadans bands featured reggae, calypso and mostly kadans or compas music.

Zouk

Zouk or zouk-love is the French Antilles cadence or compas.

See also

• Cadence rampa
• Cadence-lypso
• Caribbean music
• Haitian Carnival
• Méringue
• Zouk

References

1. Peter Manuel, Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae, 2nd edition, Temple University Phila 2006
2. Gage Averill, A day for the Hunter, a day for the Pray, University of Chicago Press, 1997
3. Peter Manuel, Musics of the Non-Western World, University Press 1988, p72-74
4. Haitian, French Antilles, Cape Verde
5. Manuel, Peter with Kenneth Bilby, Michael Largey (2006). Caribbean Currents: Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae. p. 161. Retrieved 8 March 2014.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
6. Guilbault, Jocelyne (1993). "Zouk: World Music in the West Indies". p. 111. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
7. Dominique Janvier, introduction in Nemours' Album cover 1980, long vie to Nemours
8. Dominique Janvier, introduction on Nemour' album cover 1980, long vie to Nemours
9. A Day for the Hunter, a Day for the Prey: Popular Music and Power in Haiti. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
10. By Paul Crask. "Zouk -Dominica". The Dominican. Reprinted from National Geographic. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
11. Jocelyne Guilbault. Zouk: world music in the West Indies. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
12. Grammacks: mediba (kadans), banana (sweet kadans), ou pa bon, (kadans), ou pitit (kadans), reggae down, disco live (kadans) this same tune is categorized as zouk retro by Deejay Zak (midlay kadans 11/24/2011) Exile one: akiyaka, gade deye...(Midnight) get ready 1997, etc.
13. Peter Manuel, Musics of the Non-Western World, Chicago press University 1988p74

• 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.

• Haitian music
• Caribbean music genres