T-Vice vs. Carimi

Some say the battle has already been won. That the long reign of compas kings T-Vice has come to an end. No, the pretender to the throne is not KDans, Djakout Mizik, or Zin. The upstarts are the newest of the New Generation Compa: Carlo Vieux, Richard Cave, and Mickael Guirrand. Or if you prefer an acronym worthy of a ruler: CaRiMi. Carimi broke out big last summer with the debut single “Ayiti (Bang Bang),” a futuristic tune equal parts compas, urban grit, and space-age groove that dominated the airwaves and the bals. But that was then. This week, Carimi’s latest single, “I Want to Be,” sits way down at number fifteen on the Konpadirek site’s charts, with T-Vice jam “Konfesyon” at number two and Djakout’s moving “La Familia” on top. But who needs charts? You can decide who has the best Haitian swing at the annual compas festival. This year’s lineup is the strongest ever, with virtually every act a contender for compas royalty. That makes ticket prices a bit steeper than in the previous three years — but then mizik bon pa cher!