Haitian Compas Festival

Chances are that if you live in Miami-Dade County, you have at one time or another heard the swirling, merengue-tinged rhythms emanating from homes in Caribbean neighborhoods or rising from strip malls that seemingly contain only a beauty parlor and a Haitian video store. Most likely what you are hearing...

By Dominic Sirianni

May 18, 2006

We’re $300 away from our summer campaign goal,
with just 2 days left!

We’re ready to deliver—but we need the resources to do it right. If Miami New Times matters to you, please take action and contribute today to help us expand our current events coverage when it’s needed most.

Contribute Now

Progress to goal

$6,000

$5,700

Audio By Carbonatix

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
            "component": "22004575",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "STN Player - Float - Mobile Only ",
            "component": "22595215",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "Editor Picks",
            "component": "17482312",
            "insertPoint": "4",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18711090",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - 2x Rectangles Desktop, Tower on Mobile - Labeled",
            "component": "23181625",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18711090",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
            "component": "17720761",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          }
        ]

Chances are that if you live in Miami-Dade County, you have at one time or another heard the swirling, merengue-tinged rhythms emanating from homes in Caribbean neighborhoods or rising from strip malls that seemingly contain only a beauty parlor and a Haitian video store. Most likely what you are hearing is kompa (a.k.a. compas direct), a ballroom-influenced sound that has been developing in Hispañola since the Fifties, incorporating elements of soca, salsa, and calypso and eventually evolving into cadence rampa and zouk. This year's Compas Fest, organized by longtime Miami promoter Noel & Cécibon Productions, falls just two days after Haitian Flag Day and features Djakout Mizik, T-Vice, Kreyol La, CaRiMi, Tropicana, and Zin, among other stars of contemporary Haitian music. At this year's fest, get a better feel for the food, music, and cultural passion of the people of the struggling island nation.

Dominic Sirianni

A message from Music Editor Flor Franceschetti: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of Miami's music, events and entertainment scenes.

Support Today