Compas Direct (which is a Trademark registered in the United States by Nemours Jean-Baptiste’s heirs Dr. Yves Jean -Baptiste and Mrs. Yvrose Jean-Baptiste) translates as direct beat. In Créole, it is spelled konpa though it is most popularly spelled with an "m" instead of an "n". However, there is no M before B and P in Creole. Therefore, kompa does not fit in any language. In addition, one only has to consult the discography of the Nemours Jean-Baptiste to ascertain the original spelling of his work which gave birth to Kizomba and Zouk.
During and after the US occupation, the word jazz has become synonymous with music bands in Haiti. So, the mini-jazz is a reduced méringue-compas band. The movement started in the mid-1960s when young small neighborhood bands played compas featuring paired electric guitars, electric bass, drum set-conga-timbales, and 2 cowbells, 1 for the timbales and the other to be played with the floor tom; some use an alto sax or a full horn section, others use a keyboard, accordion. This trend, launched by Shleu-Shleu after 1965, came to include a number of groups from Port-au-Prince neighborhoods, especially the suburb of Pétion-Ville. Les Covington, Tabou Combo, Les Difficiles, Les Loups Noirs, Les Frères DéJean, Les Fantaisistes de Carrefour, Bossa Combo, and Les Ambassadeurs (among others) formed the core of this middle-class popular music movement.
These young musicians were critical in the creation of new technics that contribute to the fanciness of the style. Although Raymond Gaspard (Nemours) had already started it in the 1950s, however, guitar players such as Michel Corvington (Les Corvington), Henry Celestin (founder of Les Difficiles de Pétion Ville), Robert Martino (Les Difficiles/Gypsies/Scorpio/Topvice...), Dadou Pasket (Tabou combo/Magnum Band), Jean Claude Jean (Tabou Combo/Super Star...), Serge Rosenthal (Shleu-Shleu), Hans Felix, (Les Ambassadeurs/Volo Volo de Boston), Ricardo/Tiplum (Les Ambassadeurs) Claude Marcellin (Les Difficiles/D.P. Express/Zèklè...), Police Nozile (Les Frères Déjean/D.P. Express...) and many more have created intricate mostly rhythmic guitar styles that constitute a strong distinguishable feature of the méringue.
These young musicians were critical in the creation of new technics that contribute to the fanciness of the style. Although Raymond Gaspard (Nemours) had already started it in the 1950s, however, guitar players such as Michel Corvington (Les Corvington), Henry Celestin (founder of Les Difficiles de Pétion Ville), Robert Martino (Les Difficiles/Gypsies/Scorpio/Topvice...), Dadou Pasket (Tabou combo/Magnum Band), Jean Claude Jean (Tabou Combo/Super Star...), Serge Rosenthal (Shleu-Shleu), Hans Felix, (Les Ambassadeurs/Volo Volo de Boston), Ricardo/Tiplum (Les Ambassadeurs) Claude Marcellin (Les Difficiles/D.P. Express/Zèklè...), Police Nozile (Les Frères Déjean/D.P. Express...) and many more have created intricate mostly rhythmic guitar styles that constitute a strong distinguishable feature of the méringue.
Nemours Jean-Baptiste presented his "Ensemble Aux Cale basses" in 1955 (named after the club "Aux Cale basses" located at Carrefour, a western neighborhood of Port-au-Prince; Haiti's capital where the band used to perform on weekends). At the beginning (1955), Ensemble ‘Aux Calle basses Of Nemours Jean-Baptiste played rhythms such as Cuba's Guaracha and Cha Cha Cha as well as Haiti's Bannann Pouyak, Grenn Moudong, and Méringue Lente. In 1957, Nemours Jean-Baptiste -with the assistance of conga player Kreutzer Duroseau an accordionist Richard Duroseau- created compas which has its roots in Haitian traditional Meringue and the Vodou traditional rhythms. Its popularity took off likely due to the genre's ability to improvise and steady the rhythm section and the facility with which dancers could absorb, feel and express the new rhythm. Nemours Jean-Baptiste incorporated a lot of brass and, in 1958, the first electric guitar in Haitian urban dance music. Compas is sung in Creole, English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Nemours' popularity grew in and out of the country. The band's remarkable clean horn section featured méringue tunes that gained instant popularity. For example, in Martinique, several music groups such as Ensemble Abri cot, Les Djou Bap, Combo Jazz, and Georges Plonquitte (for) (Vini Dance Compas Direct) conquered the public with the many tunes or compositions of Nemours. Later Nemours became a favorite of the Dominican president, Joaquín Balaguer who often contracted the band. This is why hits like "Ti Carole", and "Chagrin D'amour" featured by known Dominican stars Luis Miguel and others are also sung in Spanish.
In the early 1960s Nemours and the Sicot Brothers from Haiti frequently toured the Caribbean, especially Curaçao, Aruba, Saint Lucia, Dominica and mostly the French Islands of Martinique & Guadeloupe to spread the seed of the méringue-compas and cadence rampa. Webert Sicot, a prominent Haitian saxophone player and the originator of cadence rampa, recorded three LP albums with French Antilles producers, two with Celini Disques in Guadeloupe and one with "Balthazar" in Martinique. Haitian compas or cadence bands were asked to integrate Antillean musicians. Consequently, the leading Les Guais Troubadours with influential singer, Louis Lahens, along with other bands, played a very important role in the schooling of Antilleans to the méringue-compas or cadence rampa music style. Almost all existing Haitian compas bands have toured these islands that have since adopted the music and the dance of the méringue.
In the early 1960s Nemours and the Sicot Brothers from Haiti frequently toured the Caribbean, especially Curaçao, Aruba, Saint Lucia, Dominica and mostly the French Islands of Martinique & Guadeloupe to spread the seed of the méringue-compas and cadence rampa. Webert Sicot, a prominent Haitian saxophone player and the originator of cadence rampa, recorded three LP albums with French Antilles producers, two with Celini Disques in Guadeloupe and one with "Balthazar" in Martinique. Haitian compas or cadence bands were asked to integrate Antillean musicians. Consequently, the leading Les Guais Troubadours with influential singer, Louis Lahens, along with other bands, played a very important role in the schooling of Antilleans to the méringue-compas or cadence rampa music style. Almost all existing Haitian compas bands have toured these islands that have since adopted the music and the dance of the méringue.
From 1968 to the 1970s prominent bands like Bossa Combo, Volo Volo de Boston, Les Shleu-Shleu, Les Ambassadeurs, Les Vikings, Les Fantaisistes, Les Loups Noirs, Les Freres Dejean, Les Difficiles, and Les Gypsies have exerted a dominance on the Caribbean and many places in Europe and South America musical scene. The band Tabou Combo, perhaps one of the most legendary compas ensembles, took the musical style to greater heights when they toured countries like Senegal and Japan during their world tours. Their performances in Panama enamored the population, earning them the "Official Panamanian Band" title. The band's impact on local Panamanian music was so profound that to this day, Panamanians still consider compas (or what they call, "reggae Haitian") as part of their national music. Throughout the seventies, Tabou Combo remained on the Paris Hits Parade for weeks with their "New York City" album and held performances attended by thousands in New York's Central Park. During the 80s, popular artist, Gesner Henry, alias Coupe Cloue and his band Trio Select, successively toured West Africa and left sweet memories today again. He was crowned King. Another band, Orchestre Septentrional D'Haïti (or the Northern Orchestra of Haiti) also had a lot of popularity during this time period and cemented the style of large orchestras as part of the northern signature of compas.
The dance style that accompanied compas in 1957, is a two-step dance called carré (square) introduced by Nemours Jean-Baptiste in 1962. As a méringue, a ballroom dance, compas is danced in pairs. Sometimes partners dance holding each other tightly and romantically; in this case, most of the moves are made at the hips.
Following Christopher Columbus' 1492 landing, Spain claimed the entire region as its own. That didn't sit well with either the natives or Spain's European neighbors; within a few years, bloody battles raged across the islands of the Caribbean, fought by Spain, France, England, Denmark, and the Netherlands. All these battles (and diseases brought from Europe) decimated the native tribes, with entire cultures wiped out.
Thus, the Caribbean was colonized as part of the various European empires. Native cultures were further eroded when the Europeans imported African slaves to work the sugar and coffee plantations on their island colonies. In many cases, native cultures (and native music) were replaced by those imported from Africa and Europe.
At this point, whatever common Caribbean culture existed was splintered. Each of the European powers had imposed its own culture on the islands they had claimed. In the late 20th century, many Caribbean islands gained independence from colonial rule, but European influences can still be heard in the music of each subtly different culture.
Island-specific culture also informs the music of the Caribbean. Every island has its distinct musical styles, all inspired, to one degree or another, by the music brought over by the African slaves. As such, most Caribbean music, however unique to its own island culture, includes elements of African music - heavy use of percussion, complex rhythmic patterns, and call-and-response vocals. In many cases, the difference between one style and another comes down to the rhythms utilized in each music; every island has its own rhythmic sensibilities.
The complex deep origins of Caribbean music are best understood with a knowledge of Western Hemisphere colonial immigration patterns, human trafficking patterns, the resulting melting pot of people in each of its nations and territories, and thus the resulting influx of original musical influences. Colonial Caribbean ancestors were predominantly from West Africa, West Europe, and India. In the 20th and 21st centuries, immigrants have also come from Taiwan, China, Indonesia/Java, and the Middle East. Neighboring Latin American and North American (particularly hip hop and pop music) countries have also naturally influenced Caribbean culture and vice versa. While there are musical commonalities among Caribbean nations and territories, the variation in immigration patterns and colonial hegemony tend to parallel the variations in musical influence. Language barriers (Spanish, Portuguese, English, Hindustani, Tamil, Telugu, Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Yiddish, Yoruba, African languages, Indian languages, Amerindian languages, French, Indonesian, Javanese, and Dutch) are one of the strongest influences.
Divisions between Caribbean music genres are not always well-defined, because many of these genres share common relations, and instrumentation and have influenced each other in many ways and directions. For example, the Jamaican mento style has a long history of conflation with the Trinidadian calypso. Elements of calypso have come to be used in mento, and vice versa, while their origins lie in the Afro-Caribbean culture, each uniquely characterized by influences from the Shango and Shouters religions of Trinidad and the Kumina spiritual tradition of Jamaica. Music from the Spanish-speaking areas of the Caribbean are classified as tropical music in the Latin music industry.
Thus, the Caribbean was colonized as part of the various European empires. Native cultures were further eroded when the Europeans imported African slaves to work the sugar and coffee plantations on their island colonies. In many cases, native cultures (and native music) were replaced by those imported from Africa and Europe.
At this point, whatever common Caribbean culture existed was splintered. Each of the European powers had imposed its own culture on the islands they had claimed. In the late 20th century, many Caribbean islands gained independence from colonial rule, but European influences can still be heard in the music of each subtly different culture.
Island-specific culture also informs the music of the Caribbean. Every island has its distinct musical styles, all inspired, to one degree or another, by the music brought over by the African slaves. As such, most Caribbean music, however unique to its own island culture, includes elements of African music - heavy use of percussion, complex rhythmic patterns, and call-and-response vocals. In many cases, the difference between one style and another comes down to the rhythms utilized in each music; every island has its own rhythmic sensibilities.
The complex deep origins of Caribbean music are best understood with a knowledge of Western Hemisphere colonial immigration patterns, human trafficking patterns, the resulting melting pot of people in each of its nations and territories, and thus the resulting influx of original musical influences. Colonial Caribbean ancestors were predominantly from West Africa, West Europe, and India. In the 20th and 21st centuries, immigrants have also come from Taiwan, China, Indonesia/Java, and the Middle East. Neighboring Latin American and North American (particularly hip hop and pop music) countries have also naturally influenced Caribbean culture and vice versa. While there are musical commonalities among Caribbean nations and territories, the variation in immigration patterns and colonial hegemony tend to parallel the variations in musical influence. Language barriers (Spanish, Portuguese, English, Hindustani, Tamil, Telugu, Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Yiddish, Yoruba, African languages, Indian languages, Amerindian languages, French, Indonesian, Javanese, and Dutch) are one of the strongest influences.
Divisions between Caribbean music genres are not always well-defined, because many of these genres share common relations, and instrumentation and have influenced each other in many ways and directions. For example, the Jamaican mento style has a long history of conflation with the Trinidadian calypso. Elements of calypso have come to be used in mento, and vice versa, while their origins lie in the Afro-Caribbean culture, each uniquely characterized by influences from the Shango and Shouters religions of Trinidad and the Kumina spiritual tradition of Jamaica. Music from the Spanish-speaking areas of the Caribbean are classified as tropical music in the Latin music industry.
The Haitian Revolution saw the end of slavery in Haiti at the end of the 18th century. This effectively saw Haiti as the first nation in the world to abolish slavery. Following the Haitian revolution, Britain concluded the importation of slaves in 1807 and began the process of abolition in 1823. The abolition of slavery in Britain was said to be complete in 1838. Although the slave trade was abolished in Britain in the early 19th century, the slave trade continued via the Iberian Peninsula until as late as 1873. Due to this, approximately 135 000 slaves continued to be traded annually between 1800 and 1850. The abolition of slavery restricted Afro-Caribbean music in one way as it led to a decreased number of slaves arriving from Africa and a weakened link between African people living in the Caribbean and their homeland. At the same time, the abolition of slavery opened the door for previously enslaved Africans to participate more freely in music again, leading to the further development of Afro-Caribbean music.
Afro-Caribbean music began in the Caribbean as a result of the transatlantic slave trade and the creation of a neo-African culture among slaves. Afro-Caribbean music dates back as far as the 15th century, when the slave trade began. Although Afro-Caribbean music existed for centuries, local recording and distribution officially began in the 1920s. Some of the earlier Afro-Caribbean sub-genres to emerge included calypso, merengue, son, reggae, and salsa. Due to multiple problems with production and distribution, music from the region struggled initially to gain global popularity.
Afro-Caribbean music rose to popularity during the 20th century, exerting influence over many subsequent genres including jazz and hip-hop. Many of these sub-genres have been validated in recent years due to a newfound appreciation of Afro-Caribbean culture and tradition. In the United States, the genre has gained popularity due to the mass media infrastructure, large immigrant population, and receptive non-Caribbean audiences. Due to these factors, New York City, although not in the Caribbean, is considered another center of Afro-Caribbean music. Sub-genres that gained popularity in the United States include rumba, salsa, and reggae. These genres were particularly popular among youth during the 1970s in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom.
The origin of Afro-Caribbean music traces back to the 15th century and the arrival of African people in the Caribbean via the transatlantic slave trade. During the slave era, rivaling African villages attained captives who were sold into the slave trade. The collaboration of African states with European slave traders stimulated the slave trade, eliminating the need for kidnapping or effort by European slavers. There were many different African cultures and traditions present among the Caribbean slave population. Music, tradition, and religion were important to African people. As a result, neo-African cultures began to form among slaves from different parts of Africa, combining elements from a variety of African cultures. The creation of neo-African cultures among slaves allowed for the creation of new communities and the development of slave resistance. Music was an important factor in the recreation of community among slaves, leading to the creation of Afro-Caribbean music.
Afro-Caribbean music rose to popularity during the 20th century, exerting influence over many subsequent genres including jazz and hip-hop. Many of these sub-genres have been validated in recent years due to a newfound appreciation of Afro-Caribbean culture and tradition. In the United States, the genre has gained popularity due to the mass media infrastructure, large immigrant population, and receptive non-Caribbean audiences. Due to these factors, New York City, although not in the Caribbean, is considered another center of Afro-Caribbean music. Sub-genres that gained popularity in the United States include rumba, salsa, and reggae. These genres were particularly popular among youth during the 1970s in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom.
The origin of Afro-Caribbean music traces back to the 15th century and the arrival of African people in the Caribbean via the transatlantic slave trade. During the slave era, rivaling African villages attained captives who were sold into the slave trade. The collaboration of African states with European slave traders stimulated the slave trade, eliminating the need for kidnapping or effort by European slavers. There were many different African cultures and traditions present among the Caribbean slave population. Music, tradition, and religion were important to African people. As a result, neo-African cultures began to form among slaves from different parts of Africa, combining elements from a variety of African cultures. The creation of neo-African cultures among slaves allowed for the creation of new communities and the development of slave resistance. Music was an important factor in the recreation of community among slaves, leading to the creation of Afro-Caribbean music.
The music of Haiti combines a wide range of influences drawn from the many people who have settled on this Caribbean Island. It reflects French, African rhythms, Spanish elements, and others who have inhabited the island of Hispaniola and minor native Taino influences. Styles of music unique to the nation of Haiti include music derived from rare parading music, troubadour ballads, mini-jazz rock bands, Rasin movement, hip hop Créole, the wildly popular compas, and méringue as its basic rhythm. Haiti did not have recorded music until 1937 when Jazz Guignard was recorded non-commercially. One of the most currently popular Haitian artists is Wyclef Jean. His music is somewhat hip-hop mixed with Worldbeat. Haitian music is influenced mostly by European colonial ties and African migration (through slavery). In the case of European colonization, musical influence has derived primarily from the French.
One of Haiti's musical traditions is known to outsiders simply as compas. But in the former non-standardized Haitian Creole, Haitians identify it variously as compas, konpa, and konpa direk. Regardless of its various spellings, compas refers to a complex, ever-changing music genre that fuses African rhythms, European ballroom dancing, and Haitian bourgeois aesthetics. The word may have derived from the Spanish compass, which relates to the musical rhythm of the "beat" or "pulse." One of the most distinctive features of Haitian compas music is the steady, pulsing drumbeat, which makes it easy to dance to.
Haïti Chérie is a traditional patriotic and most recognizable song of Haiti that was written and composed by Dr. Othello Bayard des Cayes and was initially called Souvenir d'Haïti. It represents the pride Haitian people feel for their country and culture. Within the Haitian community, at home and abroad, it is widely considered as a second national anthem to La Dessalinienne and the song has been recorded in several different versions.
One of Haiti's musical traditions is known to outsiders simply as compas. But in the former non-standardized Haitian Creole, Haitians identify it variously as compas, konpa, and konpa direk. Regardless of its various spellings, compas refers to a complex, ever-changing music genre that fuses African rhythms, European ballroom dancing, and Haitian bourgeois aesthetics. The word may have derived from the Spanish compass, which relates to the musical rhythm of the "beat" or "pulse." One of the most distinctive features of Haitian compas music is the steady, pulsing drumbeat, which makes it easy to dance to.
Haïti Chérie is a traditional patriotic and most recognizable song of Haiti that was written and composed by Dr. Othello Bayard des Cayes and was initially called Souvenir d'Haïti. It represents the pride Haitian people feel for their country and culture. Within the Haitian community, at home and abroad, it is widely considered as a second national anthem to La Dessalinienne and the song has been recorded in several different versions.
Music often plays a key role in social activities, religious rituals, rite of passage ceremonies, celebrations, and cultural activities. The music industry includes songwriters, performers, sound engineers, producers, tour organizers, and distributors of instruments, accessories, and sheet music. Compositions, performances, and recordings are assessed and evaluated by music critics, music journalists, and music scholars, as well as amateurs.
Music was an important part of social and cultural life in ancient Greece, in fact, it was one of the main subjects taught to children. Musical education was considered to be important for the development of an individual's soul. Musicians and singers played a prominent role in Greek theater, and those who received a musical education were seen as nobles and in perfect harmony (as can be read in the Republic, of Plato). Mixed-gender choruses are performed for entertainment, celebration, and spiritual ceremonies. Instruments included the double-reed aulos and a plucked string instrument, the lyre, principally a special kind called a kithara. Music was an important part of education, and boys were taught music starting at age six. Greek musical literacy created significant musical development. Greek music theory included the Greek musical modes, that eventually became the basis for Western religious and classical music. Later, influences from the Roman Empire, Eastern Europe, and the Byzantine Empire changed Greek music. The Sei kilos epitaph is the oldest surviving example of a complete musical composition, including musical notation, from anywhere in the world. The oldest surviving work written on the subject of music theory is Harmonica Stachia by Aristogenes.
Music was an important part of social and cultural life in ancient Greece, in fact, it was one of the main subjects taught to children. Musical education was considered to be important for the development of an individual's soul. Musicians and singers played a prominent role in Greek theater, and those who received a musical education were seen as nobles and in perfect harmony (as can be read in the Republic, of Plato). Mixed-gender choruses are performed for entertainment, celebration, and spiritual ceremonies. Instruments included the double-reed aulos and a plucked string instrument, the lyre, principally a special kind called a kithara. Music was an important part of education, and boys were taught music starting at age six. Greek musical literacy created significant musical development. Greek music theory included the Greek musical modes, that eventually became the basis for Western religious and classical music. Later, influences from the Roman Empire, Eastern Europe, and the Byzantine Empire changed Greek music. The Sei kilos epitaph is the oldest surviving example of a complete musical composition, including musical notation, from anywhere in the world. The oldest surviving work written on the subject of music theory is Harmonica Stachia by Aristogenes.
Improvisers use the notes of the chord, various scales associated with each chord, and chromatic ornaments and passing tones which may be neither chord tones nor from the typical scales associated with a chord. Musical improvisation can be done with or without preparation. Improvisation is a major part of some types of music, such as blues, jazz, and jazz fusion, in which instrumental performers improvise solos, melody lines, and accompaniment parts.
In Western art music, improvisation was an important skill during the Baroque and Classical eras. In the Baroque era, performers improvised ornaments, and basso continuo keyboard players improvised chord voicings based on figured bass notation. As well, the top soloists were expected to be able to improvise pieces such as preludes. In the Classical era, solo performers and singers improvised virtuoso cadenzas during concerts.
However, in the 20th and early 21st century, as "common practice" Western art music performance became institutionalized in symphony orchestras, opera houses, and ballets, improvisation has played a smaller role, as more and more music was notated in scores and parts for musicians to play. At the same time, some 20th and 21st-century art music composers have increasingly included improvisation in their creative work. In Indian classical music, improvisation is a core component and an essential criterion of performances.
In Western art music, improvisation was an important skill during the Baroque and Classical eras. In the Baroque era, performers improvised ornaments, and basso continuo keyboard players improvised chord voicings based on figured bass notation. As well, the top soloists were expected to be able to improvise pieces such as preludes. In the Classical era, solo performers and singers improvised virtuoso cadenzas during concerts.
However, in the 20th and early 21st century, as "common practice" Western art music performance became institutionalized in symphony orchestras, opera houses, and ballets, improvisation has played a smaller role, as more and more music was notated in scores and parts for musicians to play. At the same time, some 20th and 21st-century art music composers have increasingly included improvisation in their creative work. In Indian classical music, improvisation is a core component and an essential criterion of performances.