konpa

Compas, a beloved Haitian music and dance genre inspired by merengue and infused with percussion, has made UNESCO’s cultural heritage list. The syncopated rhythm, created in the 1950s, wafts from bars, bedrooms and businesses across Haiti, lifting spirits and providing solace from the country’s grinding poverty and soaring gang violence.

Konpa — Haiti’s signature sound —is gaining widespread popularity and merging with genres like Afrobeats and soul, influencing artists in Palm Beach County. A new song released during Haitian Heritage Month reflects this movement.

Tabou Combo is one of the biggest bands to come out of Haiti. They're celebrating just over 50 years of being what they call the “ambassadors of…