36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a beautiful country!!, September 18, 2002
This review is from: Rough Guide to the Music of Haiti (Audio CD)
Its very sad that Haiti gets such a bad name. Unfortunately, it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. But, there is so much more to this country. It has gorgeous weather all year round, is rich in beautiful music, art, and delicious food!! Delicoso!! This cd is a great overview of what so many people are missing out on. I live in NY, where there is a huge Haitian immigrant population. So, I know very well the beauty of this culture. This cd features Konpa(Haitian Dance Music, compas direct- which is a combination of Konpa and merengue from the neighboring country of the Domincan Republic, cuban son, jazz, troubadors, racine( roots music connected to the voodoo religion, and even rap!! Boukman Eksperyans is a popular racine group, which can be considered like the Bob Marley of Haiti. They speak of politics, and fighting all the problems of the country, and the world. Tabou Combo is a band that's been around over 30 years, still producing great Konpa music! Le Roi Coupe Cloue is featured as well. He is considered the king of Konpa and had been producing music for over 30 years as well. The unofficial National Anthem is featured, "Ayiti Cherie." If you know any Haitan or French-Speaking people, you know that, "cherie," is a very common word used in their culture. It means, "darling."
My only gripe with this cd is that Emeline Michel is not featured.:( She is the Haitian Queen of Creole song.
But, this is a necessity for world music lovers!! If you like this, I suggest you also pick up The Rough Guide To Congolese Soukous. I believe Martinican zouk, Haitan Konpa, and Congolese Soukous have a similar sound. They make you want to dance! Go Haiti!!
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