#466: New CD With All Original Compas Songs (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Hoover, Julie H. <Hoover@pbworld.com>

Anyone who enjoys compas music will be interested in the new CD Reminiscence
by Sergio Compa Band.  Serge Lafontant, a Haitian living in New York, has
put together an album of compas music as a tribute to Nemours Jn. Baptiste.
All the songs are original--written, arranged, and played by Lafontant and
his band.

>From the mid-40s to the 50s, nightclubs in Haiti played only records--mostly
Dominican and Cuban songs.  The few bands that existed only played for
private weddings and birthday parties.    Then came Nemours, who founded a
band called "Conjunto International", featuring Webert Sicot, which started
playing in Kenscoff at a club called "Aux Calebasses".  They only played on
Sundays from 6 to 11.  Lafontant was greatly influenced by his music as a
young boy.

At first the band was playing largely Dominican music.  Then Nemours began
writing and playing his own Haitian music while performing in a Carrefour
nightclub.  The band, which was now called "Ensemble Aux Calebasses" after
the nightclub, grew in size and popularity although Sicot left.

Eventually Nemours decided to fly with his own wings.  As his band (now
called Ensemble Nemours Jn. Baptiste) was practicing, Nemours was suddenly
inspired with a vision for a different rhythm he called "compas direct".
This music quickly caught on and soon people were asking for it all over
Haiti.  Many other bands followed his steps and began to play the compas
music.  Thus, the era of foreign, recorded music in nightclubs happily
ended.

Reminiscence honors this legacy by offering a tribute to Nemours and his
rhythm.  CDs can be ordered by sending $16.99 to Serge Lafontant, 109
Waverly Place, NY, NY 10011.  For more information call Serge at (212)
260-1747 or E-mail him at hoover@pbworld.com.  Alternatively, sample songs
can be heard on MP3.com under "Sergio Compa".  You can listen to two tracks
and download them in MP3 format for free.  When you like the music (which
you will), you can buy it in digital format.