Timeline | Stages of konpa through 70 years

NEW YORK — Haitians have always drawn inspiration from music in other continents, cultures and circumstances — blending them exceptionally well. In 1955, that openness gave us konpa. Since then, the genre has evolved as a core rhythm blended with ever-newer technologies, talent and trends. 

Here’s a look at the key moments in konpa’s evolution, based on interviews with living legends, previous reporting and music history books. 

Photo Credits 

• Pre-1955 — Haitians celebrating in front of the Garde d’Haïti 1946.jpg – Wikimedia Commons – Haitians celebrating in front of the Garde d’Haïti headquarters in Port-au-Prince after a military junta ousted President Élie Lescot circa 11 January 1946.  Credit: The Chicago Defender via Wikimedia Commons
• 1955 — Nemours Jean-Baptiste and band members in 1957. Dream Variants Blog 
• 1960s-1970s — Image of Les Difficiles de Petion-ville circa 1973. Credit: Emmanuel Mirtil, Musiques D’haïti / Musiques Haïtiennes, http://musique.haiti.free.fr/discographie
• 1980s-1990s — Screenshot of Zin performing on stage in the 1990s. Credit: Sylvestre Production via YouTube
• 2000s-2010s —  Nu Look’s Arly Lariviere completing participating in the worldwide ice bucket challenge while on stage, 2014. Haitian Times file photo
• 2020s-Present —  DJ Colmix at Banbôch Kreyol, an annual celebration of Haitian music and culture at the Coney Island Amphitheater in Brooklyn, New York, on Sunday, May 26, 2024. Credit: Bill Farrington

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