Les Fantaisistes de Carrefour Delivers Classic Konpa Mini-Jazz

Updated December 31, 2012 6:26 PM

The Mini-Jazz movement, which originated in the Port-au-Prince neighborhoods of Haiti, like Petionville, was a natural outgrowth of Haiti's pop dance music, Konpa. Or Compas, Compa, Kompa, depending on which spelling you prefer. The Mini-Jazz movement took off during the mid- to late sixties. Neighborhood Mini-Jazz bands sprouted like mushrooms, and a nexus of them both collaborated and competed with one another. Among the up-and-coming Mini-Jazz groups was Les Fantaisistes de Carrefour. Translated it means The Fantastics of Carrefour.

Les Fantaisistes de Carrefour produced a classic style of Mini-Jazz-influenced Konpa music. But they distinguished themselves through their unique style of drumming. Drummers of bands like Les Ambassadeurs or Les Shleu Shleu developed their own kind of patterning, and Les Fantaisistes de Carrefour's drummer was no exception. The manner in which Les Fantaisistes de Carrefour's drummer laid down the beat grounded the musicians, making them a musically tighter unit. In turn, Les Fantaisistes de Carrefour's tight playing allowed the sax player to weave sinewy melodic lines without losing the beat.

It is this level of musicianship that brought Les Fantaisistes de Carrefour to the forefront of the Mini-Jazz movement. Although some Konpa bands changed their names to position themselves as more formidable in the music scene (Les Gypsies became Scorpio Universel), Les Fantaisistes de Carrefour remained confident in their playing abilities. Les Fantaisistes de Carrefour still plays at shows and concerts, keeping dancers stepping and swaying to their catchy beats all night long.

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