Fantaisistes de Carrefour - Haiti Music Video

Les Ambassadeurs (LA) have been among a group of pioneer bands that began the Mini- Jazz music style in Haiti. Mini-Jazz evolved between 1964-1969, basing itself on the simple stylings of rock and roll bands from 1960-1964, before Britain's Beatles revolutionized the genré.

The new-style Kompa bands comprised an electric-lead and -rhythm guitars, electric bass, and polyrhythmic percussion instruments, defining Mini-Jazz. Frequently, the inclusion of a saxophone held down the melodic line. The Mini-Jazz movement took root in Port-au-Prince and its surrounding neighborhoods, led by innovative musician Shleu Shleu. The most noteworthy neighborhood bands, which grew to prominence along with LA, included Les Loups Noirs, Les Fantaisistes de Carrefour, Tabou Combo, Fréres Dé Jean, Les Difficiles, and Bossa Combo. They led the Mini-Jazz movement and other Caribbean countries soon followed suit.

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Mid-1960 known as the turning point of Haitian music, this was the time of popular middle class music movement. One of small music bands of that time, mini-djaz introduced kompa, (a well known music form of Haiti) in a more modern way. They transformed this traditional music form completely by pairing it with electric bass, electric guitar and other more trendy instruments. There was a lot of drumming in their music and they also not hesitated including saxophone and other uncommon Haitian instruments.

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