70 Years Later, Compas Still Struggles to Conquer the World Stage

This week, compas direct celebrates its seventh decade. In 70 years, this iconic rhythm has offered magnificent performances and won hearts far beyond Haiti’s borders. Yet even today, one question remains: what is preventing konpa from gaining broader international recognition?

In the lead-up to the 70th anniversary of compas direct (konpa dirèk in Creole), several observers have suggested that this original Haitian rhythm could have achieved much more. On the program Panel Magik, Tuesday, July 22, 2025, the question was posed to Clément Bélizaire and Rolls Lainé in an effort to identify the obstacles to the international expansion of konpa.

For Rolls Lainé, drummer of the band Djakout #1, konpa has indeed reached an international audience, as evidenced by the recent suc

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