Konpa's Missing Element

[Machiavel]

I am not a musician nor do I have any musical talent. However, I do have ears and they can be quite astute. When I listen to most popular rhythms in the U.S, Reggae, Hip Hop, Salsa, etc., I feel that our music is missing some kick to it. Every band wants to "kalé symbal" and the bass/percussion elements are strongly neglected. Could this be why Zouk has been surpassing our music? When will our bands start to have a more prominent "ban deye" along with the cymbal.

I am all for an experimental band that's willing to try a different twist to konpa. Maybe the gong player can play the gong with two sticks and get rid of the cowbell. What do you guys think?

[trackmaster]

[Ben1265]

I disagree. I think the instrument that make the typical ban dèyè are just fine: Batri, tanbou, gong. However, I do think the tanbou (Congas) is losing emphasis. It's getting harder to hear it, perhaps because today's sound engineers have a lesser appreciation for it.
Just boost the congas back up.

[VladVice]

[Machiavel]

Ben,
How do you explain the fact the batri man has a huge drum set in front of him, and you hardly ever see him use it, except for a few breaks? Let's face it. Konpa, unless some changes are made, will never be marketable to the world. Salsa was able to get over because of its dance, but in konpa, we have nothing to market the product, except for the music.
I am all for some tweaking and we should start with the ban deye. Some other rhthmic elements need to go alongside the cynbal.

We can either invent a new dance for konpa or make some changes to the way the music is played in order to make it marketable.

[bobbinefile]

Machia vel, this is an interesting topic that you have started. After all, machia vel you are not so machia vel

"

[Ben1265]

[Machiavel]

I say if our drummers can't use the drum sets to thier full potential, then you should not have a drumstick in one hand a synbal in the other.

[Kunta]

I blame the lack of percussion in compas on the Zouk influence. The late 80s saw a rash of bands trying to play the Compas/Zouk style. When you listen to Zouk, you mostly hear the Cadance (kata rhytm) as a percussion. The Haitian Nouvelle Generationmovement , which had no Zouk infleunce, of Zekle and Caribbean sextet had a heavier percussion than the Zouk style of compas ie early Zin. From that, outside/foreign musical elements, mostly Zouk and RnB, toned down our need for percussion. The mellow Compas gets, the softer the percussion went. When Compas went to the COMPAS LOVE beat per minute, it was the end for percussion style of compas or music by compas bands ie Boleros.
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