Haiti Sound Newsroom launching daily kompa charts
Stay tuned — our journalists in Port-au-Prince and Miami are preparing fresh stories.
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HaitiSoundVodou Beats
The loudest platform for Haitian music culture. Kompa, rara, rasin, rap kreyòl and zouk — stories, radio, artists and festivals from the island to the diaspora. Feel the drums. Feel Ayiti.
2.4M+Monthly listeners
480+Artists covered
12YOn air since 2013
35Cities / festivals
▶ LIVE
KOMPA • RARA • RASIN • VODOU DRUMS • RAP KREYÒL • ZOUK • KOMPA • RARA • RASIN • VODOU DRUMS • RAP KREYÒL • ZOUK •
01 — WHO WE ARE
About Haiti Sound
ON AIR: Rasin Kreyòl Mix
Tanbou + electric guitars • 128 BPM
Tanbou + electric guitars • 128 BPM
We amplify Ayiti — from lakou drums to global stages.
HaitiSound.com was born in Port-au-Prince as a street studio recording rara bands during Kanaval. Today we are a media house, label curator and festival crew connecting Haiti with its diaspora in Miami, Montreal, New York and Paris.
We document the sound of resistance and joy: the sacred tanbou rhythms of Vodou ceremonies, the brass fire of rara, the smooth love of kompa invented by Nemours Jean-Baptiste, the roots rebellion of rasin (Boukan Ginen, RAM, Kanis), and the new wave of rap kreyòl, afrobeats and EDM kreyòl.
🎙️ Daily newsroomInterviews, reviews, charts every day.
📻 24/7 RadioKompa, rara, gospel & talk.
🎪 FestivalsKanaval, Fête Champêtre, Diaspora Fest.
🎓 Archive5000+ vinyls & tapes digitized.
02 — SOUND MAP
Genres that move Haiti
Since 1955
Kompa
Smooth guitars, brass & endless love. Tabou Combo, T-Vice, Carimi, Nu-Look.
Street fire
Rara
Bamboo vaksin, drums & chant. Kanaval energy all year long.
Roots
Rasin / Vodou
Sacred rhythms meet rock. RAM, Boukman Eksperyans, Lakou Mizik.
New wave
Rap Kreyòl
Wendyyy, Izolan, Baky — raw Port-au-Prince storytelling.
03 — LEGENDS & NEW BLOOD
Artists we champion
Kompa Legends
Tabou Combo, Septentrional, Tropicana
The ambassadors who took kompa from Haiti to the Olympia in Paris, Central Park and Tokyo. Their horns still define celebration.
Rasin Power
RAM, Boukman Eksperyans, Lakou Mizik
From Hotel Oloffson Thursdays to NPR Tiny Desk — roots music as resistance, spirituality and community healing.
Diaspora Wave
Joé Dwèt Filé, Oswald, Rutshelle, Kanis
Kompa-zouk fusion dominating French charts, TikTok and summer festivals from Fort-de-France to Montreal.
Underground
Wendyyy, Baky, Troubleboy, Mecsup
Rap kreyòl from Cité Soleil to Delmas — 10M+ YouTube views without major labels. Pure hustle.
04 — TIMELINE
70 years of Haitian groove
From meringue to streaming — how a small island invented one of the world's most danceable sounds.
1955 — BIRTH OF KOMPA
Nemours Jean-Baptiste electrifies meringue
Ensemble Aux Callebasses creates kompa direct. Dancehalls in Port-au-Prince explode.
1968 — TABOU COMBO TO WORLD
Haiti's Rolling Stones go global
Petion-Ville youngsters conquer Panama, Paris and New York with endless touring.
1991 — RASIN REVOLUTION
Boukman Eksperyans at Carnival & Grammys
Kalfou Danjere nominated for Grammy. Vodou drums on MTV.
2004 — RAP KREYÒL
Barikad Crew speaks for the ghetto
Street anthems become national hymns. Kreyòl becomes lyrical weapon.
2025 — HAITI SOUND 2.0
Streaming + vinyl revival
Kompa passes 1B Spotify streams. We digitize 5000 tapes and launch 24/7 radio.
05 — NEWSROOM • UPDATED DAILY
Fresh beats & stories
Concerts, album drops, interviews and street reports. Click any story to read the full article.
Kanaval 2026
Jacmel • Cap-Haïtien
3 days, 40 bands, 200k people. Rara, kompa trucks, electronic lakou. Press accreditation open.
Get tickets infoUpcoming dates
- NOV 15 — Lakou Mizik + RAM
Port-au-Prince • Hotel Oloffson Thursday - DEC 07 — Kompa Festival Miami
Bayfront Park • Nu-Look, Vayb, Zafem - JAN 18 — Diaspora Fest Montreal
Kanis, Rutshelle, Wendyyy - FEB 09 — Kanaval Opening Parade
Champ de Mars • 20 rara bands
06 — FAQ
Questions about Haiti Sound
What is Haiti Sound?
We are an independent Haitian music platform: news, 24/7 radio, artist database, vinyl archive and festival organizer. Our mission is to preserve and promote kompa, rara, rasin and new kreyòl sounds worldwide.
What is kompa music?
Kompa (konpa dirèk) was created in 1955 by Nemours Jean-Baptiste. It blends Haitian meringue with jazz and Caribbean rhythms, played with guitars, brass, keyboards and driving percussion. It's Haiti's national dance music.
What is rara and rasin?
Rara is street festival music with bamboo trumpets (vaksin), drums and call-and-response singing during Lent and Kanaval. Rasin (roots) fuses Vodou sacred rhythms with rock and funk — RAM and Boukman Eksperyans are icons.
How can I listen to your radio?
Tap Listen Live at the top. Our stream runs 24/7: morning rara workouts, midday kompa love, evening rap kreyòl and night vodou jazz sessions.
How do artists submit music?
Send your EPK, two singles in MP3/WAV and a short bio via our contact form below. We listen to everything every Friday and feature 5 new artists weekly in the news section.
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