A rhythm with a name
Nemours Jean-Baptiste built compas direct out of the dance music of his time and gave it a shape people could follow with their bodies. The dialogue between rhythmic, harmonic and melodic instruments drives each song toward a peak — the point where, in Rosenthal’s description, dancers close their eyes, swing their heads from shoulder to shoulder, and reach their arms toward the ceiling.
Where the band played
Through the late 1950s and 1960s the ensemble held dance nights across Port-au-Prince: Radio Port-au-Prince, Mahotière, Club Camaraderie, Casino International, Cabane Créole, Palmiste Night-Club, the Palladium, Cabane Choucoune, and the cinema festivals at the Rex, the Lido and the Magic Ciné. The band performed regularly at Cabane Choucoune until 1969.
How compas direct took hold
- 1957The first two songsThe first version of compas direct arrives with two numbers: Machande Callebasses and Des pti piti Callebasses.
- 1958New York, and a new sound on returnThe Ensemble aux Callebasses makes its first trip to New York, organized by Jean Lumarque. On returning, the band adds timbales and electric guitar — a first in Haitian dance music.
- 1958–60The rivalry with Jazz des JeunesA fierce public argument with Jazz des Jeunes draws in young poets including Jean Brierre and Roussan Camille, fought out in verse on both sides.
- to 1969Cabane ChoucouneRegular performances continue at Cabane Choucoune through the end of the decade.
