Konpa Glossary
Essential terms for understanding Haitian Konpa music, culture, and traditions.
Categories
Bal
🇭🇹 Culture & TraditionsA dance party or ball, often featuring live Konpa bands.
Compas Direct
🎵 Music & StylesThe original name given by Nemours Jean-Baptiste to the modern Haitian dance style he developed in the 1950s.
Djaz
🎵 Music & StylesCreole word for "band." Often used to refer to Konpa groups.
Kata
🥁 Rhythm & InstrumentsThe repeating cymbal pattern in Konpa; gives the groove its shimmering top layer.
Kloch
🥁 Rhythm & InstrumentsCowbell – marks time clearly in Konpa rhythm. Dancers often follow the cowbell to stay on beat.
Kompa
✏️ Spelling & LanguageA widely used but non-standard spelling often seen in media and flyers.
Konpa
✏️ Spelling & LanguageModern Haitian dance music and dance; the standardized Haitian Creole spelling of the term.
Méringue
🎵 Music & StylesA Haitian dance and music style that contributed to the birth of Konpa. Not to be confused with Dominican merengue.
Merengue
🎵 Music & StylesA Dominican dance and music style that influenced the rhythmic drive and orchestration of Konpa.
Mini-Jazz
🎵 Music & StylesA smaller, guitar-centered band format that emerged in the 1960s–70s, bringing rock and soul influences to Konpa.
Nouvel Jenerasyon
🎵 Music & Styles"New Generation" – youth-driven bands from the 1980s–90s that updated Konpa's image, lyrics, and stage performance.
Rara
🇭🇹 Culture & TraditionsA Haitian street music tradition, especially during Easter season, featuring horns and percussion. Influences some Konpa arrangements.
Tanbou
🥁 Rhythm & InstrumentsThe bass drum in a Konpa rhythm section; sets the low, central heartbeat.
Tchatcha
🥁 Rhythm & InstrumentsShakers used in Konpa percussion; fill the spaces with light, high textures.
Twoubadou
🎵 Music & StylesA traditional style featuring small groups with guitars and vocals, often romantic and poetic. An important influence on Konpa.
Vodou
🇭🇹 Culture & TraditionsA Haitian spiritual tradition, often misunderstood outside Haiti, whose rhythms and chants have influenced many Haitian music styles including Konpa.
Zouk
🎵 Music & StylesA Caribbean music genre from the French Antilles that developed alongside and was influenced by Konpa. The two styles share rhythmic DNA.