WGXC-90.7 FM

Music for the Masses: The Golden Age of Compas Direct

May 21, 2023: 1pm - 3pm
WGXC 90.7-FM: Radio for Open Ears

90.7-FM in NY's Upper Hudson Valley and wgxc.org/listen everywhere
http://www.wgxc.org/

Hosted by Neva E. Wartell.

A celebration of Haitian Flag Day (May 18), an occasion of pride and festivity commemorating the national flag, which was created during the Haitian revolution of self-liberated enslaved people (1791-1804) and adopted by the world’s first Black-led republic on May 18, 1803. In this broadcast, a selection of classic recordings by the great Haitian dance bands of the 1950s through ‘70s, who created the genre of “compas direct,” aka “compas” or “konpa,” still among the most enduring and popular music styles enjoyed throughout the Caribbean and around the world.

"Music for the Masses" invites you on an excursion of sound and rhythm. Discover the music of established and emerging artists, both signed and unsigned, on the international music scene. For the avid globe-hopper and armchair traveler alike. You might want to pack a map and a sandwich. Catskill resident "DJ Neva" is an ethnomusicologist, producer, and long-time cultural activist, specializing in music from the entire African continent, as well as the Caribbean and Latin America, the Maghreb and Middle East, and the Roma (Gypsy) diaspora. Formerly the producer of "Continental Drift" on WBAI-FM and New York International on Haitian community station Radio Soleil in NYC. The show is broadcast live from Catskill, NY.

Playlists and more information here.

Selection of original DJ mixes here.

Playlist:
  • Rocas Rojas / William Parker
  • Compas vi / Les Fantaisistes d’Haïti
  • Samba Pachas No. 2 / Les Pachas Du Canapé Vert
  • Choc vikings / Les Vikings d'Haiti
  • Gros Bambou / Trio Select Maestro, Vocal Gesner Henry Dit 'Coupe Cloue'
  • Pa Fem' Sa / Rodrigue Et Toto
  • Guepe pangnole / Skah Shah
  • Yéyé / Les Loups Noirs
  • Souffrance / Ibo Combo
  • Pa cole, Pt. 2 / Les Shleu-Shleu
  • L'Artibonite / Les Freres Dejean
  • Mon pe pardoné'm / Altieri Dorival
  • Chère Haïti / Orchestre Tropicana
  • Roulé / Dixie Band