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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 1950 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.

PLAYLIST:
Nemours Jean Baptiste: Ce Fon' Nana Bouche
Webert Sicot & son Super Ensemble: Carnaval en Beauté
Les Difficiles de Pétion-Ville: Tué Lampe
Les Shleu-Shleu: Haiti & Shleu-Shleu
Les Fantaisistes d'Haïti: Compas VI
Les Pachas du Canapé Vert: Samba Pachas No. 2
Les Vikings d'Haïti: Choc Vikings
Trio Select w/Gesner Henry (Coupé Cloué): Gros Bambou
Rodrigue et Toto: Pa Fém 'Ca
Skah Shah: Guêpe Pangnole
Bossa Combo: Tribulations
Gardner Lalanne et Son Combo: Yé Yé
Ibo Combo: Souffrance
Les Docteurs du Rythme: Ven pa' el Medio del Salon
Les Gypsies de Pétion-Ville: Tristesse
Bossa Combo: Femm'ca
Les Frères Déjean: L'Artibonite
Nemours Jean-Baptiste: Ralliement
Les Loups Noirs: Haïti Mon Pays
Ensemble le Progrès: Mon Pe Pardoné'm
Orchestre Tropicana, La Fusée d'Or d'Haïti: Chère Haïti
Coupé Cloué: Kiliboi
Tuco et les Frères Déjean: Mr. Magic
Dixie Band: Roulé

"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.