The
name is a portmanteau of Kompa and Compact, a sub-genre of Compas direct (
French) (Haitian Creole: "konpa"), or kompa, the four-on-the-floor, upbeat genre that was invented in the 1950s, by Nemours Jean-Baptiste.
For short, KomPak is a modern style of Haitian dance
music originating from the Haitian Diaspora.
The term was coined in
2018 by René Guemps, the Founding member of NYC-
based independent label Negre Marron Records
Key stylistic element:
Vocals include a blend of SingRapping, Kompa. Modern
are sung in Haitian
French-Creole, Crenglish, and Franglish, usually Feature a Lead a guest artist or Backing Vocalist or a Rapper who 'd contribute a guest verse.
Unlike traditional Compas Dirèk which uses dozen-piece ensembles with large horn sections
include (Trompet, Trombone, alto/tenor saxes)
and the two congueros or "tanbou", one of the most distinctive characteristics of compas
music
Which is also a trait common to many styles of Caribbean
music and other percussion (gong, cowbell, guiro).
Now a days the physical typical musical instruments are rarely used and are replaced to smaller outfits featuring the use of electronic
music technology, such as synthedisers, samplers, electronic percussion, backing track, Sequencers, Drum Machine, Loops, Sound effects, EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument, Keytar, Keybass, MIDI, Drum machines,
Melody, Personal computers and Digital Audio Workstations (DAW)..
