I was always a fan of kompa music (D.P. Express, Scorpio, Coupe Cloue etc.) because that was what my dad listened to in the car. He took me to my first gig (Night Club in Delmas) and I finally saw Tabou Combo. About this time, I had a friend who had started listening to kompa mamba (Coupe Cloue) over the last year, and he told me to go out and check coupe cloue's album St Antoine. So I did. At first I was like WTF!?! at the words but the guitar sound just blew me away. Bearing in mind that my virgin ears had never listened to anything of sort. After a couple of listens I realised that clean singing in this kind of music wouldn't work properly and that actually, I liked the cursing. Of course once I had heard one coupe cloue album I wanted to hear more, and the next time coupe cloue played locally I was there.
Whilst kompa mamba really changed my music tastes I would also have to say that the sheer influence of seeing a band live has changed my outlook on music. I will often hear from a friend that such-and-such is playing and would I like to go. More often than not I have seen the name in the related videos section on muziklakay.com or heard the odd song, but since I love seeing bands I will say ok. Then I go out and listen to whole discographies, and will look up the support bands as well, if not before the gig, then definitely afterwards and thus, my Haitian music library expands.
I am far more open minded with music these days, but will never say I listen to everything. I tend to hate cheesy music. I love me some Zenglen, Nu look, dissip, Djakout and so on. No Kompa music is "too heavy" for me but I don't like band with no inspiration or lack off.
In many ways I only had one major change in my kompa music taste, but it has since grown so much that it almost seems strange that it could all be related.
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