Category Music

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Mar 19 2011

“FOK MWEN ALE” BY P-JAY feat FLAV: THE REVIEW

From left to right: Flav & P-Jay

This video clip of the song entitled Fok Mwen Ale by P-Jay featuring Athlet “Flav” St. Fleur of the Konpa band Gabel, produced by RKM Recordz and directed by LC Studios, is a breakthrough in the way videos are being produced in the Creole Rap circle.

Anyone who listens to the song can easily depict this basic fact that it is a love-story-based one brought to us in harmony initially on CD and now on the screen only to cater to our needs.

The interaction between the rapping skills of P-Jay and the R&B spice of Flav added into the mix makes a perfect combo, and it is deemed to play well on the sensuality of the ladies.

This piece would not be honest writing if it fails to address the professional touch the directing party, LC Studios, brings into the filming and editing of the clip. From the actors’ audacity and boldness (to keenly play their roles) to the craftsmanship of the directing party, everything is perfectly assembled.

Fok Mwen Ale, whether or not it is based on a true story, is yet to be determined. One thing we know for certain, however, is that it is exposing a very serious issue, one many out there have dealt with in the past or are currently dealing with.

 

The story is about P-Jay and Ms. Sariah, who were in a romantic relationship for some time. And like the majority of the relationships out there, theirs was going great initially until something happened that got him to be doubtful of her faithfulness; he had a gut feeling that she was having an affair outside the relationship but was not sure who the person was. In his effort to uncover the “whole” truth, he hired Garou, a private detective, to help him get to the bottom of it. What transpired from Garou’s report was that, indeed, she was having an affair with this woman named Kira. When P-Jay got the breaking news, he went ballistic and still would not believe it until he saw with his own eyes that the two women went out on a date and, on the table where they sat at, found two glasses of wine with red lipstick on them.

What could possibly have gone wrong in the relationship to push her to cheat on him with a woman? Could it be that she has always been a closeted bisexual or he pushed her to turn to someone of the same sex to give her the things she has been craving for in the relationship?

However divided we can be in the rationale we tend to use to get the situation to make sense to us, we all can agree on one thing: this is very humiliating; no one man would want to be in such predicament.

Most men would rather see their woman cheat on them with another man than with a woman; such brings their ego and pride down and makes them feel less than a man.  

Unlike P-Jay, who sees no other alternatives but to leave the relationship, some men would have stayed and possibly allowed themselves to be taken in sandwich by the two women. To these men, P-Jay lacks in his manhood for leaving the relationship; he needs to step his game up.

See, while most men would find issues with their woman cheating on them with a woman, it is a big accomplishment or ego-booster for them to be in a ménage à trois with her, where the women are doing each other.

There is a reason why this video is one of the most viewed Creole Rap videos on Youtube for the two weeks or so it has been released. The reason is that -aside from the niceness of the song itself and the professional touch of the video director -there is a story being told in it, and the sex acts are or appear to be real (with real kisses and touches), at least as far as our eyes can see.

Whatever your moral acuity is, do your best to watch it with an open-minded attitude and enjoy it for what it is –a video clip. You may call the cheating woman, Ms. Sariah, immoral for what she did, but she may not see it that way. In her eyes, she may see it as embarking on a quest for happiness. After all, what she thinks of her action is what matters.

Jan 30 2011

BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS FOR HAITIAN BANDS

Harmonik's Nicky, Sanders and Mac D

This is an eight-step document designed to help the bands in the Haitian music business to reach the threshold of success. These bands or musical formations are so poorly structured and managed that it must not surprise anyone that they are not doing as great as they should. But there is a chance for them to turn things around; they just have to be flexible and adaptive to reform.

If you are a band owner or someone who is planning on putting a band together, here are the things I think you must do to prevent your business from falling in the hole of failure and chaos most of these bands in the business have been:

  1. You must have a name to represent and identify your band in the business. Some people think that the choice of a name for a business or product is simple; it is not that simple. This could be the most difficult step. When choosing a name for a business, that name must be meaningful (it must mean something), short, easy to pronounce and easy to remember. It must also be a name you can easily use to create slogans with to help the business in its marketing strategy. If the consumer can sing or repeat the name of your business in a simple slogan, it will stick with imagery.
  2. You have to determine and identify your target markets. That means you have to ask yourself this simple question, who do I want to produce this product for or who will be interested in buying it? Unless you are a dumb investor, I don’t know one person who would invest a capital to produce a product knowing that no one in the market will be interested in buying it. This is a VERY important element. Let’s be honest with ourselves. The entertainment market is so fragmented that it tends to be extremely difficult and even impossible to try to satisfy everyone at once. It is not that there is an industry norm that says you cannot do it, but it will be way better and easier for you to zero on some specific and clear segments of the market. If you identify your target markets early in the process, that will help you to focus on your strategies to reach your goals.
  3. You must have a startup operating budget. Money is everything, especially in the entertainment world. I don’t give a damn how great your band plays; if you don’t have money to finance your operation or execute your plan, you are wasting your time. And my advice to you is to go do something else. Well, if you love being exploited or taken advantage of, you can choose to have someone finance your operation and get paid chunk change while he or she is raking all the papers. It all depends on what you want. Music production costs money -regardless your location on earth. It is a lucrative endeavor; therefore, people want their shares of the pie.
  4. Your lineup must be on point on every front -music, look and style. Try to hire professional and career musicians, not a bunch of amateurs. Experience saves you time, and time is a major factor in the entertainment world as it is an ever-changing landscape. In the look and style department, if your guys need help, and I believe they do, have a stylist on board in your staff or working for you as a consultant to work with them because they have to look appealing and mainstream to the segments of the market you are trying to target. In other words, they have to be trendy. Being trendy has nothing to do with wearing expensive clothing; it has to do, rather, with attitude, charisma, style and confidence. You can have the most expensive garments on and you look like a “gwo soulye,” a “gwayil” or a “madigra mal maske.” So you have got to get it right because what people see does impact how they think and behave.
  5. Take your time to drop a banging product. Don’t be rushing to come out empty-handed. Let your product introduce you to and position you in the business. Brand identity and brand differentiation are two important concepts in marketing. Your product is your resume. It tells a lot about who you are (your identity) and your qualifications (your potentials or what you are capable of doing). So you have to come out with your resume in your hands for the market to take you seriously. That’s how you make impact.
  6. Your marketing must be tight. In addition to points 1, 2, 4 and 5, being all elements of your marketing strategy, your promotion must be exemplary for its aggressiveness. Promotion is all about making noise by any possible means necessary to garner expected positive results. You have to use every single medium out there to promote your brand and product. If you want to maintain a competitive edge over your competitors, you must be willing to go the extra mile and do the things they are not doing. Use your imagination and your creative ability to captivate the attention of the market.
  7. Maintaining media discipline in your media relations strategy is something I often talk about. It is how you deal and interact with the media. The media is very powerful; it can make or break your business in a matter of seconds. You have to be very careful in your dealings or interaction with them. So you have to have someone in your staff or working with or for you as a consultant to be the mouthpiece of your business. You have to maintain discipline within your ranks, meaning you have to be able to control your troops. You cannot have 8 members in a band and each and every one of them thinks they can seize the podium or spotlight at any given time and say things to create PR faux pas and, as a result, place your business in a very uncomfortable position -where you will be spending countless amount of time doing damage control. That’s why you must have one person to talk on behalf of the business. Should someone have to come out to give an interview, that person must be coached and prepared for the event by the PR person. Impression is everything. If you want the market to respect your business, you start off by respecting it first.
  8. You must have a competent staff working with and for the band. I already stress the importance and role of two staffers -the stylist and the PR person.
  • You also need an event bookkeeper. That person’s responsibility is to go out there to connect the band with the promoters or event planners to find and create events for the band to showcase. That person has a huge responsibility. He or she will have to handle the band’s schedule to make sure there is no overlapping in the schedule. He or she is also responsible for making travel arrangements for the musicians so that they can be at their locations on time to perform. You can call that person the point man or woman in terms of who to call to negotiate gigs with or book the band for events. That’s a very powerful position to hold. He or she is like the band’s official salesperson.
  • You will also need an accountant to account for all the cash inflow and outflow for the administration. Whenever there is money flowing around, in whatever line of business, it is always recommended that there is an accountant on board to keep record of all the financial transactions. It is the best thing to do for accountability purposes. That person can be an in-house staffer or an outside contractor. He or she, in due time, can also play the role of a financial adviser to monitor the market and give the manager the best possible financial advice in terms of looking at the pros and cons of making a specific investment.
  • You need a knowledgeable business/entertainment lawyer. You can outsource the service of that person as it could be costly to have such cadre permanently in your staff. You will need to seek legal advice on key legal matters (issues having to do with contract litigation, copyright infringement, so on and so forth). So whenever necessary, you can always have that person to consult with in your decision making apparatus.
  • You must have a band leader, music director, maestro, or however you wanna call him or her. That person is critical for the success of the band. He or she has two important functions –administrative and technical. He or she is the one to go out to recruit musicians to bring on board to meet the vision and objectives set forth by the manager of the band. He or she is the chief of the technical staff of the business –the musicians. His or her job is to technically prepare the band’s schedule for rehearsal sessions, select the songs that will be in the band’s live repertoire, work in the studio with the musicians on the structure and making of the songs to be featured on the band’s album and outsource (if necessary) the musicians to contribute to its production, call on the dress code for the musicians for each event, and decide on the point and time of rendezvous as to where and when the musicians are to meet for a specific event. He or she is the only musician to have a permanent seat in the band’s management’s staff meetings to serve as informant or liaison between the musicians (his or her team) and management. This person must have leadership, administrative and technical skills. He or she has to be just as knowledgeable in music structure as he would be in administration and leadership.
  • Last but not least, you need an astute, skillful and professional manager.  This person’s responsibility is extremely huge. This is not someone you hire because he or she claims to have a few dollars in the band, is a good friend or relative of the band’s owner, is a “big boss,” or claims to be influential in the business. He or she must be placed in that position for his or her astuteness, skillfulness, professionalism and leadership skills. He or she plays the role of a coordinator and resource allocator to facilitate the responsibility of each and every staff member. He or she sets the path or objectives in terms of where the band should be heading. He or she endorses, approves of, or appose his or her signature at the bottom of every single administrative decision having to do with the band’s business. Nothing should bypass him or her, for he or she has his or her eyes on every aspect of the business. He or she calls for weekly staff meetings to inform his or her staff and be informed on the band’s activity and operation. Like that, everyone will be on the same sheet of music and playing the same tune. He or she is the leader or the band’s CEO. That person’s sole responsibility is to manage the band as a complete and compact entity and make sure every member of his or her staff does exactly what is expected of them.

I think we need to be doing things differently, meaning the way we are supposed to in this Haitian music business. How can we be competitive when we are doing the same old and archaic things over and over and expecting different and better results, especially when the entertainment world is an ever-changing environment? It is impossible, is it not? We are living in a very competitive global market; therefore, if we cannot be playing right and smart, we are going to be outperformed continuously. And like that, as always, we are going to hold that we are doomed and destined to not be successful in anything, when such is not true. It is our approach to doing things that is preventing us from getting ahead. There is always one right way to do anything. Let’s learn how to do things right and apply what we learn the correct way (without resorting to shortcuts); we will then be amazed to see how exponentially we will progress. I hope this blueprint for success, while it is not perfect, does help all of you to embrace the music business with a revolutionary and winning state of mind.

Dec 14 2010

SONSON OF T-VICE AT THE CENTER OF A PR STORM

Sonson, the drummer of T-Vice

I did not know anything about this controversial statement by Sonson, the drummer of the Kompa band T-Vice, until a friend of mine suggested that I watch the video interview and address the controversy. I did promise to her that I will, so here I am placing it under my microscopic lens.

Patrick Desvarieux of Kompamagazine.com, during a three-question video interview published on Sunday, December 12, 2010, had this exchange with the drummer.

P D: Are we better off being occupied by the United States, or let Haiti do what they gotta do?

Sonson: Hey, you really don’t want me to answer that question. No disrespect to the people over there, but I’m a United States citizen. Whatever happens over there happens over there; it happens for a reason. I always say everything happens for a reason. I think this is God doing his job or he’s doing his work because Haiti needs some real help… I live in the United States… I’m handling my business. Whatever they do there, they do there. I’m doing me. That’s it.

P D: So you don’t care about Haiti right now?

Sonson: No… no! I take care of my peoples in Haiti which are Lagonave –which is far away from all that trouble and all that BS. I take care of them; that’s it. Whatever happens to Haiti… if/whenever I go to Haiti, I go to Haiti to make my money and I leave. That’s it.

You can watch the complete video clip by clicking on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElOJXZ4Nmi8

Well, well, well… this is really sad for him to feel this way about Haiti. Though he makes himself a convenient target or a perfect prey for media assassination or crucifixion, I am not going to be too harsh on him. Being harsh on him, what for? Like most of us, I don’t think he was born and raised in Haiti to know much about the country, enough to develop a certain level of affinity for it.

I cannot blame him for feeling the way he does about the land of his mother and father. Listening to him, anyone with a great acumen can depict this degree of disconnect between him and Haiti. It is that obvious. For that, I don’t think he should be blamed. It is like asking him to care about Sudan -a country totally foreign to him, which he may not know anything about. Rather, I would definitely hold his parents accountable. For him to express such sentiment of insensitiveness towards Haiti, the country that gave birth to his father and mother, it could be that his parents have never wanted to see him associated with it.

Apparently, he does not feel related to Haiti in any shape or form, other than traveling over there to milk the cow. It is sad, but what can we do if the man was not raised to know about and appreciate his roots? For many Haitian parents, it is a step-up to raise their foreign born kids in complete ignorance of anything having to do with Haiti –the Creole language, the music, the lifestyle, etc… so that they can be proud -whenever they are talking to their friends and relatives -saying to them that their kids don’t speak Creole; “se blan yo ye wi. Yo pat fet Ayiti non. Yo pa konn yon mo Kreyol la kote w we yo ye la.”

Yes, he could have displayed more of a sense of maturity and been more politically correct like the rest of his bandmates in the way he formulated his answers, but then again you cannot ask the man to give something he does not have. Not everyone masters the skills of political correctness and media relations. Not everybody knows how to handle the media. Some people talk to the press like they are talking to their pals in the ghetto or in the streets. No, you cannot do that. There is a certain protocol to maintain. Konpa is not Hip Hop. We hold our artists to a higher standard. Some missteps will never be tolerated. So he needs to see this experience as a major PR setback so that he could allow himself to be schooled and grow. He is not alone in the category he finds himself. Many in this Kompa landscape would have done even worse. I hope they learn a thing or two from Sonson’s PR gaffe.

After damage control, on Monday, December 13, 2010, the artist issued this apology statement on Kompamagazine.com to “clarify” his slip of the tongue. Read below his complete apology statement:

“Hi Pat,
I want to clarify some things that I said in my interview. I know my comments may have raised some concerns. First and foremost I want to apologize if I came off as being harsh and insensitive. I also want to apologize if my comments may have offended anyone, that was never my intentions. But I must admit that I’m not very good at expressing myself in front of a camera which is why I normally opt out to do interviews

I do care about the country in which my ancestors came from and my family who are still living there. When I made the comment about ” not caring”, it wasn’t in reference to Haiti; I just don’t care to comment on the political aspect of Haiti. In all honesty it really saddens and irritates me at the same time to see how our country can’t become one and we’re always ready to tear each other down. We’re always ready to destroy any possibility of good that we may have coming our way just because we have strong difference of opinions and so forth….

I really think that it would be a great idea if the US did step in to help create some type of order and put Haiti on the right path to becoming the old Haiti that our parents use to talk to us about. But its up to the old and young generation to get together instead of being against each other to fix our country. I’ve seen how rich this country (Haiti) really is in terms of resources but its a shame to watch how poor we’ve become!

Son Son

Source:

Retrieved on December 14, 2010 at 04:13 AM EST from Kompamagazine.com: http://kompamagazine.com/kmboard/viewtopic.php?t=33010

Nov 25 2010

A FEW WORDS TO MAESTRO ARLY LARIVIERE

Maestro Arly Lariviere of the Konpa band Nu Look

Some People, including my friend Versace, may think that I have something against Nu Look, but that is quite the opposite. I love all the bands/artists, especially the ones making great music and acting for the betterment of our music business.

I do not write to destroy; I write to correct mischievousness in the business. I have written to advice Disip, one of your stark competitors, especially after the PR deal they had with JP Relations had reached a point of no return. I had advised them to revise the decision. Now, if they did not listen to me, that is their business, not mine.

Anyhow, your album is soon to hit the streets, and I have a strong sense it will score big. How could you have a guy like Pipo singing on an album to not be expecting damage? He is one of the very few best we have in the business as we speak. But do not get too hardheaded and confident to fail to do what you are supposed to do to make the best out of this production.

Do keep in mind that great products do fail if the right marketing strategy is not being implemented. So needless to say that you are going to need to engage in an aggressive marketing campaign to get the job done. Here is what you are going to do to get Nu Look back in the lead again. You need to do two things:

  1. You need an outstanding public relations staffer. I would recommend you to contract JP Relations. Listen to me… I do not know Sasa like that. I do not know her more than I know you, and I have never met you a day in my life. She has never been my classmate in Haiti and the US. But I have been watching her. She is one of the best, if not the best, we have in this business right now. GET HER!!! You do need the best to work with and/or for you; I am sure you can afford that.
  2. Part of your marketing strategy should be to have the entire band embark on a “meet and greet with the fans” bus tour from South to North and East to West coupled with semi press conferences. Have the media to follow you at every stop, where there is a huge Haitian community. Have you ever seen the politicians here in the US going on bus tours to campaign? Well, there is a reason for that. It is all about marketing yourself and the message or product you want the people to know about. It gets media attention and publicity for free. That’s what you call free press.

Marketing is all about making noise and captivating the attention of the people. Make it a week-long or a two-weekend-long event -whichever is more convenient for the band. You will be amazed to see the result. Your band would be the first to have ever gone on a bus tour to market an album. Try to be the first or the leader in everything for the followers to follow. And at the end of the day, make sure you send me the check in the mail. My advice has never been for free. Just joking… lol 😀

Nov 24 2010

PIPO MUST SCORE BIG TO BE RELEVANT IN NU LOOK

Pipo left Beljazz, a band he helped put together from scratch with Ralph Menelas, his business partner, to integrate Nu Look -a band which was on the verge of total disintegration, following the unexpected and sudden resignation of the lead vocalist, Gazzman Couleur, almost a year ago.

The Pipo card sought by Maestro Arly Lariviere is by most people’s accounts, including mine, a well thought out or an astute move on the part of the maestro; I personally applaud him for that.

I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that Pipo, with his pristine vocal pitch, has the credence to meet Maestro Lariviere’s expectations and get the job done. He is one of the top lead vocalists in the business, and the league he is in has very few people of his caliber. He can navigate on any track given to him –Konpa love or up-tempo.

We all must agree, however, that there can never be another Gazzman Couleur to replace Gazzman in Nu Look. So Arly is going to have to capitalize on Pipo’s unique attributes to score big with the next album should he want him (Pipo) to be and stay relevant in the band in the years to come.

Pipo already has what is needed for him to deliver exactly what is expected of him. But that will not be enough. More is going to need to be done in terms of marketing strategy to get him to be accepted as a replacement of Gazzman Couleur in the band. It is feasible, though, but this is definitely not going to be a simple task.

While we are well aware of his strengths and attributes, we cannot overlook his flaws, which, in my opinion, cause a huge problem for him to fully assume his role of frontline superstar in the band.  

In terms of on-stage performance, it has been said that he has a connectivity issue, preventing him from connecting with his crowd (the fans). In fact, that is something he has been largely criticized for. He is not as big of a people person as Gazzman is. And that could be a major setback for him in terms of maintaining the band’s leadership position in the post-Gazzman era.

Most people who have been following him in the Konpa market would tell you that he is not a guy to fully count on; he is not someone who believes in business commitment and consistency. In other words, he does not have any sense of stability in him. Fairly so, they argue that he has a track record that could prove that to be true. He has moved around quite a bit in his career -from Passion of Montreal to D-zine; from D-zine to Hang Out; from Hangout to Beljazz, his own band; and from Beljazz to now Nu Look. So they express doubts that this marriage between him and Nu Look is going to last.

We all know that perception is reality. The perception most people have of him is that he is too stiff and snobbish to make it in the entertainment world. So he has work to do to change that perception of him; he needs to work on his public relations skills. For that, I would suggest that he hire the service of an expert in personality improvement to help him out. If he can get that heavy charge off his back, he will be insurmountable.

To the prognosis that the marriage will not last long, I would say this: however long he will stay carrying the colors of Nu Look will depend on how long Maestro Lariviere will want him to. Why do I say that?

Pipo is not the type who would allow anyone to exploit and take advantage of him. He knows how to count his money and defend his interests. His days in the band will be numbered if Maestro Lariviere is not taking good care of him like a lead vocalist of his stature deserves to be taken care of. So how long he is going to stay with Nu Look will depend on how well he is being treated by the man with all the power in his hands, and that’s the one and only Maestro Arly Lariviere.

Finally, Pipo in any band will cause wonders. That’s how great of a lead vocalist he is. I don’t know one band leader who would not feel lucky to have him in their squad. He is beyond talented. He has what it takes to get the job done. But like everybody else, he has flaws to be worked on. This is, indeed, a defining moment for him. He must score big with the band’s upcoming album. If he fails, as the pressure is mounted so high on him, that will be a major blow for him and the band.

Nov 15 2010

NIA IS A VICTIM OF SOME TYPE OF “ISM” IN KONPA

NIA, formerly of the Kompa group ZIN

Retrieved from Kompamagazine.com: “MADMAN JP ‘An artist like NIA has had the support of so many people for so many years. A lot of people want to see her make it big. The fans, the media, musicians, a lot of people want her to make it, but because of her choices, surroundings, look at where she is at now? She is still NOT at the level that she should be at.'”

“MADMAN continues ‘She started with Alex Abellard, she went to JBeatz, now she is with Jube and Sobs. What have they done for her and her SOLO career? All of that is because of HER decisions. NIA should have been doing what Misty Jean is doing right now..YEARS AGO, and she should have been one of the most popular bands/hmi acts in the business by now. A lot of people want to see an hmi female artist with her band do well in the business. NIA has only herself to blame for her career choices as a solo artist.'”

I tend to agree with Madman in that Nia is the sole responsible for her demise and shortcomings. By the same token, I disagree with him when he wants to make believe that Alex Abellard of Zin, Jbeatz and Jube of SOBs have not done enough or anything at all for her. That’s silliness!!!

Nia is a victim of a market that is not friendly to women. These aforementioned guys had done or have been doing the best they could to work with and get her out there. But, unfortunately, the market challenges they had or have to overcome to put and keep her on the map are too steep to overcome.

In this Konpa market, women are not being taken seriously. That’s why I’ve been urging them to distance themselves from that field and explore better and more promising markets -for example, the Zouk, R&B, Soul, Folklore, Jazz…

Konpa is not the only genre we have in our musical mosaic, why is it that these talented women are so obsessed with it? Why do you think Emeline and Tifane are touring the world making a name for themselves?

The Konpa market is already not friendly to you all, why wasting your valuable time and talent trying to cater to it? Seriously, I don’t seem to see the rationale behind the obsession.

I wrote about this issue in a previous article entitled “The Future of Women in Konpa Direk,” which you can read for yourself by clicking on this link: https://ekspoze.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/the-future-of-women-in-konpa-direk-2/

And he mentioned the name of Misty Jean as a prototype of a successful female Konpa artist. This has got to be a joke. Is he serious? Nia does not need to follow the footsteps of Misty Jean, who, herself, is a victim of the same misconceptions.

In conclusion, It is still early in the process for Nia to seize herself, take control of her career and turn things around. Talent never dies. She has it in her. So It is preposterous for Madman to argue that Alex Abellard of Zin, Jbeatz and Papa Jube of SOBs had not done for Nia. She is just a victim of a market yet to be receptive to women. There is nothing they could have done differently to rescue her. At least, they had tried.

Nov 12 2010

ZENGLEN MUST PAY FOR ITS INSOLENCE

It is now no secret that Dabenz got voted out unanimously by his bandmates. At unanimity he got voted out, meaning not one member of the band wants him in. A decision like that would make you automatically think that he must have done something really stupid and out of line that could jeopardize the interests of the band, right? No, such is not the case. According to Kompamazine.com reporting the reason for his firing, “They estimate that DABENZ was bringing more negativity to the band ‘ANBA ANBA’ and they claim that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!” http://kompamagazine.com/kmboard/viewtopic.php?t=32610

Let’s take a moment to analyze the Kompamagazine report. This is a decision taken on the career of an artist on the basis of a baseless claim –Dabenz was bringing more negativity to the band clandestinely. The word clandestinely is exactly what sells them out. Clandestinely or “anba anba” means that they do not have proof that the wrongdoings he has been accused of hold any truth. Where are the facts to corroborate such allegation? How come none of these negativities has ever been known to the press? These guys basically rely on baseless claims circulating through the grapevine to mess with someone’s career.

According to Basekompa.com, all this nonsense about Dabenz bringing more negativity to the band clandestinely is not the true reason behind the firing. The website reported, which the artist later confirmed, that while Dabenz was on stage performing in Haiti at Miche’s Garden with the band, he got embarrassed and humiliated by Brutus. The later, in many instances, ordered the sound engineer to turn Dabenz’s microphone down low so that they do not hear him out in the speakers; he wanted only Kenny’s voice to come out, a way to boycott Dabenz. http://basekompatv.com/forum.html But what could be the reason for the boycott, though?

They wanted to boycott Dabenz because apparently there has been some sort of a power strife going on inside the band. The public is more in tune with him than Kenny, and Brutus was not feeling too keen about that. He wanted to promote Kenny, yet the public has chosen Dabenz. It is like fighting against the will of nature. The public wants something, yet he wants to resist it. Why punishing Dabenz because Kenny is not commercial and hype?

Now, let me talk to these guys for a minute. You guys are the reason why Zenglen, a band that is playing extremely well, is going down. The public does not have faith in you anymore. They realize now that you guys don’t know what you want and have no sense of direction. You throw Dabenz away to sell Kenny to a public that does not even want him. You cannot shove him down the public’s throat. Go look around and find someone else. Kenny cannot do it; he does not have what it takes to be what you guys want him to be for the band –a frontline superstar. Trust me on that.

Dabenz’s home of record is New Jersey. The people here love and see him as their own. They take to heart the way you guys treated him. I think you are going to have to do a lot of PR work to appease the rage of the community here. The word in the streets of New Jersey now is to proceed with operation boycott against Zenglen in the state. I am urging you guys to not come to New Jersey any moment soon, not until the people’s fury is rescinded, for you may be chased out. Don’t say you did not get the message. You are not going to treat the man so unfairly like that to think that everything is cool. M swete nou jwenn nouvel la.

Nov 10 2010

DISIP: BRING SASA BACK!!!!

What are these DISIP guys doing? Are you guys serious? Well, I hope you guys have a VALID reason for dismissing Samille Vanessa Jean-Pierre aka SASA of JP Relations, the young lady who was handling your public relations for you. I don’t really know her, but I can easily depict someone who takes pride in his/her work when I see one; I can easily recognize professionalism and savoir-faire from afar.

Before her in this Kompa business, I did not know any professional PR consultant working tirelessly to transform the business as usual mindset of this landscape. I used to be exposed to nothing but poorly written press releases, unprepared interviews, extrapolation to the max, etc…

I am wondering who else you guys are going to bring on board to replace her. I bet I will not be surprised to see you hiring some mediocre individual, hired on the basis of fanaticism and favoritism, who does not know anything whatsoever in what the duties of a professional PR specialist entail.

This is, indeed, a major setback for you guys. I don’t know what you guys are doing, but you better get your acts together. You need a high speed PR person in your staff to work on the correct ways for your business to relate to the public. You need that for Christ’s sake!!!! You don’t go to sleep and wake up being PR specialist. There is a place called college where these people are prepared to cater to the needs of any challenging and professional market environment.

See, here we go again… that’s why this Kompa business will never get anywhere. For the most part, professionals are not valued in this arena. If you are not an embodiment of ignorance and mediocrity, you have no place in there. Well, again, it is a Haitian thing, why expecting anything different?

GAZZMAN, with all due respect, I swear I thought you were smarter than that. Let me ask you a question, though: are you really serious about this DISIP movement, or is it a hype just to make a quick cash and bounce? Sometimes, for some strange reason, I keep on getting the vibe that you do not have a clear vision as to what you want this venture to be. I hope I am wrong.

Listen to me, whether I am a fan of yours or not is irrelevant for the purpose of this piece. I have no interest whatsoever in your success or failure. But I really want you to know that it will personally bother me seeing a talent of your caliber going wasted because of some misguided decisions.

I know what it feels like to be operating in a bubble where you seem to be out of touch with reality, and that all you have to rely on is your staff. At times, ironically, some of the people in your entourage may not have your best interest. That’s why it is always wise to turn to your fans for advice, for they love you unconditionally and would not wish to see you not making it. So because of this natural bond, they will never give you an advice which will not be for your best interest.

I was taught by my parents to always speak truth to power, so I am telling you boldly that the firing of Sasa is a STUPID decision. I hope it does not take you long to realize that. She is somebody you can consider as an asset to your business.

The majority of these guys you have roving around you acting like they are with you, they are there for their own interests. You are a hot commodity today, you see them around. But the day you are no longer relevant, you will not see them anymore. So don’t be naive and foolish. I do not think it can ever be too late to acknowledge the misstep, retract from it, and reach out to her. That’s the best and smartest thing to do. BRING THAT YOUNG LADY BACK!!!!

Oct 23 2010

RAP KREYOL IS NOT KONPA’S PROBLEM

This piece is not intended to come to the rescue of Rap Kreyol; I don’t think the musical genre does need Emann Joasil to come to its recue. It has more knowledgeable and more suitable people, I assume, to do the job for it. And I am not even a big fan of Rap music, whether it be American Rap or Rap Kreyol. This article, however, is going to address a very important issue that seems to have a toll on our world of music production.

Let me start off by asking this very bold and pertinent question: Why are some of our Konpa artists so panicky when it comes to the surprising evolution and revolution of Rap Kreyol? Let’s get something straight once and for all. The movement will not be put to rest or go away just because some in the Konpa world decide to engage in a badmouthing or denigrating campaign. You guys need to chill!!!! Like we say in our Creole, “mete yon blok glas sou lestomak nou.”

Just like the emergence or explosion of Rasin music during the early 1990’s did not force Konpa to retirement, Rap Kreyol will not do it either. Rap Kreyol is nothing but an add-on to the country’s musical mosaic. Instead of being resentful, we need to be receptive to it; we need to welcome it with open arms, for diversity or plurialism is always desirable or socially and economically beneficial to the consumers.

When Rap music was picking up steam in the American society in the 1980’s, musical genres such as Jazz, Blues, R&B, Country Music, Rock & Roll and others did not feel threatened. Instead, they fastened up their belts to battle through production and marketing to secure their positions in the American entertainment market.

Everybody will get a piece of the pie. So there is no need to panic. This is the time for our Konpa artists/bands to start thinking big and start thinking about leaving their comfort zones. There is no guarantee in a market of 9 million consumers with very limited purchasing power. The time is urgent for our Konpa bands/artists to be going big on exploring other markets on the international arena.

Rap Kreyol is not, has never been, and will never be Konpa’s problem. Konpa’s main problem is Konpa itself. It needs a new approach to production and marketing if it must see another fifty years. Otherwise, that genre of music, which we proudly call our musical identity, may end up in history book.

There is a law of production that says that the quality of any finished output is a reflection of the quality of raw materials going into its production process. So it is time to bring quality resources into the production of our musical outputs. In other words, we need to bring skilled people or professionals in every aspect of the business –production, marketing, distribution, etc.

These days, our Konpa musicians refuse to challenge themselves to produce the quality of music that can transcend markets and generations. Putting everything in perspective, it is fair enough to argue that in a sense we were desperately waiting for the challenge Rap Kreyol is giving Konpa today. If anything, we need to be thankful to Rap Kreyol for coming just in time to wake up Konpa from the coma it has long been diving in. The wake-up call was long overdue.

The Konpa bands/artists were getting too lazy and comfortable. Production was getting very subpar in a less demanding market -where mediocrity, charlatanism and amateurism were becoming tokens of appreciation. Almost all the bands in the Konpa landscape wanted to sound identical or like the most influential and successful ones. There was a sort of bandwagon every single band wanted to jump on. Originality was nothing but a vague and coreless expression. And what they failed to realize was that when you are a duplicate you can never get to outperform the original or real thing. So real competition, being the drive capable of making the players in the market go beyond their reaches, was basically inexistent.

Rap Kreyol is not going anywhere. So if it cannot be drawn away, it makes sense to join hands with it. To all my diehard Konpa lovers/admirers and Rap Kreyol bashers, I want to urge you to look for the enemy elsewhere; it certainly is not Rap Kreyol. To our Kreyol Rappers, keep doing what you have been doing and even better. Don’t see Konpa as a target. To do so will be to put it on a pedestal it does not even belong. Rather, see the sky of the global market as your only limit. Keep producing great music and keep representing our musical colors wherever you guys happen to be.

Oct 21 2010

Bypassing Traditional Konpa Promoters Could Help…

I think if we could bypass the so-called, self-proclaimed or wannabe promoters in the Haitian music business, the tenure or image of the bands would be better off. These people, for the most part, are the reason why the consumers of Konpa music are being repulsive to some bands in the business.

People don’t go to sleep and wake up being certified event planners/organizers overnight. They actually receive some type of formal education. For some of us, going to school is just a waste of time. So long as the person has a few dollars somewhere in the bank, they think they can do anything. That is why most of what we do are done subpar and can only be bought and accepted by us Haitians.

I have come across “promoters” (I intentionally put the word in quotation marks) who would have on the ticket bands that have no knowledge of any prior deals with them to showcase at their events. This is a spiteful and deceitful tactic some in the Haitian music business use to hike the publicity for their events. For instance, they can have on the ticket Carimi and T-Vice. This is meant to be a sold-out event because they are two of the most popular bands in the world of Haitian music.

They know for a fact that Carimi will not be part of the show, yet they still run with the ticket. So the patrons end up being overcharged only to come see one band performing, just T-Vice. To clear up their reputation to the detriment of that of the phantom band, in this case, Carimi, they lamely want to make believe that they (Carimi) forfeited and called out at the very last minute. Now you have a condition where the patrons are furious and upset at none other than Carimi, a state of affairs that may or will put in jeopardy the band’s reputation. In such treacherous situation, two things will infuriate the fans:

  1. They are overcharged as a result of a scam tactic, and the surcharge will not be refunded to them.
  1. The diehard fans of Carimi (those who would probably have not come out, had Carimi not been put on the ticket), not only will they not see their band performing, they also get overcharged to come to a party which, otherwise, they probably would have not come out to support.

    I used Carimi and T-Vice as just an example to prove my point just like I could have used any other two bands.

    The bands don’t really need to do business with these irresponsible, so-called, self-proclaimed and wannabe event organizers or promoters. They can do without them, and their business will be more fruitful.

    Here is what I think the bands need to do. They need to hire official and qualified state representatives to represent them in each and every single state where there is a dense Haitian community. That in itself is a staff position. As long as the function or responsibility of the representative remains the same, and it is well defined and understood, it does not really matter what you call the person. The title should not really be a matter of concern.

    What will the responsibility of that staff member be? He or she will work in concert with the management team of the band to plan and organize in his/her state events that will put on stage the band he/she represents. These events will be financed by the band, and the return or loss on that invested capital will affect only the band’s bottom line. As a staff member, how and what that person is going to get paid will depend on whatever deal he/she and the band’s management agree upon.

    Until these wannabe, self-proclaimed, so-called promoters can get their acts together, to safeguard the image and business of the bands, they need to be kept at a distance and compelled to go do something else with the money they claim to have. We do NOT need them in the business because they are a bunch of business spoilers.

By Emann Joasil • Posted in Music
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