Haitian Beatz

Fedor Hüneke, is a Web designer who had the genius idea to create this wonderful reference tool for our music. In this brief chat, he summarizes his on-going adventure. Visit konpa.info.
Q: How did the idea to create konpa.info emerge?

A: Long story! Actually, it's a series of small, not planned steps, over many years.

I heard Compas music for the first time around 1988, and liked it instantly. All the songs I knew were from foreign radio. It was very hard to find anything to buy, it seemed to be a very rare kind of music. So, I started to collect any thing that I found. Around 1996, I met someone who already had a list of information from the 60's to the 80's. So, I added to my data. Late 90s, there were the first Haitian online shops available, information related to the music slowly grew.

A friend then suggested that I make the list available on the Internet. Although, it was too heavy to maintain on a personal computer, I created simple HTML pages in 2001.

One day, I found my name on the pages of Frantz Salomon [who blogs under the username "Zaf"]; I emailed him. I was honored, and his act motivated me to continue with the project. All of this were done with no prior knowledge of being a programmer. By January 2006, Konpa.info went online.

Q: Have you ever been to Haiti?
A: No. This spring was the best opportunity to go because a friend wanted to stay there for a while, but we had to readjust our plan.

Q: How did you get interested in Caribbean music?

A: I started to listen to World Music by accident. The were some programs on the Dutch, and later Belgian radio stations. Slowly, I learned to love the genre. The music was totally different to Compas, but with a lot of similarities. I would only buy retro stuff, such as Shleu-Shleu and early Tabou Combo compositions. I heard two songs from Les Gypsies, and got hooked on the guitar style.

Q: Describe Compas in one word

A: Give me two - Bon Konpa. To me it is (or can be) more rich then any other genre I know.

Q: Has any Haitian bands played in Germany?