World Creole Music Festival 2024 in Dominica presented a variety of Creole Music forms: Konpa, Bouyon, Soca, Cadence-Lypso, Reggae, Afrobeats over three nights October 25-27th.

Friday October 25th was Jounen Kwéyòl (Creole Day) and opening of the World Creole Music Festival: Extasy Band, T-Vice, Nadia Batson, TK International , Petite Savanne Jing Ping Band, Lapo Kabwit, and the Sisserou Singers highlighted performances throughout.

The live music kicked off with Dominica’s own Extasy Band, who have become well respected by Creole music fans for their consistent blend of Dominica Konpa music.  We met earlier that day with Dion Moses, lead vocalist for Extasy, at the WCMF Press Conference, He promised a musical and visual spectacle where “Dominica would be the whole vibe” with a set of all original compositions. Their engaging live performance that evening at WCMF confirmed this with hard hitting Konpa songs infused with elements of Buoyon. The band’s showmanship was an evening highlight on par with the best international Soca acts given the interaction of dancer, flag waving, audience interaction and singers engaging with the lead guitarist. Musically, the band delivered with its nine musicians performing hypnotic Konpa grooves in extended format, with interlocking guitar and keys on top of a lilting percussive and bass foundation.

Extasy Band currently has nine musicians in the band, known for their Caribbean fusion style that is heavily influenced by their Creole culture.  The band’s music has a strong Compas foundation with elements of other local genres to including Bouyon. They view the Haitian band Carimi as a major inspiration and one can hear that inspiration in the style of their musical compositions. Before Carimi had disbanded, they traveled and performed several times in Dominica around the WCMF and were an inspiration to the band during its formative years.

Tonight’s songs were extended Konpa grooves accompanied by syncopated rhythm guitar.  The set was notable its depth of audience interaction, the band got the growing stadium crowd moving and injected substantial energy into their performance. Songs were from their forthcoming new album, slated for 2025, several of which reference the difficulties faced by their Village, Petite Savanne. We learned in follow up discussions about the ongoing difficulties facing Extasy Band, for example: challenges in getting visas for travel, finding lead singer replacement for the band, complexities and cost around recording the new album (the band has taken the practical approach to focus on singles, building up to an album release).  Most notable was the disastrous impact of back-to-back storms in 2015 and 2017.  Tropical storm Erika trigged flash flooding and mudslides in Petite Savanna resulting in destruction and evacuation of all residents. The village was subsequently deemed uninhabitable and forced the evacuation of 823 people. Two years later, hurricane Maria, a Cat 5 storm, further devastated the community and impacted band members and their families. These difficulties are reflected in the lyrics in the new singles. These are rounded out by songs focusing on love and the interactivity of human relationships.

T-Vice made a triumphant return to WCMF, showcasing the best of Haitian Konpa in a scorching performance by one of the most consistent and enduring touring acts in the Haitian and Creole music scene.  Tonight, T-Vice gradually ramped up their tempo and worked the audience up into a frenzy of arm waving and grooving. The band does this with enticing, yet hypnotic keyboard, guitar and rhythm riffs, featuring interplay between vocals and building instrumentals, building the tempo into a crescendo with the audience waving flags and phones to the Konpa grooves. The video clip (below) illustrates this to great extend - T-Vice is able to really drive up the energy.

Founded back in 1991, T-Vice maintains a consistent touring schedule which has resulted in a tight and energetic presentation style with an accent on the interplay of lead keyboards and lead guitar within extended jams. Brothers Roberto and Reynaldo Martino founded T-Vice and are both superb musicians - they were trained by their father, the legendary lead guitarist Robert Martino, who was a feature musician in such legendary Haitian bands including Les Gypsies de PV, Scorpio Universe and more recently Top Vice.  “T” being shortened from “Ti” or ‘Petit’, was the sons’ follow-on group to Top Vice. Now almost 35 years later they are a force to be reckoned in the Haitian music industry. With T-Vice’s return to WCMF in 2024, the band demonstrated why it is one of the top groups in the Haitian music industry.

Festival Friday or Journée Creole, begins with the Creole Day Parade, where Dominicans of all ages dress up in outfits sewn out to traditional Creole patterns, and parade through the downtown streets to the Bayfront. We happened upon The Petite Savanne Jing Ping band playing on the street, where passersby stopped and danced to the traditional music of Dominica.

One of Soca’s top performers, Nadia Batson, returned to WCMF to lively up the crowd with Trinidadian rhythms.  She had last performed in Dominica during 2019. Nadia performed several of her top songs including “Market,” “So Long,” and “Best in a While” Nadia projected a positive message to adoring fans in the stadium who knew every word of her hit songs. Her unique performance style is to use her voice as an additional instrument within the musical composition, which may be influenced by her very disciplined singing expertise. Of additional note was the strength of her rhythm guitarist which aded a level of grit to the smooth band orchestrations.

During the press interview following her performance, Nadia explained how she gets emotional when seeing thousands of fans singing her music. Nadia started as a background vocalist in Trinidad and was in demand working with many Soca artists both as background singer and as a songwriter. As she put it, “I was part of the well-oiled soca machine in Trinidad.” Fellow musicians encouraged her to “break out” on her own given her immense musical talent. Nadia explained that she sings primarily to “make people feel good” and her music fans are proud of her success in a predominantly male-dominated soca music industry. When asked for her best advice, Nadia explained “You be the market… by being yourself.”

Dominica’s TK International returned to close out the first night at WCMF during the final set towards daybreak. The venerable band is celebrating it's 25th year coming into existence, which coincided to the inaugural launch of the World Creole Music Festival (WCMF). Indisputably the greatest Bouyon band, TK’s take on the music is a blend of various regional influences, honed into a razor sharp musical delivery. TK is fronted by three rotating vocalists and features a choreographed dance troupe. We have witnessed TK perform many times, as they are a local mainstay for the festival. They are called the “Best Bouyon Band” and witnessing their high octane performance confirmed this. Their rhythms combine traditional elements of Bélé, Jing Ping, Quadrille and Cadence. Hard hitting, with rapid fire bass, scintillating guitar and keyboard riffs and peppered percussion.

In a follow-up interview with executive band member, Jeoffrey Joseph, we learned more about the band’s Bouyon rhythm. The beat is essentially broken down by band members into two parts, (1) the ridim and (2) the rhythm and each interact with each other in syncopated fashion. The three lead male singers keep the energy level at 110% and drive the audience into a dance and jump-up frenzy. Add to this a dance troupe who enter and exit during their rapid fire, non-stop set, and you have a musical set that will keep everyone up and awake at 4:30am. It was the perfect way to conclude a successful first night at WCMF and a fitting homage to modern Creole culture .

The Extasy Band has plans for a new album in 2025, and released two singles in 2024 and will release the remaining singles in 2025.  The song: “I Love You,” released as single off the upcoming album. To date,  Extasy Band has released eight singles, including ‘Moutwe Yo’, ‘All of Me’ (a Compas cover of the popular John Legend’s song), ‘Doudou Pa Kite,” ‘System Bande,’  ‘Pouvwa Lamou’  ‘Fanatic Compas’, ‘My Love, Away’ and ‘If you Don’t Know Me’ which have all been fan favorites.  The band commented on the complexities around producing and recording a new album. Around releasing these singles, the band has traveled to New York, St Thomas, St Croix, Grenada and Martinique and additionally have goals of getting back on the road in support of their new album.

They are promising fans that by 2025 a new album will out out on the market. Founded in 2009 by guitarist and Petite Savanne native, Ordel Michael Hamilton, the band comprises other musicians from South-eastern, coastal community and also a Haitian national band member.  The band members include: Haran Anstein Hanif Francis (Music Producer and Director), Clyde Henderson (Lead keyboardist, Back-up vocalist/occasional Lead vocalist), Drummer, Dion Kelson Moses- Lead Vocalist, Jackson Alie- Percussions (Congas)/Writer, Maymond Esprit- Percussions (Cowbell), Daphcorlens Seranus Haitian National guitarist and Neville Eustache – Bass Guitarist.