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

Sisserou Singers from Goodwill Dominica Dominica - "Promoting Choral Music and Culture, one song at a time!" performing at the 2024 World Creole Music Festifal in Roseau, October 25th, 2024.

TK International performing at opening night of WCMF

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.

Extasy Band, from Petite Savanne, Dominica performing at th3 2024 World Creole Music Festifal in Roseau, October 25th, 2024.

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 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 performing at WCMF

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.

Tonights songs were long, extended Konpa grooves with syncopated rhythm guitar. The set was notable for a lot of audience interaction, the band got the growing crowd moving and injected substantial energy into their performance. Songs were from their forthcoming album, slated for 2025, several of which reference the difficulties faced by their Village, Petit Savanne. We learned in follow up discussion that things have been very challenging for the band, both in terms of getting visas to travel, finding a singer replacement for the band, difficulty getting the album recorded (focusing on singles which will then become the album). Most notable was the impact of back-to-back storms in 2015 and 2017. Tropical storm Erika trigged flash flooding and mudslides in Petit 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, further impacted the community and band members. These difficulties are reflected in the lyrics of several of bands new singles, while other songs focused on love and the interactivity of human relationships.

Roberto Martino, lead singer of T-Vice, a Miami based Haitian Konpa band performing at th3 2024 World Creole Music Festifal in Roseau, October 25th, 2024.

T-Vice made a triumphant return to WCMF, showcasing the best of Haitian Konpa by one of the most consistent and enduring touring acts in the creole music scene. Tonight, they gradually ramped up the tempo and worked the audience up into an arm waving frenzy. They do this with enticing yet repetitive rhythms featuring internally between lead keys and guitar, gradually building the tempo until the audience was a writhing mass waving flags and phones. The video clip below illustrates how great T-Vice is in driving up the energy.

Founded back in 1991, T-Vice maintains a consistent touring schedule which has resulted in a tight, driving presentation style with an accent on the interplay of lead keyboards and guitar and extended jams. Brothers Roberto and Reynaldo Martino founded the band and are both superb musicians - both were trained by their father the legendary Robert Martino who was lead guitarist for Haitian bands 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, but now almost 35 years later they are a force to be reckoned in the Haitian music industry. With T-Vice’s return to WCMF, the band demonstrated why it is one of the top groups in the music industry globally for motivating a crowd to get moving and dance.

Reynaldo Martino of T-Vice, a Miami based Haitian Konpa band performing at th3 2024 World Creole Music Festifal in Roseau, October 25th, 2024.

Festival Friday begins with the Creole Day parade, Dominicans of all ages dress in traditional clothes and parade tthrough the downtown streets to the Bayfront. We happened upon The Petite Savanne Jing Ping band playing on the street, passersby stopped and danced to the traditional music of Dominica.

Creole fashion wear for sale at a Marigot, Dominica roadside boutique.

Nadia Batson, Trinidadian Soca artist performing at th3 2024 World Creole Music Festifal in Roseau, October 25th, 2024.

One of Soca’s top performers, Nadia Batson, returned to WCMF to liven up the crowd with Trinidadian rhythms. She had last performed in Dominica in 2019. Performing 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 style of recording and performing is to use her voice as an additional instrument within the musical composition, which may be influenced by her very disciplined singing expertise. Of note was the strength of her rhythm guitarist which aded grit to the smooth 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 talent. Nadia explained she sings primarily to “make people feel good” and her fans are proud of her demonstrated success in a predominantly male dominated soca music industry. When asked for her best advice, Nadia explained “You be the market, by being yourself.”

TK Internationl performing at the World Creole Music Festival, Friday October 25th, 2024

Dominica’s TK International returned to close out the first night at WCMF. The venerable band is celebrating its 25th year coming into existence just a sthe WCMF was getting off the ground. Indisputably the greatest Bouyon band, their take on the music, a blend of various regional influences, is honed in a razor sharp delivery. TK is fronted by three rotating vocalists and features a choreographed dance team.We have seen TK many times as they are a local mainstay for the festival. They are called the best Bouyon band globally and witnessing their high octane performance confirmed this. The rhythms combine traditional elements of Bell, Jing Ping, Quadrille and Kadans. Hard hitting, with rapid fire bass, scintillating guitar and keyboard riffs and peppered percussion.

TK International at the World Creole Music Festival, sunday October 27th in Roseau, Dominica

In a follow-up interview with executive band member Jeoffrey Joseph, we learned more about the 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 troupe of extremely agile female dancers who enter and exit at opportune moments during their rapid fire non-stop set and you have a musical set that will keep everyone up and awake at 4:30am. The perfect way to end a long evening of superb music from all aspects of Creole culture.

The Extasy Band has plans for a new album in 2025, and released 2 singles in 2024 and will release the rest in 2025. The song: “I love You” released as single off the upcoming album.To date, Extasy has released eight (9) singles, ‘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 singles, they have traveled to New York, St Thomas, St Croix, Grenada and Martinique and have goals of getting back on the road in support of the new album. But 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 natives of the South-eastern, coastal community and one Haitian National. They are Haran Anstein Hanif Francis – Music Producer and Director, Lead keyboardist, Back-up vocalist/ Occasional Lead vocalist, Clyde Henderson-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.

A Lapo Kabwit band and paraders passing the Widsor park Stadium during the World Creole Music Festival in Roseau, Dominica, Friday, October 25th, 2024

The Petite Savanne Jing Ping Band performing for tips on the street in Downtown Roseau, on Creole Day, October 25th, 2024. Jing Ping rhythm is one of the sources Bouyon musicians draw on