Michael Brun's Zouk & Konpa Starter Kit Playlist Is a Must-Listen
Michael Brun picks a fire selection of new and classic tracks from Haiti, Guadeloupe and the Caribbean exclusively for OkayAfrica.
Michael Brun is on a mission to push a contemporary Haitian sound forward through his music, while waving its iconic flag proudly.
That can't happen without knowing one's music history. The Haitian-born artist touched base with OkayAfrica to give us an introduction to the zouk and konpa tracks that laid the foundation of the fresh sounds coming from that genre out of Haiti, Guadeloupe and across the Caribbean.
Brun also dropped a funky, new single featuring Brooklyn-based Nigerian artist Kah-Lo: "Spice." You can take a listen here.
Dig into our latest Artist Playlist—Michael Brun's Afro-Caribbean: Zouk & Konpa Starter Kit—on our Spotify and Apple Music channels below.
Francky Vincent "Fruit de la passion"
Michael Brun: This one is an all time Caribbean classic from Guadeloupe. Definitely a huge inspiration musically to me.
J.Perry feat. Admiral T, BIC, Gardy Girault "Aba Blabla (Remix)"
Michael Brun: J.Perry is one of my current favorite Haitian artists and this collab with Gardy Girault, Admiral T and BIC was one of the biggest hits of the last year.
Sweet Micky "I Don't Care"
Michael Brun: When you think of Haitian music, this is always on the list of most iconic songs.
Kai feat. Richard Cavé "Malade"
Michael Brun: One of the biggest recent Haitian Konpa songs of the last few years. Richard Cavé has had an impressive career and this was of the first hits from his solo project, Kai.
Kassav' "Zouk-la Sé Sel Médikaman Nou Ni"
Michael Brun: More classic Caribbean music from Guadeloupe. Kassav' were one of the most iconic zouk groups of all time and this was their biggest hit.
T-Vice "Tu me touches"
Michael Brun: T-Vice took Konpa music on a journey throughout their career and "Tu Me Touches" was one of their greatest songs.
Les Difficiles de Petion-Ville "Espoir"
Michael Brun: One of the classic Haitian groups of the 70s with probably their most recognizable song. It's also been sampled numerous times by everyone from Wyclef to Migos.
Enposib "Bom sou 2 bo"
Michael Brun: Enposib are relative newcomers to the Konpa scene but they are one of my personal favorite groups. "Bom Sou 2 Bo" was a standout to me since the first time I heard it.
Suave "Fanm Sa"
Michael Brun: This song by Suave was a staple at every Haitian "Bal" party growing up. Still a classic.
Skandal "Ti Bway"
Michael Brun: Skandal fused world music with classic Haitian sounds and "Ti Bway" was their first big hit. Fun fact: My dad was the lead producer and keyboardist on the project.
Djakout Mizik "La Familia"
Michael Brun: Djakout Mizik are an institution and "La Familia" is one of the most well known konpa songs in the genre.
Tabou Combo "New York City"
Michael Brun: Tabou Combo's "New York City" is in my top five favorite songs of all time. They revolutionized Haitian music in the 70s and 80s and have been a huge influence to my sound today.
Michael Brun feat. Strong G, Baky, J.Perry "Bayo"
Michael Brun: "Bayo" is my interpretation of Konpa music, fused with a bit of world music, hip hop and EDM. I grew up listening to so many genres as a child and my music is an amalgamation of all those influences.
