Afropop Worldwide

As our recent features on compas history and Kreyól radio should have made clear, Haiti is never too far from our sight here at Afropop. So with summer winding down, we’re more than excited to hear that fabled groovers Tabou Combo will be playing a free show next Thurs., Sept. 1 at Lincoln Center in New York. The iconic band has been together for an astonishing 48 years. Getting their start in the musical hotbed of Petion-Ville in the hills overlooking Port-au-Prince, the group quickly went on to national—and international—fame, blessing audiences across the world with their singular take on compas, salsa, soukous and funk. Singing in English, Spanish, French and Kreyól, they’ve come to represent Haiti’s astounding cultural heritage and diversity, all too often ignored in the global media mainstream. Just take a listen to one of their early hits, “Gislene,” taken from the new Ostinato Records compilation, Tanbou Toujou Lou: https://youtu.be/XJwofqE2YD4 The show starts at 7:30 p.m., with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Tabou diaspora—Haitian or otherwise—is sure to be out in large numbers, so we encourage you to get there early! For more info, check out the Lincoln Center website. https://youtu.be/2loEu5EMEkE