Overview:
A celebration of distinctive voices in konpa music, from the golden age to today, who brought soul—and sexiness—to konpa.
NEW YORK —The year was 2008, and Tabou Combo was in rare form, celebrating its 40th anniversary. As a parade of konpa royalty honored the band, shining across the stage in a dazzling lineup, cheers and call-and-response choruses greeted each performer.
Then, everyone got quiet.
Isnard Douby of System Band and Pierre Raymond Divers, known by his stage name as King Kino—of Phantoms, were at the mic. Their voices blanketed the crowd of thousands, turning its overt revelry into a deep appreciation for the talent on stage.
Douby’s tone, often praised as deep, velvety and disciplined, reminded longtime fans why he was dubbed “the gentleman of konpa.” King Kino, on the other hand, let loose his full vocal range—dramatic, clean, unpredictable—the kind of singer fans say “can start a bal and end a breakup.”
It was a poignant reminder that in Konpa, the voices often implant a feeling more than the lyrics.
Some signature vocals of konpa through the years
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