Cadence rampa
Encyclopedia
Cadence rampa is a variety of music
from the Caribbean
country
of Haïti
. Cadence rampa is originally a modern Haitian Méringue
popularized by the talented sax player Webert Sicot
in the early 60s. When Sicot left Nemours Jean Baptiste
Compas band he called his music cadence to differentiate it from Compas, however, either compas or cadence is a modern Méringue
.
Sicot must have known that he did not have a winner with Kadans Ranpa since he did not insist on challenging Nemours very long. Even as early as the 1957, he was seen performing in public with Nemours. While the populace thought that they were each other’s enemies, Nemours and Webert were socializing. André Dorismond and Gary French, singers for Sicot’s orchestra were friends with Louis Lahens and Jean-Claude Félix (aka Ti Jean-Claude), singers for Nemours. When Haitians began to emigrate to the US in the early seventies, the fame of Kadans Rampa suddenly dwindled because most of its supporters had left Haiti. Eventually, Webert Sicot traveled to New York and continued to play there, but Kadans Ranpa’s success in Haiti was short-lived.
& Guadeloupe
the kadans
, a sophisticated form of music that helped unite all the former French colonies of the Caribbean.
As early as 1962 the Sicot Brothers from Haiti would frequently tour the Caribbean countries of French Guyana, Trinidad
, Curacao, Dominica
, Bahamas, St Lucia...and specifically the French Islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe to spread the seed of CADENCE, a modern meringue. There has been one and only one cadence style. Haitian cadance bands would often stay for up to six months in these Islands. Prior to their coming Martinique and Guadeloupe were playing mazouk
, biguine
, and other foreign styles. In addtition to the Sicot brothers, almost all existing Haitian compas bands have toured in these Islands that have since adopted the music and the dance of the meringue. Compas and Cadence were both meringue. Haitian musician and composer Michel Desgrottes had also an influence in developing music in the French Antilles. Exile One
, Grammacks
, Les Leopards, la Perfecta
, Simon Jurade, Kassav...are all cadence/compas or meringue bands. Exile One created Cadence-lypso
, a fusion of calypso
and cadence, the two most influential styles of the Caribbean, but most of its hits are cadence. The band main beat has been the cadence. (Cadence =Compas =Meringue)
Music of Haiti
The music of Haiti is influenced mostly by Europe, colonial ties, and African migration through slavery. European musical influence derived primarily from the French and by the Spanish-infused influence of Cuba and the bordering Dominican Republic. Styles unique to Haiti include music derived from...
from the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
country
Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
of Haïti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
. Cadence rampa is originally a modern Haitian Méringue
Méringue
Méringue, also spelled "mereng" in Creole, is a music genre native to Haiti . It is musically and historically connected to Dominican Merengue. It is a guitar-based style , and is generally sung in Haitian Creole.-History:The history of méringue is similar to that of much Caribbean popular music...
popularized by the talented sax player Webert Sicot
Webert Sicot
Webert Sicot was an Haïtian sax player, composer and band leader. H is recognized as one of the creators of konpa dirèk, a style of Haïtian dance music born in the 1950s.- Biography :...
in the early 60s. When Sicot left Nemours Jean Baptiste
Nemours Jean Baptiste
Nemours Jean Baptiste was a Haitian saxophonist, writer, and band leader. He is credited with being the inventor of compas, a style of Haitian music. The BBC has described him as Haiti's most influential band leader....
Compas band he called his music cadence to differentiate it from Compas, however, either compas or cadence is a modern Méringue
Méringue
Méringue, also spelled "mereng" in Creole, is a music genre native to Haiti . It is musically and historically connected to Dominican Merengue. It is a guitar-based style , and is generally sung in Haitian Creole.-History:The history of méringue is similar to that of much Caribbean popular music...
.
History
Raymond had created a new rhythm "Kadans rampa" to counter Kompa, but it was only in a spirit of competition. It was to be danced like a sweeping of the floor with one’s feet or as if one slid the feet back and forth on the floor. The rest of the body swung from side to side exactly the same as for dancing Kompa direk. Soon, the public realized that Kadans Rampa, far from being original, was just an astute rearrangement of Kompa direk and without losing interest in it, did not find it consequential enough to deserve their applause. Besides, the Sicot Brothers were not as prolific as Nemours and did not release enough new albums, notwithstanding the fact that they were consummate musicians.Sicot must have known that he did not have a winner with Kadans Ranpa since he did not insist on challenging Nemours very long. Even as early as the 1957, he was seen performing in public with Nemours. While the populace thought that they were each other’s enemies, Nemours and Webert were socializing. André Dorismond and Gary French, singers for Sicot’s orchestra were friends with Louis Lahens and Jean-Claude Félix (aka Ti Jean-Claude), singers for Nemours. When Haitians began to emigrate to the US in the early seventies, the fame of Kadans Rampa suddenly dwindled because most of its supporters had left Haiti. Eventually, Webert Sicot traveled to New York and continued to play there, but Kadans Ranpa’s success in Haiti was short-lived.
French Antillean influence
In the 1960s, Haïtian brought to MartiniqueMartinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
& Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
the kadans
Kadans
Kadans is a French Creole music genre, which started off in Haïti, and made popular in Dominica and the French Antilles of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Kadans is the French creole term for cadence.-History:...
, a sophisticated form of music that helped unite all the former French colonies of the Caribbean.
As early as 1962 the Sicot Brothers from Haiti would frequently tour the Caribbean countries of French Guyana, Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, Curacao, Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
, Bahamas, St Lucia...and specifically the French Islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe to spread the seed of CADENCE, a modern meringue. There has been one and only one cadence style. Haitian cadance bands would often stay for up to six months in these Islands. Prior to their coming Martinique and Guadeloupe were playing mazouk
Mazurka
The mazurka is a Polish folk dance in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, and with accent on the third or second beat.-History:The folk origins of the mazurek are two other Polish musical forms—the slow machine...
, biguine
Biguine
Biguine is a style of music that originated in Guadeloupe and Martinique in the 19th century.-History:Two main types of French antillean biguine can be identified based on the instrumentation in contemporary musical practice, which is call the drum biguine and the orchestrated biguine . Each of...
, and other foreign styles. In addtition to the Sicot brothers, almost all existing Haitian compas bands have toured in these Islands that have since adopted the music and the dance of the meringue. Compas and Cadence were both meringue. Haitian musician and composer Michel Desgrottes had also an influence in developing music in the French Antilles. Exile One
Exile One
Exile One is a legendary musical group of the 1970s from Dominica based in Guadeloupe. Gordon Henderson is the leader and founder of the famous musical group "Exile One" and the one who coined the name "Cadence-lypso" for a genre of music that revolutionized modern creole music worldwide....
, Grammacks
Grammacks
Grammacks was a 1970s musical group from Dominica.-Biography:The band was started in a village on the west coast called St. Joseph. The band was formed by Anthony "Curvin" Serrant, guitar Anthony "Tepam" George, bass Elon "Bollo" Rodniy drums and keyboard player McDonald "Mckie" Prosper. Jeff...
, Les Leopards, la Perfecta
La Perfecta
La Perfecta was a big band from Martinique whose styles included cadence and compas.- Discography :*Pour toujours *L'inoubliable Perfecta *A youskous pas fe fou *Help me baby*La divinité...
, Simon Jurade, Kassav...are all cadence/compas or meringue bands. Exile One created Cadence-lypso
Cadence-lypso
Cadence-lypso, popularized as simply Cadence is a cultural music of Dominica based in Guadeloupe in the early 1970s. Cadence-lypso is a fusion of Dominican and Caribbean/Latin rhythms and has totally revolutionized the music scence in its genre, and it has now become the main dance Music of...
, a fusion of calypso
Calypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
and cadence, the two most influential styles of the Caribbean, but most of its hits are cadence. The band main beat has been the cadence. (Cadence =Compas =Meringue)