Between new releases and tradition, the music industry remains vibrant despite the challenges facing a country at war. One of today’s hottest rappers opens up to us, and we present a selection of the best albums of 2026 in this special summer issue devoted to music. All this and much more in issue #68 of HAÏTI MAGAZINE by DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO.
Contents #68
Woolens Strong: Rap as Strength and Refuge
The Standout Albums and EPs of 2026 (January to July)
Tabou Combo and Tropicana: Two Compas Legends on One Stage
Music Video of the Week: Leo Leo Remix by Bulin 47 and Afriken An
Kreyol La in Petit-Goâve: the Concert in Pictures
Imafoto Shines a Spotlight on Haiti’s Next Generation of Photographers
Kenscoff Mourns Another Massacre
Press Reviews
Woolens Strong: Rap as Strength and Refuge
Active on the rap scene for more than 15 years, Woolens Strong quickly rose among the leading names in Haitian hip-hop after releasing his first two excellent EPs within a single year. His experience has also earned him the support of industry heavyweights, including Dutty and Fantòm of Barikad Crew, who appear in his latest music video.
“Coming from Bas-peu-de-Chose was one of my greatest assets when I started rapping, but it was not the only one,” he explains. He began rapping in 2008 with a group from the same neighborhood as Barikad Crew, one of Haiti’s most legendary rap groups.
Since launching his solo career in 2015, he has sought to support young rap artists in turn, just as others supported him early in his career. This fall, he plans to open a new recording studio in Delmas 75. Called Underground Connexion. The studio is intended as a welcoming space for hip-hop artists in the capital.
“I listen to everything being made in rap,” he says. “As soon as your music is on YouTube, I will listen to it. And many artists in Creole rap are doing good work. I recommend that everyone set the big names aside for a moment and take the time to listen to other artists too. For example, artists like Flewo, Apoteoz and Tikawo Trafik are doing great work. Pèkitan too. There is also an MC named Handboy. There are so many… I cannot name them all.”
Woolens Strong has lived in Delmas since the 2024 attacks on the Bas-peu-de-Chose and Carrefour-Feuilles neighborhoods near downtown Port-au-Prince.
“My heart is always heavy, and I feel great sadness when I see what is happening where we grew up and cannot go back. I also see people I grew up with living in shelters, where there is illness and all the social problems caused by the situation. I always have tears in my eyes when I think about it. But it is beyond our control; this is what the country has become. The most important thing is to be alive.”
His latest EP, I Am Strong, was released earlier this year (see the review below). His first EP, released last year, is titled Play Mwen. Both are available on streaming platforms, where he has already released several songs, including the excellent Rap Pov in 2023.
The Standout Albums and EPs of 2026 (January to July)
I Am Strong by Woolens Strong (Apple Music, Spotify)
Genre: Hip-hop
This is a very strong EP with powerful, incisive Creole rap that is sensitive and intelligent. Every lyric is deliberate and thoughtful, with nuanced, finely crafted, and uncompromising poetry. “Better to be happy on foot than crying in a Prado,” he says in Ensomni. The lyrics address his past, his pride, and hardship. They are carried by a choppy flow that sometimes lacks variety, but this is balanced by catchy hooks. The featured singers offer R&B that can feel slightly overdone at times, but is more nuanced elsewhere. The instrumentals are mostly classic boom-bap, except for one drill track with Bourik The Latalay. They are consistently well produced. Whether built on looped violins, acoustic guitar, keyboards or brass, the production remains top-tier. This is the work of an accomplished artist at the height of his craft.
Standout tracks: #2 #4 #5 #6 #7
Contraste by Domec Brusly (Apple Music, Spotify)
Genres: Pop, Afropop
This album features gentle Haitian afropop with beautiful melodies and touches of compas and Caribbean music, including amapiano log drums on three tracks. While no song is quite as infectious as his hit Ma Muse, remixed here with Roody Roodboy, the set remains catchy. The production quality is excellent. The lyrics focus on love, sometimes turning introspective or addressing the state of the country. The album is sweet yet well-made and varied from track to track.
Standout tracks: #1 #2 #10 #11 #12
Sometimes by Rayhans (Apple Music, Spotify)
Genres: Chanson, Pop, Downtempo
Both innocent and melodic, this EP by the Ontario-based Haitian singer comes as a surprise. Though not intended for Haiti’s mainstream audience, it retains its full Creole flavor through rhythms subtly inspired by compas, roots music, and marching bands, featuring a cowbell on two tracks. Driven by gentle electronic beats, the EP remains deeply rooted in the chanson tradition, with catchy choruses, harmonies and the occasional acoustic-guitar melodies. Its sweet tunes, mostly in Creole but sometimes in English, warm the heart and soul. With a textured yet ethereal voice, at times almost whispered, and understated melodies, Rayhans clearly stands out as one of the young singers of the Haitian diaspora to watch, especially since he has announced two more EPs this year.
Standout tracks: #1 #2 #3 #5 #8
Fenomèn by Mebel Brun (Apple Music, Spotify)
Genres: Compas, Pop, Rabòday, Afropop
Haitian pop with strong afropop influences and amapiano log drums on two tracks. There are also touches of compas, including keyboard or guitar solos in four songs against a pop backdrop. The lyrics touch on love, seduction, sex, depression and the single life, as heard in a duet with Watson-G.
Standout tracks: #2 #4 #6 #8 #9 #10
RARA PEYIM (Popouri Vol 1) by Haitian Music Library (Apple Music, Spotify)
Genre: Band-à-pieds
Access to recordings of Haitian marching bands is always a gift, especially when most of the tracks are well recorded. Documents of such cultural richness are rare and difficult to find. This compilation brings together several songs by the same groups, which underscores the lack of professional recordings of these popular Haitian brass bands. It is an anthology-worthy document.
Standout tracks: #1 #3
First Drop by Colmix (Apple Music, Spotify)
Genres: Rabòday, Compas
In this EP, the artist primarly explores rhythms that are slower than his usual pace and what rabòday audiences have come to expect. He flirts with compas on the first five tracks, which feature Mebel Brun, Roody Roodboy and Mickael Guirand. He also occasionally adopts a downtempo afropop feel. Several songs feature remarkable solos. The last three tracks are more clearly rabòday, though they still move at a relatively slow pace for the genre. The EP closes with strong afropop, featuring log drums on the penultimate track and near-drill hip-hop on the final one. The production is first-rate. Colmix is an established producer, although more innovation or experimentation would have been welcome. Each track features a different artist, and the lyrics generally focus on relationships and love.
Standout tracks: #1 #3 #5 #7
BYEN PRE PA LAKAY by ÄSHH (Apple Music, Spotify)
Genre: Hip-hop
Fairly classic hip-hop, but very well-crafted and especially melodic. The project often leans more toward sung rap than spoken rap. Strong musicality runs throughout, supported by rhythms that are buoyant but never quite cross into trap. Several tracks end with excerpts of messages from his mother, who lives in Haiti, adding a touch that is both funny and personal.
Standout tracks: #1 #3 #5 #7 #9
BWAAAAAAA by backup promo (Apple Music, Spotify)
Genre: Rabòday
This rabòday mini-compilation, released by Backup Promo, packs ten tracks into just fourteen minutes. The identity of the original artists can sometimes be difficult to determine. The very short tracks emphasize club energy, chanted hooks, and electronic percussion.
Standout tracks: #2 #5 #6 #8 #9 #10
AFTER FAME by KidnelyRz (Apple Music, Spotify)
Genre: Hip-hop
Distinctive, well-made Creole rap. The productions have a unique feel, often influenced by trap. The artist’s flow is equally distinctive, featuring choppy, highly rhythmic phrasing. However, the lyrics can sometimes feel a little childish.
Standout tracks: #1 #3 #8 #10 #12
Hatelove by Joé Dwèt Filé (Apple Music, Spotify)
Genres: Compas, Pop, R&B, Hip-hop
A compas project infused with pop, R&B and dancehall that explores the duality of love and hate in modern relationships. Whether revisiting past relationships that still haunt us, passionate love, or marriage, romance lies at the heart of every lyric. Compas dominates, sung entirely in French except for one track. The music is languid, warm, and haunting. It may be too syrupy for some listeners, but the project goes down like candy and is exceptionally well produced, directed and mastered.
Standout tracks: #5 #8 #13 #15
Lobocity: Tout Yon Inivè by GWOLOBO, Paul Beaubrun, ManitoNation & KOLO (Apple Music, Spotify)
Genres: Compas, Rabòday, House, Roots
A set of tracks that sound like they were fun to make, with plenty of skits and playful nods. Are they just as enjoyable to listen to? That likely depends on the audience. The album features plenty of guitar solos and layered sound. There are also many guests artists, and the production quality is high. However, the vocals, which are mixed prominently, sometimes clash with the background electronic music.
Standout track: #13
ECLESIA par Naïka (Apple Music, Spotify)
Genres: R&B, Pop, Compas, Salsa, Soul
Pop, jazz and soul songs drawing on many influences, performed in English, French and with a few snippets of Haitian Creole. The project is well produced and very modern, but also highly polished. The Caribbean influences deliver its strongest moments. When Naïka raps, her voice recalls Kanis.
Standout track: #5
Other noteworthy releases:
Promesse by Dracky Anpenpan
NEW LIFE by Dave Casseus
Makem by Clifford Dume on Apple Music
Esansyèl by Widmayard CJ
Jete Dlo (feat. Kabysh) by Gardy Girault
Inspiration Divine by Fre Gabe
DRIPP LIFE by LPA PAPA DRIPP
Rasin Mwen by R-KING F
HAITI MIXTAPE SESSION #7 - Creole Rap in Canapé-Vert (NSFW)
Tyenomix (aka DJ ECP #GadonBlan), of DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO, was the guest DJ for two sets, one during the day and one at night, in the streets of the Canapé-Vert neighborhood in Port-au-Prince (Jean-Baptiste sector), for an amateur competition in August 2025. This is the night version, dedicated to Creole rap (August 10).
Tabou Combo and Tropicana: Two Compas Legends on One Stage
The country’s leading political figures and business leaders gathered on Saturday, August 22, for a summit between two of Haiti’s oldest compas orchestras: Tabou Combo and Tropicana.
The Karibe Hotel in Pétion-Ville was packed for this exclusive event, with tickets priced at US$100. Much of the cabinet, including the ministers of Culture, Tourism and Foreign Affairs, as well as the transitional prime minister, attended the evening, which ended at 4 a.m.
Tabou Combo is based in New York, while Tropicana is based in northern Haiti. Both emerged from compas direct, the foundational form of compas, backed by a brass section.
Music Video of the Week
Leo Leo Remix - Bulin 47 X Afriken An
Often portrayed as enemies by their leaders, Haiti and the Dominican Republic nevertheless have far more in common than divides them. This new hit by Haiti’s Afriken An and the Dominican Republic’s Bulin 47 makes the point by blending rabòday and dembow. The song quickly became a hit in both countries. With 11 million YouTube views in three weeks, the video has made the duo one of the year’s defining phenomena across the island of Hispaniola.
Afriken An’s original track, released in 2024, began gaining traction with Dominican audiences after the World Cup, where it became the unofficial anthem of the Cape Verde team.
Nevertheless, some racist voices in the Dominican Republic criticized this highly popular collaboration. In response, several Dominicans said the criticism revealed an insecurity about national identity (see the video above).
Kreyol La in Petit-Goâve: the Concert in Pictures
The compas band Kreyol La, led by singer T-Jo Zenny, performed at the Canne à Sucre Night Club in Petit-Goâve on August 15. Our contributor was there.
Imafoto shines a spotlight on Haiti’s next generation of photographers
The Imafoto festival’s annual exhibition showcased several of Haiti’s most important and active emerging photographers. The event was presented simultaneously at several venues before the works were brought together on Place Boyer for the final days. Our contributor Steeve Saint Fleur (top photo) was among the exhibitors.
Kenscoff Mourns Another Massacre
At least 47 people were massacred overnight from Sunday, August 23, to Monday, August 24, when an armed group attacked residents of the Kenscoff commune. The victims were people of all ages, including children. Dozens of people were also kidnapped during the attack, with estimates ranging from twenty to forty. The children among the hostages were released several days later thanks to the intervention of a citizen.
On the night of the massacre, the attackers reached the center of this agricultural town, including the area around the police station. More than 4,200 people were forced to flee their homes because of the attacks, according to the latest IOM figures.
Messages of sympathy and outrage followed from Canada, France, the United Nations and the Haitian government, among others. A few days later, the government replaced the police station’s leadership. The United Nations Security Council also held a special meeting on Haiti following the massacre.
As is often the case, the attack had been announced in advance, yet the police response was clearly inadequate. Several media outlets asked the same question: How could a predicted attack have been taken so lightly? According to available information, there were no police armored vehicles on site during the assault, despite the area having been under fire since the first attacks in January 2025.
The massacre sparked deep dismay in the capital and across the country.
DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO’s team
Photojournalists: Francillon Laguerre, Sonson Thelusma, Andoo Lafond, Milot Andris, Patrick Payin, Ketlain Difficile, Steeve Saint Fleur, Clarens Siffroy, Odelyn Joseph, Steeve Saint Fleur
Community manager: Steven Andris
Editorial board: Etienne Côté-Paluck, Jean Elie Fortiné, Jean-Paul Saint-Fleur
Interns: Wilky Andris, Donley Jean Simon
Special collaboration: Stéphanie Tourillon-Gingras, Mateo Fortin Lubin, Dickens Lundi
Media partners: Centre à la Une, J-COM, Nord-Est Info
Institutional partners: Kay Fanm, Mouka.ht
How Does Your Contribution Help?
Your monthly (or yearly) support helps finance the production and pay the salaries of the DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO staff in the communities of Cité-Soleil, Port-au-Prince and Cayes-Jacmel. In addition, donations are regularly distributed for medical expenses, school fees and other emergencies in these communities.
Press Reviews
Performing Arts (Music)
Time Passes, but Tropicana and Tabou Combo Endure - Le Nouvelliste
PRONAMUH Summer Camp Closes at Kiosque Occide Jeanty - Le Nouvelliste
Sainte-Trinité Music School and Philharmonic Orchestra Hold Grand Concert at Place Boyer - Le Nouvelliste
Dracky Anpenpan to Perform for the First Time at Parc Saint-Pierre in Ouanaminthe - Le Nouvelliste
Visual Arts
Johnson Sabin: When Photography Becomes a Way to Tell Haiti’s Story - Le Nouvelliste
Haiti Photo Connect Celebrates “A Haitian View of the World” - Le Nouvelliste
Kolektif Fotograf Ayisyen Closes Second Edition of IMAYITI Festi Foto - Le Nouvelliste
Patrick Vilaire, Major Figure in Haitian Art, Dies - Le Nouvelliste
Film
Mototaxis Through the Lens of Arnold Antonin - Le Nouvelliste
Haiti Without Screens: The Exile of National Cinema - Le Nouvelliste
Lakaywood Seeks to Make Film a True Cultural and Economic Engine - Le Nouvelliste
Culture
Profamil Hosts Major Food and Crafts Fair in Delmas - Le Nouvelliste
Rezonans Culture Lab Officially Launches in Delmas - Le Nouvelliste
Pyepoudre Cultural Center Closes Fifth Edition of “Men Vakans Tololo” - Le Nouvelliste
Dondon Caves Festival: An 11th Edition Marked by Resilience, Excellence and Pride - Le Nouvelliste
Literature
Thélyson Orélien Shortlisted for the Prix Femina and Prix Femina des Lycéens - Le Nouvelliste
Emmelie Prophète’s Cécé Honored in the United States - Le Nouvelliste
Thélyson Orélien in the Running for the Renaudot After the Goncourt and Goncourt des Lycéens - Le Nouvelliste
Thélyson Orélien Wins Strasbourg Espoir CIC Prize for C’était ça ou mourir - Le Nouvelliste
Literature: Vol raté de la Saint-Jean - Le Nouvelliste
Chelson Ermoza Makes a Major Return to Port-au-Prince With Tras pye lorizon - Le Nouvelliste
Hinche Municipal Library: Prévilus Joslyn’s Fight for Books - Le Nouvelliste
René Depestre, Nearly 102, Honored at the Lagrasse Book Banquet - Le Nouvelliste
Music
Haiti’s Army and the Musical Paradox - AlterPresse
Albert Chancy Recounts Shoubou’s Difficult Beginnings Before Becoming Tabou Combo’s Cult Singer - Le Nouvelliste
Frantz Joseph, Bossa Combo’s Drummer, Falls Silent - Le Nouvelliste
Gwolobo Presents Lobo City: Tout Yon Inivè - Le Nouvelliste
Heritage
Toussaint Louverture Memorial Mural Unveiled in Benin During SISTNA - Le Nouvelliste
Haiti’s National Archives, the Foundation of National Memory - Le Nouvelliste
Remembering Slavery: Bois-Caïman Museum Project at the Center of UNESCO Debate - Le Nouvelliste
Lakou Soukri, the Memory of a Heritage at Risk - Le Nouvelliste
A Call to Restore Champ de Mars - Métropole
On the 1964 Jérémie Vespers - Le Nouvelliste
Gender and Women’s Rights
presented by KAY FANM
Haiti Elections: Five Women-Led Political Groups Among 15 Approved by the CEP - HaitiLibre
Haiti Crisis: One in Three Women’s Organizations at Risk of Closure, UN Women Says - AlterPresse
Grand’Anse: Wagler Luc Convicted - JCOM Haiti
Agriculture: National Forum on Rural Women - iciHaiti
Haiti: SOFEHJ Calls for Immediate Humanitarian Aid for Women and Girls in Kenscoff - AlterPresse
