SUMMER 2017 PREVIEW: 20 BANDS put under the microscope!
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When MEMORIAL WEEKEND comes, it signals the official kickoff of SUMMER for many people, and it is basically the same in the HMI. Like we've done in the past going back several years from the magazine to the website, we give you a SUMMER PREVIEW on some of the bands. READ BELOW.
*MICKAEL GUIRAND/VAYB: No group has more of a buzz right now on the HMI scene in terms of ANTICIPATION than this one. With his just released song "Lanmou Fasil", the curiosity factor is in full effect in terms of what they will bring on the HMI table. Grand Premiere set to kick off in July in Haiti, this group's first tour is guaranteed to be one of the hottest and most popular tickets on the touring circuit this Summer. Can MICKAEL accompanied by Shedly Abraham, Jean Max Valcourt, Ti Ben Guirand, Noldy Cadet and the other guys deliver on the expectations? Time will tell, but one thing is for sure, we expect them to ride high like Gazzman and Disip did when they first came out.
*KAI: RICHARD CAVE and his group just released a CD on the market, and THIS SUMMER is the perfect time for the group to put their stamp on the circuit with this brand new release. The industry approval for the CD is already in full swing, and there are songs on there as well that are already confirmed as HITS (MALAD & KANSE); so now that sets up the perfect welcome mat for the group to have a wonderful Summer.
*HARMONIK: Manager/Owner "HAMLER" Rodney Noel told us in an interview back in April that THIS SUMMER IN HAITI would confirm his group's status as one of the 2 most popular bands in the HMI....refusing to say he was number 1 when pressed. It is in the motherland during the Haiti tour that the group will be able to see the impact of "Cherie Benyin m", "Incroyable", as well as other songs on their recent CD; one which many believe to be the hottest of the recent releases in the industry...in terms of impact. After the Haiti tour, will "HAMLER" tell KM that he is #1 on the market? We'll see how things develop.
*KLASS: The group continues to stroll along on the market doing their thing, and by most accounts, while they might not have the gap that they had on other bands on the market from one year ago in terms of MARKET CONTROL, many still believe that they are still the group leading the pack when it comes to the popularity of the HMI bands. They still fairly have a CD that they still are pushing...based on the just released music video for "I'm Sorry", and the group is determined to retain its position in the industry. Klass should be fine this Summer for sure....and by the end of Summer, will they still be able to say that they are the top dog in the business UNDISPUTED? A Suivre.
*T-VICE: Recent CD has songs that are doing well on the market (Including the most popular track so far "Moving On"). The Haiti tour will be their first "SUMMER" tour of the motherland with NEW MATERIAL, so I am sure they are looking forward to exposing the new material to the masses down there. Roberto and Reynaldo have always told me that it takes 6 months for a band to see if a CD has had an impact on the market...that time is HERE....Let's see what the market says. We're not worried about them at all.
*NU LOOK: Nu Look after all remains Nu Look. Depending on who you ask, there will be debates about how much of an impact their latest CD has had on the market, but one thing is for sure, the group's booking remains solid as ever. Many experts in Haiti say that "NOW" is when they are starting to see the results for their latest CD come through in the motherland, so if that's the case, they should be enjoying themselves this Summer on tour there. For many months now, the talk around the industry has always been about KLASS/NU LOOK being "1/2" in the market.....will it remain the same by the time Summer ends? A Suivre.
*DISIP GAZZMAN: The CD put the group back on the map and they continue to do their thing on the market. Having said that, there are those who feel that with a CD of such caliber, the band should have had more impact than what they are doing, some pointing fingers at promoters possibly not wanting to give justice to the artist for this accomplishment. Whatever the right theory or analysis is, DISIP will have their share of the pie this Summer, however, one major wall that they NEED to break down there is the PORT-AU-PRINCE "issue". Dish is in a much better position than they were a year or two ago...but a lot of people think that with THAT CD....they should be doing much better. A Suivre.
*DJAKOUT #1: TI REGI posted a picture on Instagram where he basically said "SOMETHING IS COOKING". Is it another single that the group plans to release for the Summer, or will they just drop a FULL CD on the market....catching us all by surprise? That remains to be seen. A new song featuring Steeve Khe on vocals would NOT be a bad idea at all if we're being honest. After the success that he had the last time around, a HIT SONG by him, just might be the TIME that DJAKOUT needs to MAINTAIN, and to FINISH the rest of the songs for a NEW CD.
*KREYOL LA: Champion Kanaval, and Champion Compas Festival by most accounts, TI JOE recently told KM that the group HAS BEEN WORKING HARD in the studio on new material. He told us that he had 4 songs "DONE". Could it be that KREYOL LA intends NOT to waste too much time in terms of releasing new material due to the new material that other bands are dropping on the market?
5 LAN: Long awaited CD is still being worked on, but it promises to have quite a lot of guest stars on there. What will the addition of Carlo Vieux bring to the group in terms of compositions? NEW CD will hopefully drop this Summer after it was scheduled for January. A song entitled "KULOT" featuring Alan Cave has been announced...but nothing yet since then. Band is still one of the most booked in the HMI.
*GABEL: They just released a brand new CD on the market, which gives them a GREAT REASON to be down in Haiti this Summer to help push it. The general rule is that the full results in terms of impact of this CD won't really be FULLY visible until their DECEMBER tour...or next Summer for the Haiti market. Gabel hoping that this CD gives them results like the "GON JAN POU YE" CD or better....instead of the response that they received for their last one "Anyen Pa Eternel". They've been pushing this one hard...now it's up to the fans to respond.
*ZENGLEN: Re-shuffle time for Zenglen after basically waiting for their vocalist WID to be able to get proper travel authorization to go abroad. Now that it's done, the focus will be to push the band in Haiti this Summer...hoping that it is not too late to have an impact with that same CD. They are putting a lot of their marbles on trying to get the band and WID established in Haiti Should Zenglen just go back to the studio and start over again, or is the focus on Haiti approach the best way to go for now? We'll see soon.
*DAT7: The group WILL release 2 new songs on the market THIS SUMMER hoping to kick start a brand new attack on the HMI. Despite their belief that they are being boycotted by certain bands/promoters in the business, the group now has this mentality that if they deliver a HIT SONG...the so- called boycotters won't have any choice but to come to them. You can bet that they will be feeling the PRESSURE/HEAT with the release of those new songs on the market.
*ENPOSIB: The group moved to Haiti and has been doing well there...actually getting booked more than certain other bands that were already there on the market for years. Having said that, they will try to continue to make headway in the U.S market.
*CRUZ LA: The KINGS OF THE REMIXES just continue to do their thing. Has the new CD done what the band needed it to do in terms of impact? Only THEY know....but realistically, it is NOT as if we are hearing more of them than before. Having said all of that, should they also be worried about rumors surrounding their musical leader/maestro SCOOBY going to VAYB...or is that just NOISE on the streets? Nevertheless, they just continue to keep on grinding.
*ORIGINAL H: They just released a CD on the market, and CLEARLY the goal with this one is to try to establish the Paris based band OUTSIDE of their market. They are targeting the U.S and other markets to try and make a major statement this time around. YO VLE RETIRE TAG "JAZ PARIS A" sou yo.
*MAESTRO de TI ANSYTO: They are playing on a regular basis in Haiti, and this Summer will look to expand the brand's reach in the very important U.S market and beyond. Are promoters ready to embrace the TRAP-KOMPA brand that TI ANSYTO is now selling, or are they taking a wait and see approach to see if it will blow up before committing? Very important Summer for the group in trying to establish the brand/band.
*KARIZMA: After the release of Emmery and JR from the group by owner Rene, a lot of eyes are on the manager/owner to prove to the world that he can continue without losing a beat. NEW LINEUP has already circulated all over the internet, so now it's just a matter of waiting for the SONGS to drop to see if the band should be taken seriously or not. One of the most anticipated releases this Summer....very important for the group's future.
*K-ZINO: They just released a CD, and are now making moves in trying to set their band up in different markets. It's still too early to make the call on how the CD is going to do...or doing on the market, but time will tell soon.
*FRESH UP: The group UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT is aiming to make more of an impact on the market. They have been making a niche for themselves in the Philadelphia area, and they are hoping that under new management, that they can expand their brand even more this Summer. New CD on the way.
KM!
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