KOMPA! MAGAZINE

[Staff Poze 2]

GRAJ & TCHIA TCHIA FOUND TODAY'S HMI SINGERS EMPTY HANDED

In the early days of the HMI there was no such thing as an empty handed singer. The front man (or men) of the ban devan of the band was (were) a great part of percussion line just like the guys of the ban dèyè.
As a matter of fact listening to the Cadence Rampas one can easily tell that the GRAJ (THE GUIRO) work hand in hand with the gong. In bands with double singers, you will find one playing the graj and the other one playing the TCHIA TCHIA (MARACAS). That formula was found in Nemours' band, Sicot did it -Jazz Des Jeunes and all the others of that period. It moved on to the Mini Jazz era as well and as a proof in the album cover of Tabou Combo's "RESPECT" you will see the picture of Shoubou holding proudly his guiro...No need to talk about Cubano and the maracas for everyone know that he is the king of the Tchia Tchia and you can see him on the album cover of his cd KNOCKOUT holding proudly his maracas.
If we got all that from the influence of the Latin music, today's artists are more influenced by the Hip Hop movement with their PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR kind of shows...and that also contributed to the disappearance of the guiro and the maracas in front of our bands....
Some of today's music producers are able to add some guiro and maracas sounds in their recordings even when they know that their front men will not do them in the live shows.
Cubano and the guys of Tropicana are among the few that still provide some "front of the band" percussion sounds. I've been to shows where I see singers performing in front of the band with their hands in their pockets...or just giving shout outs as a mean of entertainment....

Ladies and gentlemen, the singers used to be part of the show and a better contributor to the sound that you dance by ENTERTAINING with their TCHIA TCHIA OR GRAJ...not just holding the mic stand or better yet ap chante ak men li nan pòch li...
How many of today's entertainers you think can put on a show if someone was to handle a GRAJ (guiro) OR A PAIR OF TCHIA TCHIA (maracas) to them...at a konpa show in Panama, in the DR, in Columbia...where the guiro and the maracas are still a great deal when it come to percussions.
Will Ti Joe, Micheal G, Michael B, Pouchon, Gazman, Kenny, Alan or any other of today's HMI star be able to really put on a show like Cuban...by using the INSTRUMENT that we all know is played by the SINGERS....
Ki es ki pa tap fè nou wont....since for the past years..... GRAJ & TCHIA TCHIA FOUND OUR HMI SINGERS EMPTY HANDED...
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Did you read your "Konpa Encyclopedia" today...

[Mizikamort]

Staff la, I wish some singers were still using those instruments.

Ou pale de chante kap chante ak 2 men nan poch yo. Gen seri de chante ou ka we ke neg la bored, se kom si se fose yap fose neg la chante.

Even if they would use them just in a couple songs for a night.
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MY NAME IS STILL ZENGLEN..........ALWAYS.

[neg kfou]

Staff good point but i think those instruments u mention are like any other instrument meaning u have to know how to play them otherwise lap you kakofoni total. epi mwen panse chante kounye yo trouve instriman sa yo antik and they will not look cool with them. li old fashion.

[bakasoulajan]

STaFF PoZé wrote:

GRAJ & TCHIA TCHIA FOUND TODAY'S HMI SINGERS EMPTY HANDED In the early days of the HMI there was no such thing as an empty handed singer. The front man (or men) of the ban devan of the band was (were) a great part of percussion line just like the guys of the ban dèyè. As a matter of fact listening to the Cadence Rampas one can easily tell that the GRAJ (THE GUIRO) work hand in hand with the gong. In bands with double singers, you will find one playing the graj and the other one playing the TCHIA TCHIA (MARACAS). That formula was found in Nemours' band, Sicot did it -Jazz Des Jeunes and all the others of that period. It moved on to the Mini Jazz era as well and as a proof in the album cover of Tabou Combo's "RESPECT" you will see the picture of Shoubou holding proudly his guiro...No need to talk about Cubano and the maracas for everyone know that he is the king of the Tchia Tchia and you can see him on the album cover of his cd KNOCKOUT holding proudly his maracas. If we got all that from the influence of the Latin music, today's artists are more influenced by the Hip Hop movement with their PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR kind of shows...and that also contributed to the disappearance of the guiro and the maracas in front of our bands.... Some of today's music producers are able to add some guiro and maracas sounds in their recordings even when they know that their front men will not do them in the live shows. Cubano and the guys of Tropicana are among the few that still provide some "front of the band" percussion sounds. I've been to shows where I see singers performing in front of the band with their hands in their pockets...or just giving shout outs as a mean of entertainment.... Ladies and gentlemen, the singers used to be part of the show and a better contributor to the sound that you dance by ENTERTAINING with their TCHIA TCHIA OR GRAJ...not just holding the mic stand or better yet ap chante ak men li nan pòch li... How many of today's entertainers you think can put on a show if someone was to handle a GRAJ (guiro) OR A PAIR OF TCHIA TCHIA (maracas) to them...at a konpa show in Panama, in the DR, in Columbia...where the guiro and the maracas are still a great deal when it come to percussions. Will Ti Joe, Micheal G, Michael B, Pouchon, Gazman, Kenny, Alan or any other of today's HMI star be able to really put on a show like Cuban...by using the INSTRUMENT that we all know is played by the SINGERS.... Ki es ki pa tap fè nou wont....since for the past years..... GRAJ & TCHIA TCHIA FOUND OUR HMI SINGERS EMPTY HANDED...

staff poze, se pati koze wap pale la non....men se yon sel ti fot ou fè, pami non atis ou site la, ou pa mete non sèl gren atis nan HMI ki ka vreman fè sa wap pale-a, dayè li toujou fèl lè lap jwe REGINALD CANGE, staff if you think I'm lying or voye monte for REGINALD go check him out on YOUTUBE or MY SPACE he always has his timbales next to his guitar before him. et si-m manti staff please demanti-m.

[Jay Brooklyn]

very good post, Staff la..
just the other day, I was thinking about that....
kom konpa'a shange, I wonder si graj ak tcha-tcha ap gen menm impact la....
anyway, menm lan knaval yo ka eseye'l....
mwen songe Billy Degand avek yon graj ki te pi wo pase'l sou tet sha Difficiles...I miss those days...
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BAT CHIEN AN, TANN MET LI!

[Redji-Vice]

Cubano toujou byen chèlbè ak tcha-tcha li nan men li. Men pou zafè graj la, a mwen ke gen plizyè stil "graj", mwen panse enstriman sa plis sanble pou rara!
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"LET THE BAD IN OTHERS BRING OUT THE GOOD IN YOU"!

[Staff Poze 2]

Redji-Vice wrote:

Cubano toujou byen chèlbè ak tcha-tcha li nan men li. Men pou zafè graj la, a mwen ke gen plizyè stil "graj", mwen panse enstriman sa plis sanble pou rara!

Sorry if you miss the time when our singers used to managed the guiro....but the big one you see at the rara is not even close to the one that is used at a bal setting....
Here are some pictures...

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=yfp-t-153&va=guiro+instrument&sz=all
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Did you read your "Konpa Encyclopedia" today...