Konpa for one?

After a long, not so productive day in the office, Elizabeth, the director of my organization in Haiti, and her boyfriend, Carlito, took me out to hear a kompa band play. I was thrilled to get out from behind our home's walls, but also nervous as I have never been truly immersed in Haitian culture before. No doubt I would stick out like a sore thumb, but I was not going to let a little insecurity stop me from mingling with the people I came to be with.

The word “kompás” in Spanish means “beat” or “rhythm,” and one of the most distinctive characteristics of kompás music is the driving beat, a trait common to many styles of Caribbean music. Kompás music is easy and fun to dance to, incorporating musical traditions like Merengue, which propel dancers around the floor with lively, active beats. It is mainly a partner dance that incorporates lots of spins and turns. You may hear the notes of compás music in a community of Haitian immigrants anywhere in the world, and where there is compás, dancers are usually not far behind (all this according to wikipedia).

Now the crucial part of the Haitian music lesson above is that kompa is a partner dance and when you go to a kompa concert, not only without a partner, but also as a very obvious third wheel to a very devoted couple things can get a little sad. I found myself standing in this up scale disco (thats what they call clubs in Haiti) really enjoying the music and the energy of the crowd, however when I let my gaze stray to those around me I was one of the only people on the dance floor dancing by themselves. How does that go for attempting to fit in? It made me feel like a school girl at an over crowded dance shaking her junk for everyone to see and no one takes the bait. When in reality, I was probably just another white girl trying to pretend she has rhythm, I mean who really wants to dance with that? Now remember, I am married and already have snagged a dance partner for life, but when you and your husband live in different countries these things become a little tougher.

What I learned tonight is that Haitians really know how to have fun and I definitely felt lucky to be among them. The band, T-Vice, was really very good and I am told are one of the top two Haitian band, not bad for my first night out in PAP (Port-au-Prince). I also learned that having a great time does not make you miss your loved ones less, but rather more as you want to share those moments with them more than anyone else.

Emotional State: content with symptoms of husband withdrawal on top.

Goal: to dance the kompa with a partner next time.