Nemours Jean-Baptiste has been played on NTS in shows including Rum Punch w/ Danny Fitzgerald , featured first on 2 March 2023. Songs played include Pardon Mamman.

Nemours Jean Baptiste and the Compas Pioneers.

Nemour Jean Baptiste is credited with creating Compas (konpa) Direk, a style of Haitian music. The BBC has described him as Haiti's most influential band leader.

Compas Direct, the most popular of Haitian music- was indeed created by Nemours Jean Baptiste (born in February 1918), a virtuoso saxophonic. From an historical and logical perspective, Nemours alone did not create Compas Direk. He had the enlisted help of some of the greatest Haitian musicians, which included virtuous saxophonic Weber Sicot (born in 1930), Julien Paul, and the Durosseau brothers who founded the first Compas band, Conjunto International on July 26, 1955.

Compas Direk's first band also featured prominent musicians such as Monfort Jean-Baptiste, Anilus Cadet, Mozard Duroseau, Colber Krutzer Duroseau, and Richard Duroseau who came later on.

The early history of Haitian music began with the formation of big band orchestra and folklore musicians and/or groups which included Septentrional ( celebrating 60 years of existence), Jazz Des Jeunes, the Guinard brothers, Atomic, Tana, Titato, Maison Ante, Zobola, Diabolo, SAE orchestra, Les Etoiles, Ti Paris, Nirvana, Altchery Dorival, Gary French, Marcele Augustin, Richard Durossau Lumane Casimir, Yvon Luissain, and Meridionale des Cayes to enumerate just a few. In the 1940's and 1950's, a number of Haitian bands could be found playing all styles of jazz and big band music; while others were performing and rearranging popular Latin ( Rumba, Tipico, Jazz, Bolero, Meringue and salsa ), French, American, and European tunes.

The 1950's gave rise to some of the most admired and prolific musical talents of our time, composer Charles Dessalines, Edner Guignard (the Guignard brothers), Gerard Dupervil, Michel Desgrottes, Essa El Saiehl, Lucien Noel, Charles Avoine, Leon Atus, Jean Claude Paul, Gary French, Serge Delaleux, Raoul and Roland Guillaume, Louis Layence, Anulus Cadet, Mozart Monfort, Richard Duroseau, Destinoble Barateau, Joe Trouillot, Edner and Kenel Duroseau, Monfort Jean Baptiste, Raroule Guillaume, TI RORO, Tales, Maz Pierrot, Raymond Pinchina, Jean Sejour, Aine Felix, Lidovic Lamothe, Daniel Mayala, Jean Moise, Augustin Fontaine, Les Freres Guillard, Eddy Prophete, Deroulo, Yapha, Nenet Domingue, Lominy, Charles Napoleon, Andre Dorismont, Raymond Gaspard, Candio Despradine, Antoine Duverger, Malary Gay, and of course Webert Sicot and Nemours Jean Baptiste, the inventors Konpa ( or Compas) music.

The transition from Haitian folklore to Compas was not easy. Long before Nemours and Sicot became national icons, they struggled to find their own musical identity. Both musicians had a different vision of what the music should be or sound like. The music performed by Nemours and Sicot relied heavily on saxophones and emphasized on sectional rhythmic. Compas (nemours) and Kadance Rampa ( Sicot) instrumentation were broken into brass (trumpets and trombones), saxes, and a rhythm section (consisting of an accordion or piano, bass, drums, guitar, and African Congas ). The music arrangements followed the typical big band orchestration: a melody played by the entire band in unison or harmony; a soloists (either with the Sax or the accordion, which was later replaced by the pianoand keyboard). Improvisation was key in the progression of Compas music, and style.

From history books to Compas-critics, there are different accounts as to when Webert Sicot left Conjunto. Some historians contended that Sicot played with Conjunto for only two months, while others believed he left in 1957 to form the group "Latino".

When Memoirs and Sicot were members of the same band, they were in direct competition with groups like "Jazz Des Jeunes", a widely popular folkloric Haitian band of the 50's era, and Septentrional Du Cap Haitien, one of the oldest big band in the world, founded in 1948, was playing a mixture of Latin and French hits which appealed largely to northern Haitian audience. Meanwhile, "Ti Paris and Altheri Dorival", the masters of Haitian troubadours, were also major players in Haiti's country sides. Those pioneers significantly contribute to the development of Haitian music, but Nemours Jean Baptiste and Webert Sicot brought a whole new vision to Haitain dance music.

Septentrional: one of the hemisphere's oldest jazz band Haitian music from1950 to 70s ( From Jazz Des Jeunes to Nemours Jean Baptiste Haitian music 2008( The New Generation konpA) Listen to the original sound Of Kompa Music of the 70's, 80's, and 90'sera Click here Original Haitian Toubadours Listen to the latest sound Of Kompa Music Click here The Haitian Music Industry From the love of music fostered through Haiti's country sides, both Nemours and Sicot converged many elements of Haitian rhythms to create Compas music which later reached national status. As Nemours and Sicot traveled acorss Haiti 's small provinces, they saw the opportunity to unify all Haitian musical styles. Both musicians adapted some of the most popular tunes into their respective repertoires.

The 1950's was a period of excitement for the Haitian music --konpa music, folklore, troubadour-- began to be heard on the radio in some part of the country. Nemours Jean Baptiste and Weber Sicot were in better position to record their music( on vinyl and/or A track). According to Dr. Gage Averill, the former chairman of New York University Music Department, Ricardo and Herby Widmaier, two Germain-Swiss immigrant , recorded the first Compas vinyl in 1956 by Nemours Jean Baptiste. The commercial Compas vinyl, recorded at 78 rpm at the studio of radio HH3W (now Radio Metropole), had a profound effect on Haitian musicians and the public.

This Compas music and dance movement were wildly popular in Haiti from the onset. This period also marked the beginning of ballroom dancing in Haiti.

In 1958 Nemours introduced the electrical guitar, timbale, cowbell, and tom-tom floor to Compas Direk. He later changed the name of the band to "Ensemble aux Calebasses De Nemours Jean-Baptiste" to reflect the name of a local club, where he performed from 1962 to 1970. Nemour's group featured the talents of Julien Paul, Pierre Blain, Louis Lahens, Arthur Louvelass,Tadhal, Marcelle Augustin, Napo, Yafa , Leconte Vilvaless, Louis Layance, Jean Claude Paul, and Willy La Croix.