Brooklyn Council Member Rita Joseph introduces historic resolution to honor Haiti’s national rhythm in the five boroughs
New York, NY – December 4, 2025 In a landmark moment for the Haitian diaspora, Brooklyn Council Member Rita Joseph (D-40) stood before the City Council’s Committee on Cultural Affairs on November 20 and introduced Resolution 0987-2025, calling for July 26 to be permanently recognized as “Haitian Konpa Day” across all five boroughs of New York City.
If passed (and momentum is strong), 2026 will mark the first official Haitian Konpa Day, joining the city’s proud calendar of cultural celebrations alongside West Indian American Day, Dominican Day, and Trinidad & Tobago Day.
“Konpa is more than music; it’s our heartbeat,” Council Member Joseph told the committee. Representing the epicenter of Haitian Brooklyn (Flatbush, East Flatbush, Prospect Lefferts Gardens), she continued: “From the block parties on Nostrand to the floats on Eastern Parkway, from backyard barbecues in Canarsie to sold-out nights at Amazura, konpa is the sound that says ‘We are here, we are proud, and we are family.’ This resolution tells our children that their culture belongs in City Hall, too.”
Why July 26?
The date is deliberate and deeply symbolic: July 26, 1968 marks the founding of Tabou Combo in Port-au-Prince, the band that took konpa global and turned “New York City” into an anthem for every Haitian who ever landed at JFK with one suitcase and a dream. Fifty-eight years later, that same song still shuts down Flatbush Avenue every Labor Day.
A Quick History of the Rhythm That Conquered the World
Konpa was born in 1955 when saxophonist Nemours Jean-Baptiste stepped away from traditional Haitian méringue and created something sleeker, sexier, and impossible to sit still to. With his group Ensemble Nemours Jean-Baptiste, he replaced the big-band brass with sparkling guitar riffs, locked in a hypnotic bass line, and added the signature “tanbou + kata” drum pattern that makes your waist move before your brain catches up.
From Nemours to Tabou Combo, Skah Shah, Magnum Band, T-Vice, Klass, and today’s generation (Kai, Harmonik, Vayb, K-Dilak), konpa has remained Haiti’s undisputed national genre, evolving while never losing its essence: joy, elegance, and unbreakable Haitian pride.
More Than Symbolism
New York City is home to the largest Haitian population in the United States (officially 165,000–200,000, though community leaders insist the real number is far higher). Haitians own businesses on every commercial strip in Flatbush, staff hospitals across the city, drive yellow cabs, teach in public schools, and keep Caribbean culture blazing bright. Recognizing Konpa Day is official gratitude for generations of contributions.
The resolution requires no funding and does not create a public holiday; it simply adds Haitian Konpa Day to the city’s roster of celebrated cultural observances, ensuring the beat of Haiti is forever part of New York’s soundtrack.
The measure now moves through committee review, with a full Council vote expected in early 2026. Given overwhelming community support and co-sponsorships already lining up, passage is considered highly likely.
When that day comes, save the date: July 26, 2026. Expect white linen, rum punches, griot trucks, and konpa from Utica Avenue to the Bronx. Because once the guitar riff drops, the whole city will be dancing.
Add Comment