EKIP
kompa
EKIP is one of the important bands in the post-Djakout #1 chapter of Haitian kompa. The group emerged publicly in January 2020, when former Djakout figures Hervé Anténor, better known as Shabba; Yves Valbrun, Steeve Khé; and Réginald Bastien, Ti Régi, came together to launch a new project. That gave EKIP a specific advantage: it was new as a brand, but carried decades of experience from dances, carnival, and major HMI stages.
Shabba sits at the center of that story. SiBelle Haïti and HaitiInfosPlus accounts of the group's birth emphasize his long run through Djakout Mizik and Djakout #1 as percussionist, composer, live hype man, and a core source of carnival energy. When EKIP formed, it was not only another new band; it was a response to a major break in the kompa industry, trying to combine old-school experience with the vocal colors of a newer generation.
EKIP's first major public moment arrived when the pandemic forced live music to change shape. Its first online performance in 2020 drew a large digital audience, according to local coverage, and showed that the group could create an event even without a traditional dance. The band's catalog then expanded through songs such as 'Ze Fele', 'Ou Blom', 'Bingo', 'M'pa Panike', 'Péché Mignon', and the 2024 album Makiye Mizè W.
'Separasyon' with Bedjine is one of the moments where EKIP connects most clearly with the modern Top 40. The song turns breakup pain into singable kompa, and Bedjine's sensitivity helps it reach beyond the band's core audience. EKIP links the Djakout school, the local and diaspora dance circuit, and a generation discovering kompa through official videos, playlists, and collaborations.