Kai

rabòday, kompa

KAI is Richard Cavé's project after Carimi, and one of the clearest examples of how HMI reorganized after a legendary band broke apart. Le Nouvelliste reported that, two months after Carimi's dissolution, Richard was already in a new phase: a rented house in Miami, long workdays on new songs, and then the first video single, 'Malade'. The name KAI works as an idea of home, rebuilding, and renewed strength after a shock to the Carimi fanbase.

Richard Cavé was not only a former Carimi singer; he was one of the architects of the band's sound: keyboardist, songwriter, arranger, producer, and writer behind many hooks that marked the 2000s. With KAI, he moved forward as lead vocalist while handing musical direction to T-Klod, a young maestro who became central to how the band breathes on stage.

Songs such as 'Malad', 'Kansè', 'Demisyone', 'F Up', 'Se Ou L Ye', 'Koupab', 'Jije m', 'Mafia', 'Criminel', and 'Pi Bon Chwa' show what KAI does best: big hooks, relationship writing, memorable phrases, and arrangements that keep Carimi DNA without becoming a copy. KAI speaks to the generation that grew up with Carimi, but also to fans who entered kompa through YouTube, live sessions, and collaborations.

KAI's page should read as a post-Carimi chapter, not a footnote. It is the project where Richard shows he can preserve the inheritance, make it more personal, and work with newer voices such as Kenny Haiti, Bedjine, Medjy, Fatima Altieri, Oswald, Steves J. Bryan, and Master Brain. The Grand Méchant Zouk appearance and official jam sessions show how the band moves between dances, diaspora stages, streaming, and room-wide singalong moments.

Browse all artists