“Konpa music revivalists” are the words that best sum up CaRiMi’s Haitian Music Industry (HMI) debut back in July 2001, when the band released their album “Ayiti Bang, Bang” under the Antilles Mizik record label. The album became a major hit for the band due to its title track, a socially conscious tune calling for all Haitians to stop turning a blind eye and address the issues plaguing the country.
The album immediately placed the band among the top-ranking bands in the industry without having played on a single stage. To date, no band starting from that era has managed to make such a great impact upon their introduction to the business.
After the successful release of their album, the day came for them to take the stage and confirm to the public they weren’t just revitalizing studio productions, they were going to revitalize the stages as well. It was Friday, November 9th, 2001 at SOBs Night Club in New York City when the band finally made their grand premiere, performing to a sold-out crowd in matching ensembles.
A LITTLE HISTORY:
Carlo, Mikael, and Richard were involved in music before they were even of legal age. Growing up in Haiti, each one of them was brought together by their love for music. Carlo and Mikael were both former members of two Haitian bands, and Richard worked as a producer for several artists/bands in the HMI. The trio eventually left Haiti to pursue their education. In between their studies, the guys created “CaRiMi” by combining the first two letters in each of their names and soon found themselves in the studio lacing the tracks to their debut album.
Before joining forces, Carlo Vieux made his music debut at the age of 13 as a keyboard player with the band Tic-Tac. Carlo credits his mother, who was very supportive of his talent, and ordered him piano lessons at an early age to help him better his skills. He later joined K-Dans at the age of 16 and spent 4 years with the band before moving to the United States to pursue his education, eventually earning a Master’s degree in Economics and Political Sciences from Rutgers University.
Mikael Guirand’s earliest recollection of his performances took him back to his family’s living room where he would sing his heart out into an imaginary microphone, to his school choir where he performed for three years, and his first and short-lived band, BIGAY. One day, Alex Thebaud of the band K-dans asked Mikael and Carlo to work on a song to be featured on K-dans’ upcoming debut album, and immediately they were added to the band as members. Like Carlo, Mikael stayed in K-Dans for 4 years until he left Haiti for school in the states, later earning a Bachelor’s degree in Business Accounting from St. John’s University.
Richard Cave was born into a family of very talented musicians. His cousin, Alan Cave, and uncle, Syto Cave, are well-established musicians in the HMI. Richard started focusing on music when his parents enrolled him at the Soeurs Nicholas School of Music, where he learned to read and write music. His dad later felt music was getting in the way of his studies, took Richard’s keyboard away, and told him to focus more on his studies. Richard did stop for a little while, but not long after, he started working with bands/groups like Papash, K-dans, Zin, and King Posse as a producer. He did eventually heed his father’s advice, moved to New York, and later earned a Bachelor’s in Finance from Baruch College.
After the 2001 release of their first album, the band released their sophomore album, Nasty Biznis (2004), followed by Are You Ready? (2006), Buzz (2009), and Invasion (2013). To date, CaRiMi has released 5 studio albums, 5 live albums, 9 music videos, and 5 Carnival videos.
Remarkably, for over a decade, CaRiMi has always managed to reinvent themselves with every album they produce. The band remains very consistent and pushes boundaries when few of their peers have dared to explore. Of course, with success comes a bit of negativity and challenges, which many bands in the HMI have succumbed to. CaRiMi was no exception; throughout the years, the band has faced some controversies where their bond was tested, but through it all, they have remained determined, grounded, and focused.
