in 1998, Kinelly Jean-Pierre, Welmyr Jean-Pierre, Armstrong Jeune, Makarios Cesaire, Yves Abel and Shedly Abraham collaborated to produce the album that includes the very much-acclaimed hit “Ti Bato,” they never envisioned what would happen next. That they would later be embarking on this journey that is bound to lead them to the kind of stardom previously only enjoyed by blockbuster groups such as Tabou Combo, Skah Shah, Freres DeJean, et. al.
When producer/musician Rigaud Simon listened to the album that these musicians, with whom he had had previous positive experiences, had put together, he naturally felt the urge to propose to them concretization of “New York All Stars”, the album, into New York All Stars, the Konpa band. They all knew the great potential for success if they put their talents together. So in the summer of 2000, they began rehearsing and touring together to test the waters and see if they could function as a group. They quickly realized what a wonderful combination they had with the addition of other band members Kenny Desmangles, Jericho Boura and Philippe Michel.
Their resolve grew when they saw the great reception they received from the instant fans they made every time they played. Of course, they knew something crucial was missing in their quest to establish themselves as Konpa’s next Big Thing; so, at the beginning of the year 2001, they started working on their new album. In June 2001, they released the first single from their second . The single entitled “Pou La Vi” made a huge impact, especially in Haiti where it quickly became one of the most popular songs in the country. It became the number one song on the top 15 Hit Parade held by Radio Galaxie for three weeks and remained among the top 5 songs for several weeks.
Konpa followers from all over the world greatly began to appreciate this new band. But, their musical style is not limited to only Konpa. The new album, entitled “Pou La Vi” (For Life), which was released in October 2001, is a strong indicator that this band is out to reach the mainstream. The album offers everything from the hard core typical Konpa (Tracks 4, 9, and 11), the highly favored Konpa Love (Tracks 2, 3, 5, and 10), the reggae style (Track 6), to the familiar salsa (Track 7).
Many industry insiders see their new album as one that will make its mark in history. Given their huge success in Haiti, the group will tour the island for the first time in July 2002.
