Interview with Smith Jean-Baptiste

Interview with Smith Jean-Baptiste, the influential percussionist in the band Les Shleu Shleu. Started in 1966, the band rose to fame playing after volleyball games in their local high schools. In this interview, Jean-Baptiste speaks about the seminal days of konpa until the band moved to New York in the 1970s. Today, South Florida is the capital of konpa music, with at least 10-15 well-known Haitian konpa bands in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, including Les Shleu Shleu. The band members all live in South Florida, which Jean-Baptiste considers the "Capital of Konpa Music." During the interview, Smith Jean-Baptiste covers the historical roots of the band, its transition in the diaspora, and their upcoming performance. The interview also includes a live demonstration of his kalisembal (riding the cymbal) technique.