29881: Hermantin(News)Konpa, zouk,drinks and laughs unite during Ballade Creole nights (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Haitian connection


Konpa, zouk, drinks and laughs unite during Ballade Creole nights at Stingerz 
in Miramar.



By Heather C. McCalla
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

January 19, 2007


The doors to Stingerz nightclub in Miramar open at 11 p.m., but Ballade Creole 
doesn't get happenin' until well after midnight.

Held every Sunday at Stingerz, Ballade Creole has become a late-night dance 
party for Haitians who want to connect with other Haitians and get down to 
music that reminds them of home.

This weekly event is really all about dance. As two DJs play a mix of konpa and 
zouk, two slightly different styles of French Caribbean music, the focal point 
is the dance floor.

Ladies, in everything from tank tops and jeans to corset tops and short shorts, 
stand by, waiting to be asked to dance while men, wearing untucked, button-down 
shirts and sunglasses, look on, deciding whom to ask.

Even as the older crowd sits at the bar sipping on a Heineken or mixed drink, 
their attention is on the dance floor.

Not that they could see anything; the club is so dark that it's nearly 
impossible to see the person in front of you.

Perhaps the dim lighting is an essential element, as konpa is typically a dance 
for couples. Friends Linda Soillo, Linda Smith and Joyce Dessources defy that 
rule, forming a circle and dancing together.

While Dessources said she prefers other clubs a little more for the variety of 
music, Smith said that she likes Stingerz better because people are active.

"Everybody gets out and dances. People actually come out and have fun," Smith 
said.

According to manager and DJ Sadel Joseph, Ballade Creole night has been running 
for four years, despite having to move from nightclub to nightclub.

"I love the music, the people, the vibe. Seeing people having fun, people 
laughing. That's the concept," Joseph said. "People don't want to leave because 
it's a good party."

Apparently, even those who relocate have a hard time leaving the party. Abenz 
Maurice, a rap artist who recently relocated to Boston, comes back to Ballade 
Creole when he visits friends and family in South Florida.

"I always come back here to have fun and to konpa," Maurice said. "The Haitian 
culture is a beautiful thing, and I look forward to coming here and having a 
good time."

Several other South Florida nightspots, including Club Boca and Marabou Cafe, 
have their own version of Ballade Creole, often referred to as konpa nights.

Another big happening for South Florida Haitians is the Haitian Independence 
Festival, from 4 p.m. to midnight Saturday at Bayfront Park, 301 Biscayne 
Blvd., Miami.

Nine popular Haitian bands will be performing, including Carimi, Nu-Look and 
T-Vice. Haitian cuisine will be served, including the popular griyo as well as 
fish, pork, conch, assorted rice and more, costing about $10 per plate (give or 
take, depending on the vendor).

Tickets cost $40 at the gate. Call 305-893-8020.

Many South Florida clubs are hosting before and after parties for the fourth 
annual festival.

Two kickoff bashes are set tonight at Hallandale Beach's Gulfstream Racing & 
Casino and Pembroke Pines' Marabou Cafe.

Both start at 11 p.m. and cost $30. Visit sakapfet.com for a complete listing 
of the parties.

Heather C. McCalla can be reached at hcmccalla@sun-sentinel.com.


Copyright © 2007, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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