This story as been updated from the original published on May 29, 2023 period
BROOKLYN—A crisp summer breeze mixed with the rhythms of konpa, rasin and rara to transport hundreds of revelers into a night of revelry usually found in the tropics during the first-ever Banboch Kreyol festival at the Coney Island Amphitheater.
Banboch Kreyol mesmerized audiences with hits old and new from Tabou Combo to Paul Beaubrun during the Memorial Day fête, radiating the spirit of Haiti.
In collaboration with Live Nation, show producer The Haitian Times treated attendees to a variety of musical genres that embody the soul of Haitian music — the electrifying beats of konpa, the infectious rhythms of Haitian pop, the rootsy melodies of rasin and the mobilizing sounds of rara.
The festival’s organizers highlighted not only musical grooves, but also Haitian art and cuisine. The grounds were adorned with breathtaking works of art by Haitian and Haitian American painters, highlighting the beauty and profundity of Haitian artistic expressions.
View some of the unforgettable moments from a most captivating banboch below.
Tabou Combo on stage during The Haitian Times’s Banboch Kreyol festival at the Coney Island Amphitheater on Sunday, May 28, 2023, in Brooklyn, New York. Photo by Bill Farrington for The Haitian TimesPaul Beaubrun (Zing experience) on stage during The Haitian Times’s Banboch Kreyol festival at the Coney Island Amphitheater on Sunday, May 28, 2023, in Brooklyn, New York. Photo by Bill Farrington for The Haitian TimesPipo of KLASS jumping on stage during The Haitian Times’s Banboch Kreyol festival at the Coney Island Amphitheater on Sunday, May 28, 2023, in Brooklyn, New York. Photo by Bill Farrington for The Haitian TimesRevelers enjoying themselves during The Haitian Times’s Banboch Kreyol festival at the Coney Island Amphitheater on Sunday, May 28, 2023, in Brooklyn, New York. Photo by Bill Farrington for The Haitian TimesA “fwèt kach” performer rallies a group of dancers during The Haitian Times’s Banboch Kreyol festival at the Coney Island Amphitheater on Sunday, May 28, 2023, in Brooklyn, New York. Photo by Bill Farrington for The Haitian Timesrevelers dancing during The Haitian Times’s Banboch Kreyol festival at the Coney Island Amphitheater on Sunday, May 28, 2023, in Brooklyn, New York. Photo by Bill Farrington for The Haitian TimesRevelers sing and dance along during The Haitian Times’s Banboch Kreyol festival at the Coney Island Amphitheater on Sunday, May 28, 2023, in Brooklyn, New York. Photo by Bill Farrington for The Haitian TimesA Feet of Rythm dance troupe performer on stage during The Haitian Times’s Banboch Kreyol festival at the Coney Island Amphitheater on Sunday, May 28, 2023, in Brooklyn, New York. Photo by Bill Farrington for The Haitian Times
Where is the beautiful Riva?