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April 2005__Outside the club, in the warm spring night air, packs of Haitians were moving from the parking lots and making their way inside. “sak pase? Ou lage’m,” could be heard here and there. Smiles were everywhere. Several women were happily giving out hugs and kisses to anyone within arm’s length. Wherever two or more men met, there were the slapping of hands and the shoulder touch hug. Something special was about the happen, even the county police knew it. A couple of police cars were boldly parked in front of the club, but no one really paid attention, for the night was all about Djakout Mizik.

Inside the club, by eleven thirty, Djakout was in full swing. The room leading to the stage and the dance floor was alive with chitchat. The main room was filled to capacity, those who wanted to dance were in the back, and those who wanted to jump and scream in the front. Djakout was already giving them a lot to jump and dance about.

It is apparent that lead singer Auguste Duverger (pouchon) is highly influenced by Bob Marley, judging by his dreadlocks and his mannerism on stage, however, it is, undoubtedly, pure konpa in his heart and the musicians surrounding him. Reminiscent of old-school konpa, Pouchon “gave the drummer some,” the keyboard player “got some”, the bass player, and the guitar player all shined on some well-balanced solos. In other words, “yo kite konpa a mache.” They let the music play. The groove was intoxicating and lasted all night. With ease and confidence, the band played one of its most popular hits early in the night. “La familia” brought a roar from the crowd and a rush to the dance floor. The band didn’t seem worried since it still hadn’t played its latest hit “mannigueta” from their latest CD by the same name. “Mannigueta” brought the concert to to such a climax that, with the amount of people packed in the small club, could have literally set the club on fire.

Since the club was packed to capacity by midnight, the police stopped many fans from entering, and the party was abruptly stopped at 2:30 am. No doubt, Djakout and those inside could have easily continued to party until sunrise. It’s been a long time since there’s been a concert like this in the Washington, DC area. The public and the bands have changed and have become more sophisticated, and it is time that all the promoters do the same. For the past few concerts in this area, the visiting artists have publicly complained on stage about the condition in which they have to perform. As the drummer said on stage, Djakout is too big to play in a “kaloj,” a birdcage. Djakout is the hottest Haitian band out right now, and the fans were eager to come out and support. Although the room was hot and the club was too small, the band was hotter and played outstanding.

© EchodHaiti.com, April 2005