By Christine Jean-Pierre

 CSMS Magazine Staff WriterThe latest single from Patrick Andrey and Jim Rama (left in the picture) Ghetto à face à face solidifies Konpa as the Caribbean music genre that every zouk artist from Martinique to Africa does not seem to be able to go without. According to music insiders, Konpa music is now gaining exposure in music channels such as MTVFrance, MTVbase, and MTVPortugal. Face à Face, the last new generation of Zouk band to crossover to Konpa has done so with style in their new video clip now climbing the chart called Ghetto à face à face. With that, Konpa’s takeover is now complete.   This new musical trend started around in 2003 when section Zouk artists like Nichols, Ali Angel, Mainy, Kaysha, and Damoqeez began doing Konpa musical joints called zouk bordelwhere they would all come together ever year and release hit Zouk songs adding multiple touches of Konpa in them, ushering a new vide that ultimately catapulted Konpa music to the top ten spots in radio stations such as RNJantilles in Martinique and Espacefm in France.In 2005, the trend of putting Konpa in Zouk music truly became more apparent when Konpa band T-vice worked with Jocelyn Labylle and Christiane Valero on their albums with hit top singles such as Dis moi si tu veux and Toujou la. These two songs were one of most requested songs in Traceradio and EspaceFM top 20 countdown for weeks in the summer of 2005.In late 2007, Zouk artistes and producers such as Patrick Andrey, Jim Rama, Ali Angel, and Nichols have been enlisting the help of hit Konpa producer Nickenson Prud’homme to produce hit albums for veteran Zouk songstress Tina and upcoming Zouk sensation Priscilla and produced hit singles such as Reviens moi, and Dis le moi. Prud’homme also co-produced the latest single Ghetto à face à face for Patrick Andrey and Jim Rama, which reached the top singles chart for RNJantilles radio in Guadeloupe and the number one spot in EspaceFm top 20 countdowns for five weeks straight.According the Caribbean music critics, Kompa is at its zenith right high now with Zouk artistes and producers from Cape Verde and Portugal such Loony Johnson and Elizio putting out hit Konpa songs such as L in the air, Ne me laisse pas, and Bonita.It is fair to say that Konpa is finally getting the international recognition as a true musical genre for all musical lovers to enjoy all over the world. With more Konpa bands like Carimi andMizik Mizik blasting the airwaves from La Reunion to Cape Verde and Zouk artists from all over the world using Konpa as their shining path to a quick leap to fame, there is no doubt that Konpa music will be the genre that gets more partygoers, music lovers and the music industry buzzing about for years to come.Also see Kenedy: La nouvelle princesse of zoukMilca: New Haitian diva crowned in Paris while Konpa is breaking new groundsDwindling record sales forces Zouk producers to call Konpa to the rescueZouk music producers have turned into Kompa to boost record sales