The question I am asked most frequently is: WHY COMPAS MUSICIANS WILL ALWAYS DIE POOR? This is a difficult thing for people to understand, especially for compas direct musicians playing compas music in a country as rich as the United States. There are some very obvious conditions to note in compas music's case: the long history of political oppression in Haiti during the Duvalier regime, lack of music business knowledge and financial literacy from Nemours Jean Baptiste, the factor behind all the corruption of the compas music business among promoters. But a question of CAUSES for such poverty in the Haitian Music Industry is extremely complex. I have tried to respond to the question in a manner that points up this incredible complexity.So if you're short on time, I have had to highlight, condense and simplify.

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This issue is a difficult one for you the compas music fan. I urge you to stick with it, to wade through. Compas music has the lowest fan base in the Western Hemisphere. Yet, virtually all that compas music promotion problem is human caused, in most cases, by a secret group of compas music promoters that has been around since Nemours Jean Baptiste, they want to create a monopy in the compas music business with themselves in charge.

I See Hope Too

The story of compas music is- heavy and depressing. Yet I see hope too. To know the causes of compas music poverty is to clarify the problem. It helps people like us to know where to focus our energies, our work and our wealth in attempting to lessen this misery.

Not only is this a difficult issue, but a controversial topic as well. I've tried to reflect the various thrusts of the argument as I've encountered them. But, ultimately I've had to decide where the evidence seemed strongest. I'm sure some will disagree and do so with vehemence. I urge you to reply. One of my central aims is dialogue, because it is in dialogue that we grow.

I. Root, No Solid Music Business plan Causes of Compas Music Misery
One of the ultimate causes of Compas music's misery is human. It is rooted in greed and power. Both Neumours Jean Baptiste and Webert Sicot have assured the destruction of compas music since the beginning. They have never taken the time to create a solid music business plan for their venture which lead to the separation and physical violence between Neumours Jean Baptiste and Webert Sicot. As such, Nemours and Sicot were not able to coexist within the same band. What does it say about Nemours and Sicot?

II. Secondary, the Duvalier Government Causes of Compas Music Misery
The political climate of Haiti during the Duvalier regime has assured a division between Nemours and Sicot. Nemours was preferred by the Haitian bourgeois and members of the Duvalier family, particularly Marie Denise Duvalier, daughter of Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier. Sicot was rejected by the Haitian bourgeois and members of the Duvalier government. But, little by little this political endorsement by the Duvalier government has caused other factors to emerge that assured the continuance of the separation and physical violence between Neumours Jean Baptiste and Webert Sicot. As such, the Duvalier government became the biggest promoter of compas music.

If the Duvalier government was ill prepared or not knowledgeable in the field of music promotion, how far one believes the compas music could go? How competitive can the Compas Music Industry be? If the Duvalier government "producer" was not knowledgeable, how big the compas music project could be? As such, The Duvalier government never advanced interests of creating copyright law to protect the compas music and its creator.What does it say about the Duvalier government?

The Duvalier government has destroyed any hope for compas musicians to become a millionaire musician under the copyright law and went on to wonder how compas musicians expected to make it playing compas music without the Haitian government financial support.

So it was not a coincidence that compas music was commonly linked to Haitian musical nationalism during the Duvalier government till today. Compas musicians became significant haitian nationalists but they never asked their Haitian legislators to create Haitian copyright laws that could have protected their arts and secured their financial future.What does it say about compas musicians?

III. Today, Nothing Ever Changes For Compas Music Misery
Compas music's circle of misery is continuing today and no one seems to care of making a change to the Compas Music Industry. The technology has changed the music business, but the compas music business model has no infrastructe to take advantage of the technology. As such the bootleger and the compas music promoters are killing compas music today. Now compas musicians are struggling to even making a living from selling their own CDs. The only thing left for Compas musicians today is to continue to carry the haitian flag as a nationalist and perform at their promoter's weekly gig.

But the problem with compas music's weekly gig is that compas music promoters are not promoting compas music the smart way to increase its market size. As the result, the compas music consumer attendance is decreasing every year so does the compas music CD production.Why? Yes why? Have you ever asked yourself this question? Why compas musicians will always die poor?