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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Dnica Coto and Evens Sanon

UN recognizes compas, a Haitian music and dance genre that has marked generations and brought joy

Haiti Compas - (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Compas, a beloved Haitian music and dance genre inspired by merengue and infused with percussion, made UNESCO’s cultural heritage list on Wednesday.

The syncopated rhythm, created in the 1950s, wafts from bars, bedrooms and businesses across Haiti, lifting spirits and providing solace from the country’s grinding poverty and soaring gang violence.

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