Jean Hérard Richard, known as Richie, is a Haitian singer-songwriter, percussionist, and producer who has collaborated with several renowned talents in the Haitian music industry.
Born on October 4, 1969, in Port-au-Prince, Jean Hérard Richard — better known as Richie — has spent decades contributing to the rise of Haitian music. As the saying goes, “To noble souls, valor doesn’t wait for years,” and many music lovers have drawn inspiration from his brilliance to celebrate the life of this virtuoso musician.
Musical Career
Jean Hérard Richard has nearly 35 years of experience as a professional musician active in the Haitian music scene.
Maestro Richie began his musical journey with classmates from Lycée Philippe Guerrier and later joined bands like Power X and FASHION. He experimented with various musical styles such as punk, heavy metal, R&B, and reggae before devoting himself fully to compas direct.
Richie started out alongside musicians like Gazzmann Pierre, Arly Larivière, and Nixon Mésidor, with whom he co-founded the band Tah-Paj. The group released the album Bòzò in 1996 but disbanded the same year.
Later in 1996, at the invitation of Jean Brutus Dérissaint, also known as Maestro Brutus, Richie joined the band Zenglen, where he spent fifteen years. During his time with Zenglen, he collaborated with celebrated talents such as Gracia Delva, Kenny Desmangles, Nickenson Prudhomme, Jean Edouard Jean Baptiste (a.k.a. Fréro), and Réginald Cangé. In 2011, Richie turned the page on his glorious chapter with Zenglen.
Musical Achievements
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of compas direct, Richie released a solo album titled Le Konpa (2005), better known as Happy 50, in collaboration with the band Zenglen.
In 2012, the singer-percussionist Richie founded his own band KLASS, putting the spotlight on lead vocalist Edersse Stanis, known as Pipo, alongside musicians El Pozo, Nixon Mésidor, and Hervé Bastien. To date, Richie and KLASS have released three albums over more than a decade:
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Fè l vini avan (2013)
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Fè l ak tout kè w (2016)
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Ret nan liy ou (2019)
Current Projects
Speaking on the show Carel In The Morning on May 2nd, Richie answered various questions and shared his thoughts on the upcoming 70th anniversary of compas direct, which will be celebrated on June 26 amid a tense security climate.
According to Maestro Richie, celebrating the 70th anniversary of compas without Haiti is inappropriate. He proposed inspiring ideas for marking the 75th anniversary, honoring the rich cultural legacy left by Nemours Jean-Baptiste, the founder of compas.
