Story perspectives

Haiti's Compas Music Celebrated as UNESCO Cultural Heritage

12/10/2025

Summary

Story summary

Haiti's Compas music has been added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Cultural Heritage List.
The recognition underscores Compas's significance to Haitian identity and its origins in the 1950s, blending African and Caribbean influences.
Dominique Dupuy, a former foreign affairs minister, praised the inclusion as a beacon of hope.
Compas continues to thrive and is enjoyed locally and internationally, providing joy amid poverty and gang violence.

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Story summary

Haiti's Compas music has been added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Cultural Heritage List.
The recognition underscores Compas's significance to Haitian identity and its origins in the 1950s, blending African and Caribbean influences.
Dominique Dupuy, a former foreign affairs minister, praised the inclusion as a beacon of hope.
Compas continues to thrive and is enjoyed locally and internationally, providing joy amid poverty and gang violence.