Biography

Shleu-Shleu

In 1965, in the elegant hall of the Cabane Choucoune in Port-au-Prince, a group of seven young musicians took the stage under the name Les Chleu-Chleu. Nemours Jean-Baptiste, “Papa Weber” — the patriarch of konpa direk — stepped forward. “Mini Jazz,” he shouted, by analogy with the miniskirt that came from France. These seven musicians against a dozen or so were the very first to bear this name, which would go on to define an entire genre.

In brief


Name	Shleu-Shleu (originally Les Chleu-Chleu)
Formation	December 22, 1965, Bas Peu de Chose, Port-au-Prince
Origin	Former members of the Lorenceau and Les Manfoubins groups
Musical Director	Tony Moïse (alto saxophone)
Genre	Kompa, mini-jazz — an elegant reduction of konpa

Key dates

Year	Event
1965	Nemours Jean-Baptiste baptizes the group “Mini Jazz”
1967	First album Haïti, Mon Pays (label IBO Records)
1970	Move to New York for Casa Borinquen; the group remains in the United States
1972	Succès Des Shleu-Shleu A Paris — international reach confirmed
1982	Back to Stay, an album that traces life in the diaspora
1994	Souvenirs, first archive CD (Mini Records)

From Cabane Choucoune to New York exile

At the beginning of the 1960s, the Haitian music scene was dominated by large kompa orchestras that lined up a dozen or so musicians. Seven young people from the Lorenceau and Les Manfoubins groups decided to try their luck with fewer. Hugues “Dada” Jackaman, a Haitian businessman of Palestinian origin, financed the project. Saxophonist Tony Moise became its musical director. The initial lineup brought together Hans Chérubin “Gro Bébé” and Jean-Claude Pierre-Charles “Peddy” on vocals, Serge Rosenthal on guitar, Milo Toussaint on rhythm guitar, Léon Millien on bass, and Franco Joseph “Smile” Toussaint on percussion.

The first performance, at the Cabaret Cabane Choucoune, saw Nemours Jean-Baptiste slap the label “Mini Jazz” on them. This term would soon encompass an entire musical movement. The 1970s saw them conquer New York: at the Casa Borinquen, they enchanted the Caribbean diaspora. Over the following decades, they toured Boston, Washington, Newark, Miami — bringing Haitian music into community halls and clubs. Caribbean musicologist John Storm Roberts noted: “Their combination of swing and delicacy… what strikes today is their strong Creole taste, in the melodies as well as in the saxophone solo so beautiful.” In 1976, departures weakened the group, but the music held firm: Back to Stay (1982) testifies to a renewed lineup, blending konpa and funk influences. Pionniers (1991) — “The Tradition Continues” — pays homage to its own roots.

Major works

Work	Year	Why it’s essential
Haïti, Mon Pays	1967	First album — manifesto of Haitian mini-jazz
Cé La Ou Yé	1970	Kompa repertoire classic; one of the most played tracks in the diaspora
Succès Des Shleu-Shleu À Paris	1972	Proof of European reach; a concentrate of elegant konpa

Legacy and influence

Shleu-Shleu contributed most to establishing Haitian music in the New York soundscape of the 1970s and 1980s. Their blend of melodic saxophone solos, konpa rhythms, and Congolese influences in the guitar parts inspired generations of American Caribbean musicians. The term “mini-jazz” that Nemours gave them is today a classified genre in international discographic databases. Their albums — Haïti, Mon Pays, Cé La Ou Yé, and Tête Chauve — remain inevitable references, rediscovered every year by new generations.