Zin

In January 1988, the City College of New York hall vibrated to the accents of an unknown group. Within minutes, the New York audience — Haitians, Jamaicans, Puerto Ricans — rose to their feet: the ten musicians had a sound unlike anything else. The Hit Music Factory, as the press would later nickname them, had just made its debut.

In Brief

Key Dates

Origins: The City College Dream

It all began in 1985, in the corridors of the City College of New York. Alex Abellard (keyboards, guitarist) met Eddy Saint-Vil (guitarist), two passionate dreamers who envisioned taking Haitian kompa to an international level. Kompa is that Haitian rhythm born from the fusion of Antillean biguine and African sounds, popularized in the 1950s by Nemours Jean-Baptiste under the name kompa direct. Abellard and Saint-Vil wanted to bring this sound to a wider audience — and succeed.

In 1987, during an audition, they met Georges Alan Cavé (born February 27, 1966, in New York). A singer and guitarist of Haitian origin, his sensual voice became one of the group’s trademarks. Cavé was quickly integrated: he grew up in a literary environment (his mother Yanick Jean was a writer, his father Syto Cavé a poet and artistic director) and began playing guitar at a very young age. His first step on stage was a surprise replacement for a sick artist, and the audience’s reaction convinced him to dedicate himself to music.

The group gave its first concert at the City College in January 1988. It was an immediate triumph: the audience recognized in Zin a formation destined to rank among the greatest in world kompa. On stage, Zin captivated the audience with ten musicians: Alan Cavé’s soft voice, the spicy sound of Alex Abellard’s guitars, the percussive rhythms, and three backup singers — Marie George Mettellus (known as “Princess Georgy”), Daphne Dary, and Virginia Mahotière — whose synchronized choreography kept the audience on their feet.

From “Fè’m vole” to World Stages

The first album, O Pa, was released in 1988 and contained the hit “Fè’m vole” (“Make Me Fly”), which propelled Zin to the forefront of the kompa scene. The group embodied the transition to the New Generation of konpa at a time when the genre was going through a phase of stagnation. The sound was more electric, the arrangements more contemporary, but the soul of compas remained intact.

Over ten years of activity, Zin released a dozen albums and multiplied tours. They performed every weekend in New York clubs — SOB’s in Manhattan, Le Rendez-Vous in Brooklyn, the Brasserie Créole in Queens — and filled venues around the world: more than 15,000 people at Central Park, 20,000 at the Henfrasa festival in Haiti, and 4,000 at Metropolis in Canada. The group won the Best Album Compas award at the New York Caribbean Music Awards twice, not to mention numerous Haitian Music Awards.

Behind the dazzling stage, Eddy Saint-Vil played a less visible but equally crucial role. Nicknamed “The Quiet Man,” he is a guitarist, singer, composer, arranger, co-founder, and sound technician. He notably composed “Pa Dekouraje” (“Don’t Get Discouraged”), another generational anthem, and helped modernize Haitian music production by co-founding a recording studio. He also composes for other artists, including Shirley Desgrottes and Liza Williams.

Major Works

Legacy and Influence

Zin marked the New Generation of kompa by paving the way for more modern arrangements without betraying the soul of the style. Its influence can be found in the subsequent Haitian groups in the New York diaspora, and its catalog remains a pillar of kompa radio. More than thirty years after their debut, Zin continues to perform and amaze audiences — the Hit Music Factory is still going strong.

Sources and References

1. « Zin », Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zin, accessed 7 November 2025.
2. « Georges Alan Cavé », Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Cav%C3%A9, accessed 7 November 2025.
3. « Zin — Haitian Music Archive », OPA Music, https://opamusic.com/Bios/artist/zin, accessed 7 November 2025.
4. « Zin — B.E. Relations Publishing », B.E. Relations, https://berelations.com/index.php/artist/zin/, accessed 7 November 2025.
5. « Zin », AllMusic, https://allmusic.com/artist/zin-mn0000695866, accessed 7 November 2025.
6. « Zin », Konpa.info, https://www.konpa.info/band/zin, accessed 7 November 2025.