Gardy Girault

Innovative Haitian DJ and producer Gardy Girault built his reputation in the mid-2010s with a distinctive merging of Afro-Haitian rara rhythms and electronic house music that he referred to as "rara tech." By the decade's end, he had created his own label and found international success, releasing numerous EPs and playing his custom blend everywhere from North American to Africa and the Middle East. Girault began his career in Port-au-Prince in 2008, though it was after the 2010 earthquake that he began to form his original style combining traditional Haitian forms like rara, konpa, and rasin with progressive and deep house beats. This sound could be heard on the 2012 EP Reminiscence Then and even more so on his 2015 debut album, Kiskeya, and singles like "Journey to Tortuga" and "Sole." The pioneering musician eventually founded his own label, RiZing MuZik, and released EPs like 2018's Ghetto Leyan and 2019's Selebre. Girault began 2020 with the"Papa Pyè" featuring vocals from voodoo priest and singer Erol Josué and "Basen an Fon" featuring singer Anie Alerte. ~ Timothy Monger