En Gogo

Cadence rampa (often shortened to “kadans”) is a dance-oriented form of modern méringue from Haiti. Popularized by saxophonist Webert Sicot in the early 1960s, it shares the same modern méringue foundation as compas (konpa), but emphasizes a driving "rampa" groove, horn-led riffs, and Cuban-style piano and percussion patterns. The style sits in 4/4 with a steady, danceable bass “tumbao,” cowbell/hi‑hat timeline, and interlocking guitar/piano montunos. Harmonies are typically diatonic with bright major keys and jazzy extensions, while arrangements spotlight catchy horn hooks and call‑and‑response vocals in Haitian Creole. Cadence rampa spread quickly through the Francophone Caribbean, where “kadans” became a generic term for this Haitian modern méringue and a springboard for later Antillean dance styles.