St. Maarten, Netherland Antilles [January 29th, 2009]--It’s obvious why Heineken chose CaRiMi to headline the big concert on Kim Sha Beach Friday, March 6 - they are a great band. Great Music, Great Beer, Great Sailing, no wonder why they say the St Maarten Heineken Regatta is “Serious Fun”!

After the fantastic response Heineken recently got from the Compas and Zouk community, particularly those with Haitian roots, for the Wyclef Jean concert, it was natural to select CaRiMi to follow. The band appeals to most locals and the international crowd expected for the regatta will also love them for their lively performance and smooth sounds.

CaRiMi is one of the leading Compas (or Kompa or Compa) bands in the world. The word “compás” in Spanish means “beat” or “rhythm,” and one of the most distinctive characteristics of compás music is the driving beat, a trait common to many styles of Caribbean music. Compás music is easy and fun to dance to, incorporating musical traditions like Merengue, which propel dancers around the floor with lively, active beats. You may hear the notes of compás music in a community of Haitian immigrants anywhere in the world, and where there is compás, dancers are usually not far behind.

Half a decade ago, three friends, who had worked together in some arena of music, almost simultaneously made the decision to further their education. Knowing that the state of their homeland, Haiti, was unsure and insecure, Carlo Vieux, Richard Cavé, and Mickael Guirand each decided to leave and set their sights on the United States.

Always driven by their passion for music, this small group of guys reunited in New York to solidify their current past time into a career. Soon they found themselves surrounded by sound proofing foam, extended boom mikes and a mixing board.

To their surprise each had the same desire to pursue music and by taking the first two letters of their first names, CaRiMi was born. Drowning themselves in the studio in the hopes of creating a new sound, one that was uncommon in the Haitian Music Industry at the time, the guys found themselves putting to paper some profound, socially charged lyrics that encompassed the troubles in their native land.

“Ayiti Bang, Bang” was released in the summer of 2001. Instantly, CaRiMi became a household name. They are known as one of the first younger generation digital bands to put out music that touched upon the political pressures and the deteriorating security of Haiti. They had mass appeal to the Haitian Diaspora who fled the country and through their allure lyrically, musically and of course physically as eye candy for the ladies, CaRiMi has thrived throughout the years.

Receiving accolades from the International music scene, including Best Album of the Year, CaRiMi has risen to the top of the charts across Billboard’s best in Haiti, Guadeloupe, Paris, French Guiana, Canada and parts of Europe.

Be it with a love story of betrayal or desire being sung by Richard Cave, a song about jealousy and possessiveness vocalized by lead singer Mickael Guirand, a passionate dedication to loyalty harmonically displayed by Carl Vieux, a deep felt note composed by Noldy, a tap of the snare drum by Stanley, or a melodic groove off Glenny’s strings, this dynamic cluster, has proven that talent is not only a gift but a necessity in making all your dreams a reality.

“We are delighted to have CaRiMi perform for the ST Maarten Heineken Regatta,” States Norbert Kout Marketing Manager of Heineken St Maarten, come and get your groove on with this fantastic band!”

Check them out on: http://www.carimi.com