Haitian-Congolese musician Paska has teamed up with Kenyan singer-songwriter Njerae on a new single, No More Drama, bringing Haitian Konpa into conversation with contemporary East African R&B.
The song explores heartbreak, disappointment and finding a way back to love, with Paska drawing on Konpa while Njerae adds a softer R&B influence.
The collaboration also brings together Haitian Creole, Lingala and Swahili, reflecting the different musical and cultural backgrounds of the two artists.
For Paska, the multilingual approach reflects his Haitian-Congolese upbringing and his experience growing up around different cultures and sounds.
“Being Haitian-Congolese, I grew up with different cultures, languages and sounds, so bringing them together feels very natural to me,” he says.
Paska has previously incorporated Konpa into his R&B-influenced music, including his 2022 release Bip Bip. He says he sees room for the Haitian genre to connect with African audiences because of shared interests in rhythm, melody, dance and storytelling.
“I don’t want Konpa to lose its Haitian soul. I want Africa to discover it, embrace it and create something new with it while respecting where it comes from,” he says.
The release continues Paska’s musical links with Kenya. He previously collaborated with Kenyan collective KodongKlan on Your Body, building a relationship with the East African music scene.
Njerae says the new collaboration developed naturally from the two artists’ different musical backgrounds.
“Collaborating with Paska has been so seamless, and I appreciated how patient and detailed he was creating the record together,” she says. “The track shows how powerful we can be when two musical worlds collide, and I’m delighted to be a part of this moment.”
Paska has also worked with Caribbean artists including Carlo Vieux, Roody Roodboy, Rutshelle Guillaume, Lorenz and Taija, and has performed at the MASA festival in Abidjan.
With No More Drama, the two artists continue to explore how musical traditions from different regions can intersect without losing their individual identities.