Konpa star delivers energy, encouragement at ‘Sounds of Little Haiti.’ Take a look

A month after igniting the crowd at Miami’s Compas Festival, Haitian konpa star Richard Cave and his band KAI delivered another electrifying performance on Friday, June 20, at “Sounds of Little Haiti.”

The Purforce Group monthly celebration of Haitian culture, held every third Friday at Miami’s Little Haiti Cultural Complex, drew scores of enthusiastic fans who danced and waved along to Cave’s high-voltage performance, which featured popular hits, heartfelt tributes to Haiti and messages of affirmation for the local community increasingly feeling torn between violence in their homeland and immigration crackdowns in the United States.

Despite a sold-out VIP section and substantial turnout, the crowd—which usually spills out onto the street when popular bands such as KAI perform —was notably smaller than usual. Some fans said it was due to the community’s growing fears of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and deportations, which have led to many to shy away from attending public events.

Here are some of the scenes from the evening:

This story was originally published June 21, 2025 at 5:39 PM.

Jacqueline Charles

Miami Herald

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Jacqueline Charles has reported on Haiti and the English-speaking Caribbean for the Miami Herald for over a decade. A Pulitzer Prize finalist for her coverage of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, she was awarded a 2018 Maria Moors Cabot Prize — the most prestigious award for coverage of the Americas.