Originally the first Haitian band was Issa Sahiel, it was created in Port Au Prince (the capital of Haiti) in 1942. This was nearly two decades before the birth of Konpa direck, Issa Sahiel was the band's leader. The band played mostly in Port-Au-Prince from early 1942 until the 1950's. Some of the band's musicians included: Emmanuel and Kenel Duroseau, Herby Widmaier , Charles Dessalines, Rene Dor, Joe Trouillot, Guy Durosier, Ernest Nono Lamy, Roland Guillaume, and Ti Roro. The rhythm was a fusion of Cuban,  American Jazz and Latino influence.  In 1943 in Port Au Prince, Pierre Riché, René D’or, Farrat Pierre, Vainney Dennervil left Issa and formed the band Jazz Des Jeunes . The band became very popular in the Caribbean, they traveled to Porto Rico, France, Panama, Dominican Republic, Columbia and Cuba. On May 17, 1958 Jazz Des Jeunes performed in the Pan American Festival in New York at Howard University. The last time the group Issa El sahiel preformed was in the early 1960's, Jazz Des Jeunes however, went on to receive the first and best performing jazz band award; In 1972 the band relocated to New York. Issa Sahiel, born in Petit Goave on February 22, 1919, died on February 2, 2005 in Port-Au-Prince.