Klass is the defining konpa band of the 2010s, formed on April 18, 2012 by Richie (Jean Hérard Richard, the celebrated maestro who previously led Zenglen) and Pipo (Edersse Stanis). Arriving when the konpa scene was searching for a new flagship, Klass paired Richie’s proven songwriting and keyboard mastery with a polished, modern production sound that appealed to both longtime konpa loyalists and a younger generation. The band became a fixture of the diaspora concert circuit, packing ballrooms across the United States, Canada, and the French Caribbean, and helping carry konpa’s banner through a decade of rapid change in Haitian music. Klass stands as proof of konpa’s endurance: a veteran-led band that could compete with newer urban sounds without abandoning the genre’s core. In the HMI directory, Klass is cross-linked to Richie’s earlier band Zenglen as part of his band-affiliation record.