The group Zin was born in 1986 at City College of New York, a campus with a large Haitian community. Alex Abellard and Eddy Saint-Vil, joined by a few classmates, created a new musical formation that performed for the first time in February 1987. Abellard proposed the name “Zin” and took charge of musical direction, serving as leader, arranger, and guitarist. A multi-instrumentalist with a passion for computing, he brought a modern vision to the group’s production.

Eddy Saint-Vil composed several of Zin’s early hits, including “Pa Dekouraje” and “Fè m Vole.” A former college soccer player with a degree in electronic engineering and an employee at Bell Communication, he left his job in 1991 to fully dedicate himself to managing Zin.