Zouk

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Zouk
Stylistic origins: Music that became popular in the mid-80s by groups originating from the French West Indies. The music was a a mix of kompa, biguine, gwo_ka, bele, cadence
Cultural origins: Started in the mid-80s by groups from the French West Indies, and is now shared with cultures from South America: (Brazil, etc.) and Africa: (Angola, Cape Verde, Réunion, etc.)
Typical instruments:
Mainstream popularity:
Derivative forms: Zouk-love - Kizomba - Cabo-Love
Subgenres
Zouk-love - Kizomba - Cabo-Zouk
Fusion genres
kompa, biguine, Gwo ka, bele, cadence
Regional scenes
French West Indies - West Africa - France - Portugal

Zouk is a style of rhythmic music originating from the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. It has its roots in Cadence music from Dominica, as popularised by Grammacks and Exile One. Zouk means 'party' in the local creole of French with English and African influences, all three of which contribute the sound. In Europe it is particularly popular in France, while on the African islands of Cape Verde they have developed their own type of Zouk.

Contents

[edit] Origins

Zouk was invented in the early to mid-1980s when many different styles were fused, such as Kompa, balakadri, the Dominica based Cadence and bal granmoun dances, mazurka and biguine, French and American pop, and kadans, gwo ka and other indigenous styles.

[edit] Kassav'

The leading band to emerge from this period was Kassav', who gave the style a pan-Caribbean sound by taking elements from Kompa, reggae and salsa, and became one of the most famous bands of the genre in the world. Kassav' was formed in 1979 by Pierre-Edouard Décimus, a long-time professional musician who worked with Freddy Marshall. Together, the two of them decided to take carnival music and make it a more modern and polished style. Their first album, Love and Ka Dance (1980), established the sound of zouk. They continued to grow more popular, both as a group and with several members' solo careers, finally peaking in 1985 with Yélélé, which featured the international hit "Zouk la sé sèl médickaman nou ni".

With this hit, zouk rapidly became the most widespread dance craze to hit Latin American in some time, and was wildly popular even as far afield as Europe and Asia. Zouk became known for wildly theatrical concerts featuring special effects spectacles, colorful costumes and outrageous antics.

[edit] Zouklove

A special style within the zouk is called zouk-love, where the music is slower, and more dramatic. Zouk-love has its origins in a slow tempo form of Cadence sang by Ophelia Marie of Dominica. The music kizomba from Angola and Cape Verde is also a derivative of zouk which sounds basically the same, although there are notable differences once you become more familiar with these genres.

Popular zouk love artists include Netherlands based Suzanna Lubrano and Gil Semedo, but also French West Indian artists like Edith Lefel, Nichols, Harry Diboula or Haitian artists like Ayenn and Daan Junior, or African artist like Philipe Monteiro.

[edit] Zouk Lambada

See also: The decline of Lambada and the rise of Zouk

Zouk is danced too in Brazil using a modified, slower, even more sensual but less vulgar version of the lambada. It could be considered one of the three main "non-ballroom-dancing" dances there. Unlike forró, which is led with the whole body, or salsa, which is led with the hands, "zouk", "zouk lambada" or lambazouk (created in Palma de Mallorca, Spain), is led by the glued-to-each-other hips of the partners. Thus, in a basic sideways movement, it is the hips that move first, followed by the rest of the body, and this is part of what makes the dance so "sensual".

When practicing zouk in dance classes, teachers generally warn women to be very careful with their backs, as one of the most distinctive and commented-on movements is for the woman to lean her head far back, sometimes below her waist, and whip her head and hair from side to side. If not done properly this could possibly lead to injury.

It is interesting to note that in Brazil, popular belief is that zouk music originates from French Polynesia.

In addition to popular Zouk Love artist, we have Jocelyne Labylle from Guadeloupe and Slai.

[edit] The Dance Zouk

Zouk dance is practised in the Caribbean, mainly in the islands of Guadalupe and Martinica.

The example of Merengue, is danced changing the weight basically in the heads of the musical times (what many professors of dance call time simply) and its choreography sufficiently simple and is little elaborated.

There are four ways to dance to zouk music.

  • the first is the Zouk Love French Caribbean way;
  • the second is the Brazilian Zouk Lambada style (a dance evolving from the Lambada)
  • the third is Angolan or Cape Verdean style, known as Kizomba (the music was developed directly from Zouk)
  • the fourth is the zouk love style, danced in various parts of French-speaking Africa.

[edit] SOULZOUK, zouk freestyle

Created a little more then two years ago, the SOULZOUK, zouk freestyle is a new style of Brazilian zouk that is getting more and more space among Brazilians. More contemporary, it differs from traditional Brazilian zouk by a new way to relate with the music. Not being limited only by the beat, the style emphasizes the song’s melody, that way it can be danced with zouk or with a variety of music genres like R&B and Hip Hop. It also differs by a great movement improvement, like torsion steps and table cambrets. Differentiated lead, for the men learns how to lead with not only his hands and arms, but also with his legs, shoulders and head. mosh

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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