| Zouk love | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Zouk |
| Cultural origins | Guadeloupe & Martinique |
| Mainstream popularity | Popular in the French Caribbean and now shared with cultures from South America: (Brazil etc.) and Africa: (Angola, Cape Verde, Réunion, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo etc.) |
| Subgenres | |
| Kizomba | |
| Fusion genres | |
| Cabo-Love - Zouk-lambada - Compas-love - Zouk R&B | |
Zouk-love is a genre of popular French West Indian music originating from the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe & Martinique. Zouk means "party" or "festival" in the local creole of French, although the word originally referred to, and is still used to refer to, a popular dance, based on the Polish dance, the mazurka, that was introduced to the French Caribbean in the 19th Century. In Africa, it is popular in franco- and lusophone countries such as Angola, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea and Mozambique. The pace is known worldwide. In Africa, however it is called Kizomba.
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Zouk love is a special style within the zouk, where the music is slower, and more dramatic. It has its origins in a slow tempo form of cadence-lypso sang by Ophelia Marie of Dominica.[1] This is a love song for most of the pieces. The texts of the songs often speak of love and sentimental problems. Zouk Love dancing is performed by two in a "kolé séré and lascive.
The music kizomba from Angola and Cabo-love from Cape Verde are also derivatives of zouk-love, 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 Patrick St. Eloi, Edith Lefel, Nichols, Harry Diboula or Haitian artists like Alan Cave, Ayenn and Daan Junior, or African artist like Philipe Monteiro and Kaysha.
Some artists have used the term "Compas-love" or "Zouk-Compas new generation" which is nothing but a light and slower tempo traditional compas played with lots of synthesizer and guitar with lovely lyrics in French, Creole, English or other languages. This light compas is more popular in France and the French Antilles of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Compas-love started as a fusion of Zouk-love with Compas, also known as Zouk-Compas "New Generation". It is almost identical to Zouk-love but a bit faster, it features more live instruments, and it relies heavily on the Haitian Compas guitar. This style of zouk is more popular in France, and the Caribbean. Caribbean, Cape Verdean and African zouk artists usually feature each other via compas-love songs. Popular Compas-Love artists includes artists like Jacky Rapon in song like "Mi Amor" , Ludo in song like "Weekend", Jackito in song like "Je l'aime a mourir" and Priscillia in song like "Dis le moi", Ali Angel in song like "Zouk Bordel 2003", and Iron in song like "Mr DJ". These songs are available through youtube.
Today, there is an alternative of Zouk influenced by the American R&B. It is a mixture of R&B and Zouk Love. This trend has taken birth in Paris with artists such as Slaï, Thierry Cham, Jane Fostin, Ali Angel, Medhy Custos, Nichols, Kimberlite Zouk, Warren, Marvin, Kaysha, Elizio, Teeya, Soumia Linsha and etc. .... but it is also Jean-Michel Rod is the precursor of Zouk R 'NB or "américanisé" with their song "Le Ou Lov", "Sof will," "Stop", "Cigaret", "Chut j'taime" "Mwen'm not," "And I love her" and "Ella". This trend seems to now the accession of the French public due to the success of Slaï, Thierry Cham, Medhy Custos, and Pearl Déesses Lama.
Some purists did not like the name "Zouk R 'NB" and prefers "Zouk Nouvelle Génération", and that this new trend is very popular among young people of Cape Verde.
In Brazil, the zouk rhythm is used to dance a Brazilian dancing style, however, with movements more suited to the music. The Lambada is usually very fast and frantic. Unlike that, the zouk in Brazil is often slow and sensual, enabling many steps and turns.
Rio-style Zouk (also called Carioca Lambada meaning Rio-style Lambada), was first developed in Rio de Janeiro. It is mainly danced in Brazil (Rio and Brasilia), Australia, The Netherlands, Spain and some other European countries. It uses a modified, slower, smoother, even more sensual version of the lambada and is typically danced on Zouk-love style music. In the Netherlands this dance style goes under the name of zouk-love.
The soulzouk or 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, 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. The rhythm of steps in the dance is slow and the movements are made very close.
Despite their Caribbean origin, as symbolization (customs) and / or conclusion (parties), the rhythm is considered a social dance for couples. It is considered that the Zouk dancing in Brazil is not the same danced in the Caribbean. The steps are similar to the Brazilians the lambada, but performed more slowly. The pace dançadonos other countries is called Zouk Love, and its different steps are considered to be milder.