Zouk-love

Zouk-love is the French Antilles compas music.

In Africa, it is popular in Franco- and lusophone countries. In Europe, it is particularly popular in France, and in North America in the Canadian province of Quebec.

History

The Haitian cadence or compas music has been dominating the Antilles music scene since its introduction in the late 50's. During the 1970s Antillean and Dominican musicians became important players in the style with solid bands such as La Perfecta, Exile One, Grammacks, Simon Jurade, etc.

In 1969, Gordon Henderson decided that the French Overseas Department of Guadeloupe had everything he needed to begin a career in Creole music. Gordon Henderson joined forces with the famous cadence band called the Vikings of Guadeloupe. The Vikings are considered the precursors of Kassav' whose co-founder Pierre Edouard Decimus was a member of the group. Gordon recorded a few songs with Les Vikings which became instant hits in countries beyond the usual market such as Surinam and Holland. At some point he felt that he should start his own group and asked a former school friend Fitzroy Williams to recruit a few Dominicans to complete those he had already selected. The group was named Exile One.

In the late 1960s, the Dominican band Exile One, settled in Guadeloupe due to the lack of recording studios back home. In the early 1970s, Exile One called its repertoire cadence-lypso featuring the Trinidadian calypso and mostly Haitian compas/cadence rampa, however, most of the bands repertoire was kadans. Cadence-lypso or the Dominica kadans quickly became popular in Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haiti and other islands in the Caribbean; France, Latin America and Africa.

Exile One is the pioneering group of the genre, other important groups include Les Aiglons, Grammacks, Midnight Groovers and Liquid Ice. The Dominican band Exile One led by the talented Gordon Henderson introduced a full-horn section and synthesizers to their music that other young cadence or compas bands from Haiti (mini-jazz) and the French Antilles emulated in the 1970s and 1980s. Exile One was the most promoted creole band of the Caribbean. The first to sign a production contract with a major label call Barclay Records. The first to export kadans music to the four corners of the globe: Japan, the Indian Ocean, Africa, North America, Europe, The Cape Verde islands.

In 1978, Pierre Edouard Decimus relocated in Paris after a successful career in the French Antilles. Pierre Edouard Decimus was on the verge of retirement from the music business until he and his brother Georges Decimus met fellow Guadeloupean Jacob Desvarieux, a popular guitarist/songwriter kwown in Paris as a studio wizard. The surroundings of the Paris music recording technology gave him the idea of making "just one more record". Subsequently, Pierre Edouard Decimus, his brother, and Jacob Desvarieux pulled together a team of Paris-based Antilles musicians and created a group named Kassav' and a new sound called zouk.

The original Kassav' was all Guadeloupean but was later joined by Martiniquans Jean-Claude Naimro, Claude Vamur, Jean-Phillipe Marthely, Jocelyn Berouard and Guadeloupean Patrick St-Eloi . Kassav' created its own style by introducing an eleven-piece gwo ka unit and two lead singers, tambour, ti bwa, biguine, cadence-lypso: calypso and mostly cadence or compas with full use of the MIDI technology. Originally, Kassav' style had a certain political dimension. Their famous song "zouk-la se sel medikaman nou ni" implied that zouk constituted a banner for the cultural unity of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Kassav created the fast zouk style but remains mostly a great compas music band.

Origins

Zouk Love is the French Antilles cadence or compas music, characterized by a slow, soft and sexual rhythm. The lyrics of the songs often speak of love and sentimental problems.

Ophelia Marie is a profound artist. Patrick Saint Eloi is the author of hits like "Darling", "West Indies", "Rev An Mwen" and "zouk". Played in duet with Jocelyne Béroard "Pabizwen palé. Jean-Philippe Marthely is also behind songs such as "Pretty Kreate", "Pazapa" and "Lanmou sé pa Djendjene. But it was Jocelyne Béroard with her song "Kolé Séré" sung with Philippe Lavil (gold) that allowed the whole of France to discover her music.

Popular artists include French West Indian artists Edith Lefel and Nichols, or like Netherlands based Suzanna Lubrano and Gil Semedo, the African artist Kaysha.

Zouk dancing

As a compas music style, the dance is the same. It is danced basically by changing the weight from one leg to the other in the music, which many teachers of dance simply call the time. The choreography is simple and little elaborated.

See also

• Zouk
• Zouk-lambada
• Music of Martinique and Guadeloupe
• Caribbean music

References

External links

• BrazilianZouk.Info - portal about zouk festivals, people, music and many more