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==History==
==History==
Music authors [[Charles De Ledesma]] and [[Gene Scaramuzzo]] trace zouk's development to the Guadeloupean gwo ka and Martinican [[bèlè (dance)|bèlè]] (''tambour'' and ''ti bwa'')<ref>{{Cite web
|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrKoZ1qsQq8&feature=relmfu|title=Martinican bèlè |publisher=YouTube |accessdate=September 10, 2005
}}</ref>
folk traditions. Ethnomusicologist Jocelyn Guilbault, however, describes zouk as a synthesis of Caribbean popular styles, especially [[Dominica]] cadence-lypso, Haitian [[Cadence rampa|cadence]], Guadeloupean ''biguine''.<ref>Guilbault, Jocelyn, Gage Averill, Édouard Benoit and Gregory Rabess, ''Zouk: World Music in the West Indies'' (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993), cited in Manuel, pg. 142</ref> Zouk arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s, using elements of previous styles of Antillean music, as well as imported genres.<ref>{{Cite book
|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=d0lrjteCl2IC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Zouk#v=onepage&q&f=true |title=Zouk: world music in the West Indies|author=Jocelyne Guilbault|accessdate=August 10, 2010
}}</ref>

Originally zouk béton, the only [[zouk]] style created is a fast carnival tempo. A mix of [[gwo ka]], tambour [[Bèlè (dance)|bélé]], ti bwa and [[biguine]] vidé with the full use of the MIDI technology. By the late 80s zouk béton lost ground; after all [[French Antilles|French Antillean]]s and [[Dominica]]ns are important players of the méringue-compas or cadence style. Musicians from Martinique and Guadeloupe have labeled [[compas music]] as ''zouk'' or zouk-love. Therefore compas music has been erroneously called [[zouk]] creating a big confusion in Africa, Cabo Verde, Angola and even in Portugal and other places. Actually since the late 80s zouk béton lost popularity due to zouk-love <ref>Zouk has become indistinguishable from compas music. Peter Manuel: Popular Musics of the Non-Western World,p74, Oxford University Press 1988</ref> French Antilles [[kassav]], the originator of the zouk béton, is a superb compas music band that has taken compas to many places in Africa, France, Portugal, Cabo Verde, Angola and others.
Originally zouk béton, the only [[zouk]] style created is a fast carnival tempo. A mix of [[gwo ka]], tambour [[Bèlè (dance)|bélé]], ti bwa and [[biguine]] vidé with the full use of the MIDI technology. By the late 80s zouk béton lost ground; after all [[French Antilles|French Antillean]]s and [[Dominica]]ns are important players of the méringue-compas or cadence style. Musicians from Martinique and Guadeloupe have labeled [[compas music]] as ''zouk'' or zouk-love. Therefore compas music has been erroneously called [[zouk]] creating a big confusion in Africa, Cabo Verde, Angola and even in Portugal and other places. Actually since the late 80s zouk béton lost popularity due to zouk-love <ref>Zouk has become indistinguishable from compas music. Peter Manuel: Popular Musics of the Non-Western World,p74, Oxford University Press 1988</ref> French Antilles [[kassav]], the originator of the zouk béton, is a superb compas music band that has taken compas to many places in Africa, France, Portugal, Cabo Verde, Angola and others.


Revision as of 07:01, 3 May 2014

Zouk-love
Stylistic originsFrench Antilles cadence or compas music
Cultural originsMid 1980s, French Antilles (Guadeloupe & Martinique), Dominica and Haiti
Typical instrumentsZouk-love use synthesizers and drum machines especially.
Fusion genres
Zouk-lambada - Kizomba - Cabo love
Regional scenes
French West Indies -Haiti- West Africa - Brazil - France - Canada
Music of Martinique
General topics
Related articles
Genres
Nationalistic and patriotic songs
National anthem
La Marseillaise
Regional music
Music of Guadeloupe
General topics
Related articles
Genres
Nationalistic and patriotic songs
National anthem
La Marseillaise
Regional music
Music of Haiti
General topics
Related articles
Genres
Media and performance
Music awards
Haitian Music Award
Music festivals
Nationalistic and patriotic songs
National anthem
La Dessalinienne
Other
Haïti Chérie (Patriotic song)
Regional music
Music of Dominica
General topics
Related articles
Genres
Media and performance
Music festivals
Carnival
World Creole Music Festival
Nationalistic and patriotic songs
National anthem
Isle of Beauty, Isle of Splendour
Regional music

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.

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

Music authors Charles De Ledesma and Gene Scaramuzzo trace zouk's development to the Guadeloupean gwo ka and Martinican bèlè (tambour and ti bwa)[1] folk traditions. Ethnomusicologist Jocelyn Guilbault, however, describes zouk as a synthesis of Caribbean popular styles, especially Dominica cadence-lypso, Haitian cadence, Guadeloupean biguine.[2] Zouk arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s, using elements of previous styles of Antillean music, as well as imported genres.[3]

Originally zouk béton, the only zouk style created is a fast carnival tempo. A mix of gwo ka, tambour bélé, ti bwa and biguine vidé with the full use of the MIDI technology. By the late 80s zouk béton lost ground; after all French Antilleans and Dominicans are important players of the méringue-compas or cadence style. Musicians from Martinique and Guadeloupe have labeled compas music as zouk or zouk-love. Therefore compas music has been erroneously called zouk creating a big confusion in Africa, Cabo Verde, Angola and even in Portugal and other places. Actually since the late 80s zouk béton lost popularity due to zouk-love [4] French Antilles kassav, the originator of the zouk béton, is a superb compas music band that has taken compas to many places in Africa, France, Portugal, Cabo Verde, Angola and others.

Origins

Cadence (kadans)/konpa

Main article: Kadans

As early as the late 50s Nemours and the Sicot Brothers from Haiti would frequently tour the Caribbean, especially Dominica and the French Islands of Martinique & Guadeloupe to spread the seed of the méringue-cadence.[5]

Webert Sicot, the originator of cadence recorded three LPs albums with French Antilles producers: two with "Celini disques" in Guadeloupe and one with "Balthazar" in Martinique. In addition to the Sicot brothers, almost all existing Haitian compas bands have toured these Islands that have since adopted the music and the dance of the méringue.

These were followed by the Antillean mini-jazz bands like Les Gentlemen, Les Vikings de Guadeloupe, Les Leopards...and later bands like Exile One, la Perfecta, Grammacks, Simon Jurade, etc.[6]

Cadence-lypso (Dominica Kadans)

Main articles: Cadence-lypso and Exile One

The most influential figure in the promotion of Cadence-lypso was the Dominican group Exile One (based on the island of Guadeloupe) that combined the Haitian Cadence rampa and compas with the Trinidadian calypso,[7] hence the name cadence-lypso; however, most of the bands repertoire was kadans.[8]

The Dominican kadans 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. Exile One exported kadans music to the four corners of the globe: Japan, the Indian Ocean, Africa, North America, Europe, The Cape Verde islands.

Aside from Exile One, other kadans bands included the Experience 7, Grammacks, Black Roots, Black Machine, Naked Feet, Belles Combo, Mantra, Black Affairs, Liquid Ice, Wafrikai, Midnighte Groovers and Milestone, while the most famous singers included Bill Thomas, Chubby Marc, Gordon Henderson, Linford John, Janet Azouz, Sinky Rabess, Tony Valmond, Jeff Joseph, Mike Moreau and Anthony Gussie. Ophelia Marie is a popular singer of cadence in the 1980s.

Grammacks, Exile One, Ophelia Marie, and many Dominican bands played kadans or compas music that is called zouk love in the French Antilles.

Kassav

See also: Kassav and Zouk

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.[9]

Kassav was formed in 1979 by Pierre-Edouard Décimus (former musicians from the Les Vikings de Guadeloupe) and Paris studio musician Jacob F. Desvarieux. Together and under the influence of well-known Dominican and Guadeloupean kadans or compas bands like Experience 7, Grammacks and Exile One,[7] they decided to make Guadeloupean carnival music recording it in a more fully orchestrated yet modern and polished style. Kassav' created its own style "zouk" by experimenting an eleven-piece gwo ka unit and two lead singers, tambour bèlè, ti bwa, biguine, cadence-lypso: calypso and mostly cadence or compas with full use of the MIDI technology.[10]

The original Kassav' was all Guadeloupean but was later joined by Martiniquans Jean-Claude Naimro, Claude Vamur, Jean-Phillipe Marthely, Jocelyne Béroard and Guadeloupean Patrick St-Eloi. In the 1980s they took Caribbean music to another level by recording in the new digital format. Kassav, which music repertoire is 85% compas music is the creator of the fast carnival zouk style. Kassav created the fast zouk style but remains mostly a great compas music band.

Etymology

The word zouk means "party" or "festival" in the local Antillean 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 (mazouk), that was introduced to the French Caribbean in the 19th century.

Actually the Creole word zouke, sekwe, zouke, etc. from the French verb "secouer" meaning "shake intensely and repeatedly" was used by Haitian artists who toured the French Antilles during the late 1970s and 1980s.[11]

The dictionary Le Petit Robert gives the following definition of zouk: "Very rhythmic music and dance originating in the Lesser Antilles (Guadeloupe and Martinique) in 1980".

New Generation/Digital era

In the mid 80's, French Antilles Kassav, which music repertoire is 90% compas music, was the first in the Caribbean to apply the MIDI technology to compas, already in use by Antillean bands. In the late 80's, After Robert Charlot Raymonvil came out with Top Vice, young Haitian music groups applied the MIDI technology that in addition to the synthesizers reduce the band's size and offered a variety of new sounds. They were called nouvelle generation; however, most of them later, along with many other musicians in the world, went back to a full band with live instruments.

In the early 2000, several nouvelle generation compas bands such as Carimi, T-Vice, Top Vice, and Zeglen toured the French Antilles as usual with success. The singer Vro who sang in duet with Robert Charlot on her album Softcore and many other Antillean artists have adopted this light compas style, which is more popular in France and the Caribbean. The compas' fine guitar lines with the chorus and other synthesizer effects is being heard now in zouk, the French Antilles compas music. For example, French Antilles singer Tanya St. Val who has collaborated with many great Haitian compas artists like Alan Cave, Dadou Pasket from the great Magnum band, etc. is very close to this style. The beauty of this is that these compas lands influence one another with nice chorus, guitar lines, female voices...within the team up of the conga-drum-cowbell.

Cabo Verdean, Caribbean and African artists usually feature one another via compas songs. A review of several CDs from African, Cabo Verdean, French Antilles and Haitian artists shows many similarities.

Notable French Antillean zouk and compas artists

See also

References

  1. ^ "Martinican bèlè". YouTube. Retrieved September 10, 2005.
  2. ^ Guilbault, Jocelyn, Gage Averill, Édouard Benoit and Gregory Rabess, Zouk: World Music in the West Indies (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993), cited in Manuel, pg. 142
  3. ^ Jocelyne Guilbault. Zouk: world music in the West Indies. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  4. ^ Zouk has become indistinguishable from compas music. Peter Manuel: Popular Musics of the Non-Western World,p74, Oxford University Press 1988
  5. ^ Guilbault, Jocelyne (1993). Zouk: World Music in the West Indies. p. 111. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  6. ^ Dominique Janvier, introduction in Nemours' Album cover 1980, long vie to Nemours
  7. ^ a b By Paul Crask. "Zouk -Dominica". The Dominican. Reprinted from National Geographic. Retrieved August 10, 2010. Cite error: The named reference "Neva Wartell" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  8. ^ Jocelyne Guilbault. Zouk: world music in the West Indies. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  9. ^ "Kassav' discography". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 June 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  10. ^ Jocelyne Guilbault. Zouk: world music in the West Indies. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  11. ^ Skah Sha and Magnum band were among the first Haitian music groups to use the word souke/zouke in the French Antilles. Magnum band, which toured the Caribbean countless times has once spent two years in Martinique and Guadeloupe. The band leader, superb guitar player Dadou Pasket popularized the word zouke in many live tunes; especially in the album "La seule difference, Ibo Records, 1981, in the song "pike devan" meaning full speed ahead. During the same year "Les Skah sha #1 that frequently toured the French Antilles featured a nice LP album called "This is it" Produced by Mini Records, July 1981. Zouke is the second tune's title

On Brazilian zouk:

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