Zouk is a fast jump-up carnival beat originating from the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, popularized by the French Antillean band Kassav' in the 1980s. Very rapid in tempo, the style lost ground in the 1980s due to the strong presence of kadans or compas, the main music of the French Antilles. Today, zouk is the French Antilles compas,[1] also called zouk-love.
Etymology
The Creole word zouke, sekwe, or 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.[2]
The word zouk has, over time, come to mean "party" or "festival" in the local Antillean Creole of French.
History
Zouk is characterized as a tropical music born in the 80s. His melodies are born through the Biguine and rhythms of carnivals. In the late 60s, musics came from other countries of the Caribbean like the Haitian kompa, were very present in Martinique and Guadeloupe. In this context, the musicians Jacob Desvarieux, Pierre-Edourad Décimus and George Décimus had the idea of taking the traditional rhythms of the French West Indies such as the gwo ka , bélé or biguine and mix them with the kompa which was very popular to finally give the Zouk.[3]
The early 80s is a great time for Zouk, at this moment Kassav' enjoyed success with the song "Zouk la sé sèl médikaman nou ni". It was from that moment that the Zouk has really started to have success especially in Europe and West Africa.
Gladys M. Francis, " Résister au compromis, crever la douleur, dire le silence : Entretien avec Jocelyne Béroard." In Amour, sexe genre et trauma dans la Caraïbe Francophone. Coll. Espaces Littéraires, L'Harmattan, Paris, 2016, p. 227-250 (ISBN 978-2-3430-7395-8)
References
^Peter Manuel, Musics of the Non-Western World, Chicago press University 1988p74
^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, once spent two years in Martinique and Guadeloupe. The band leader, guitar player Dadou Pasket, popularized the word zouke in many live tunes, especially on 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 an LP album called This is it, produced by Mini Records, July 1981. "Zouke" is the second tune's title.
