Kadans is a French Creole

French-based creole languages

A French Creole, or French-based Creole language, is a creole language based on the French language, more specifically on a 17th century koiné French extant in Paris, the French Atlantic harbors, and the nascent French colonies...

 music genre, which started off in Haïti

Haiti

Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

, and made popular in Dominica

Dominica

Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...

 and the French Antilles of Martinique

Martinique

Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...

 and Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...

. Kadans is the French creole term for cadence.

History

In the 1950s, Haitian Compas became the dominant pop sounds of the Lesser Antilles, especially Webert Sicot

Webert Sicot

Webert Sicot was an Haïtian sax player, composer and band leader. H is recognized as one of the creators of konpa dirèk, a style of Haïtian dance music born in the 1950s.- Biography :...

 and Nemours Jean Baptiste

Nemours Jean Baptiste

Nemours Jean Baptiste was a Haitian saxophonist, writer, and band leader. He is credited with being the inventor of compas, a style of Haitian music. The BBC has described him as Haiti's most influential band leader....

. These were followed by the Antillean mini-jazz

Mini-jazz

Mini-jazz is a type of jazz music characterized by swing dancing and jazzy melodies with influences from rock music.-History:...

 bands like Les Gentlemen, Les Leopards and Les Vikings de Guadeloupe in the late 1960s, who drew on the Haitian sound of Sicot and Baptiste.

In the 1970s, political turmoil led Haitians to flee to Martinique

Martinique

Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...

 & Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...

, bringing with them their own incredibly popular music, kadans

Cadence rampa

Cadence rampa is a variety of music from the Caribbean country of Haïti. Cadence rampa is originally a modern Haitian Méringue popularized by the talented sax player Webert Sicot in the early 60s...

. Widely played throughout the French Antilles both live and on the radio, kadans is played by small jazz ensembles. After its introduction, some Dominican

Dominica

Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...

 musicians combined it with calypso

Calypso music

Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...

, creating a style known as cadence (or cadence-lypso

Cadence-lypso

Cadence-lypso, popularized as simply Cadence is a cultural music of Dominica based in Guadeloupe in the early 1970s. Cadence-lypso is a fusion of Dominican and Caribbean/Latin rhythms and has totally revolutionized the music scence in its genre, and it has now become the main dance Music of...

). These Haitians drew upon previous success from mini-jazz

Mini-jazz

Mini-jazz is a type of jazz music characterized by swing dancing and jazzy melodies with influences from rock music.-History:...

 artists like Les Gentlemen, Les Leopards and Les Vikings de Guadeloupe.

Cadence orchestras

• Les Gentlemen
• Les Leopards
• Les Vikings de Guadeloupe
• Exile One
  Exile One
  Exile One is a legendary musical group of the 1970s from Dominica based in Guadeloupe. Gordon Henderson is the leader and founder of the famous musical group "Exile One" and the one who coined the name "Cadence-lypso" for a genre of music that revolutionized modern creole music worldwide....
  
  
• Grammacks
  Grammacks
  Grammacks was a 1970s musical group from Dominica.-Biography:The band was started in a village on the west coast called St. Joseph. The band was formed by Anthony "Curvin" Serrant, guitar Anthony "Tepam" George, bass Elon "Bollo" Rodniy drums and keyboard player McDonald "Mckie" Prosper. Jeff...
  
  
• Kassav
• Malavoi
  Malavoi
  Malavoi was a Martinican band consisting of Mano Césaire, Jean-Paul Soïme, Christian de Negri, Denis Dantin, and Marcel Rémion. They formed in 1972, naming themselves after a kind of sugarcane and a street on Gorée, a Senegalese island...
  
  
• Les Typical Combo de Guadeloupe
• Les Aiglons
  Les Aiglons
  Les Aiglons were a 1970s Guadeloupean cadence band. They were the best selling Antillean band with their record Cuisse-La, until the release of Kassav's Zouk-La Se Sel Medikamen Nou Ni...
  
  
• Operation 78
• Experience 7
  Experience 7
  Experience 7 was a Guadeloupean cadence band formed in the mid 1970s, led by Guy Houllier and Yves Honore. It was also one of the very first band to emphasized future Zouk pioneer band such as Kassav'...
  
  
• La Perfecta
  La Perfecta
  La Perfecta was a big band from Martinique whose styles included cadence and compas.- Discography :*Pour toujours *L'inoubliable Perfecta *A youskous pas fe fou *Help me baby*La divinité...
  
  
• Les Aiglons
  Les Aiglons
  Les Aiglons were a 1970s Guadeloupean cadence band. They were the best selling Antillean band with their record Cuisse-La, until the release of Kassav's Zouk-La Se Sel Medikamen Nou Ni...
  
  
• La Selecta

See also

• Music of Haiti
  Music of Haiti
  The music of Haiti is influenced mostly by Europe, colonial ties, and African migration through slavery. European musical influence derived primarily from the French and by the Spanish-infused influence of Cuba and the bordering Dominican Republic. Styles unique to Haiti include music derived from...
  
  
• Music of Martinique and Guadeloupe
• Cadence-lypso
  Cadence-lypso
  Cadence-lypso, popularized as simply Cadence is a cultural music of Dominica based in Guadeloupe in the early 1970s. Cadence-lypso is a fusion of Dominican and Caribbean/Latin rhythms and has totally revolutionized the music scence in its genre, and it has now become the main dance Music of...
  
  
• Cadence rampa
  Cadence rampa
  Cadence rampa is a variety of music from the Caribbean country of Haïti. Cadence rampa is originally a modern Haitian Méringue popularized by the talented sax player Webert Sicot in the early 60s...