Zouk
Encyclopedia
Zouk is a style of rhythmic music originating from the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe
& Martinique
. 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
, that was introduced to the French Caribbean in the 19th Century. In Africa, it is popular in franco
- and lusophone
countries. In Europe it is particularly popular in France, and in North America the Canadian province of Quebec
.
and Martinican bèlè (tambour and ti bwa)
folk traditions. Ethnomusicologist Jocelyn Guilbault, however, describes zouk as a synthesis of Caribbean popular styles, especially Dominica
cadence-lypso, Guadeloupean biguine
, and Haitian cadence
. Zouk arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s, using elements of previous styles of Antillean music, as well as imported genres.
music, and became one of the most famous bands of the genre in the world. Kassav' was formed in 1979 by Pierre-Edouard Décimus, a long-time professional musician who worked with Freddy Marshall. Together, the two of them decided to take carnival music and make it a more modern and polished style. Their first album, Love and Ka Dance (1980), established the sound of zouk. They continued to grow more popular, both as a group and with several members' solo careers, finally peaking in 1985 with Yélélé
, which featured the international hit "Zouk la sé sèl médickaman nou ni".
With this hit, zouk rapidly became the most widespread dance craze to hit Latin American in some time, and was wildly popular even as far afield as Europe and Asia. Zouk became known for wildly theatrical concerts featuring special effects spectacles, colorful costumes and outrageous antics.
Zouk music has thrilled and inspired millions of fans from around the world. The global influence of the genre is even more remarkable considering its roots. The islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique together cover barely 1,000 square miles, and each is inhabited by just 400,000 residents. Zouk music is steeped in the complex history of the islands, one of unsurpassed beauty, colonization, political turmoil, and the abundant fusion of bits and pieces of African, European, and Caribbean cultures. Naturally, zouk itself is the product of a combination of musical influences.
Zouk influence has been felt in Brazilian lambada
and other Caribbean styles like
merengue
, compas, bouyon
, soca
and combined rhythm
, as well as African styles such as soukous
, makossa
, Kuduro
, Semba
, Coupe-Decale
, mbalax
, Gumbe
, coladeira, and funana
.
The dance steps of Caribbean zouk dance style differ significantly from the Brazilian zouk-lambada
dance style. In Caribbean zouk two steps are performed on the music ("1-2, 1-2, etc"), where in Brazilian zouk three steps are performed on the music ("1-3-4, 1-3-4, etc"). This changes the dynamics of the dance.
it qualifies this music (moving a lot). This particular rhythm are in the songs of carnaval and it is danced usually without a partner. The Zouk béton or Zouk Chiré was popularized by Kassav during the years, but it is now losing ground due to the success of zouk Love.
, where the music is slower, and more dramatic. 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 French West Indian artists Edith Lefel
and Nichols
, or like Netherlands based Suzanna Lubrano
and Gil Semedo
, or the African artist Kaysha
.
and music
created in Angola
. Derived directly from Zouk, sung generally in Portuguese
, it is a genre of music with a romantic flow mixed with African rhythm. The kizomba dancing style is also known to be very sensual.
, the slowed down and sexed up zouk variant) are also a derivatives of zouk, originating form the Cape Verde islands.
and sometimes relies on the soukous guitar. Popular Afro-Zouk artists include artists like Monique Séka, Oliver N'Goma
, Diboué Black
.
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 Sean Davz in song like "Dis moi quoi faire", Jacky Rapon in song like "Mi Amor", Ludo
in song like "Weekend", Jackito in a song like "Je l'aime a mourir", Priscillia in a song like "Dis le moi", Ali Angel in a song like "Zouk Bordel 2003", and Iron
in a song like "Mr DJ".
with artists such as Slaï, Thierry Cham, Jane Fostin, Ali Angel, Medhy Custos, Nichols, Kimberlite Zouk, Warren, Marvin, Kaysha, Elizio, Teeya, Soumia Linsha. Jean-Michel Rod is the precursor of Zouk R&B (Zouk RNB, Zouk R'NB) or "américanisé" with the songs "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 prefer the term "Zouk Nouvelle Génération", and that this new trend is very popular among young people of Cape Verde.
. 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.
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...
& 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...
. Zouk means "party" or "festival" in the local Antillean Creole
Antillean Creole
Antillean Creole is a creole language with a vocabulary based on French. It is spoken primarily in the Lesser Antilles. Its grammar and vocabulary also include elements of Carib and African languages. Antillean Creole is related to Haitian Creole, but has a number of distinctive features; they are...
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
Mazurka
The mazurka is a Polish folk dance in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, and with accent on the third or second beat.-History:The folk origins of the mazurek are two other Polish musical forms—the slow machine...
, that was introduced to the French Caribbean in the 19th Century. In Africa, it is popular in franco
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
- and lusophone
Lusophone
A Lusophone is someone who speaks the Portuguese language, either as a native, as an additional language, or as a learner. As an adjective, it means "Portuguese-speaking"...
countries. In Europe it is particularly popular in France, and in North America the Canadian province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.
Origins
Music authors Charles De Ledesma and Gene Scaramuzzo trace zouk's development to the Guadeloupean gwo kaGwo ka
Gwo ka is both a family of hand drums and the music created with them, which is a major part of Guadeloupean folk music. There are seven rhythms in gwo ka, which are embellished by the drummers...
and Martinican bèlè (tambour and ti bwa)
folk traditions. Ethnomusicologist Jocelyn Guilbault, however, describes zouk as a synthesis of Caribbean popular styles, especially 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...
cadence-lypso, Guadeloupean biguine
Biguine
Biguine is a style of music that originated in Guadeloupe and Martinique in the 19th century.-History:Two main types of French antillean biguine can be identified based on the instrumentation in contemporary musical practice, which is call the drum biguine and the orchestrated biguine . Each of...
, and Haitian cadence
Kadans
Kadans is a French Creole music genre, which started off in Haïti, and made popular in Dominica and the French Antilles of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Kadans is the French creole term for cadence.-History:...
. Zouk arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s, using elements of previous styles of Antillean music, as well as imported genres.
Kassav
The leading band to emerge from this period was Kassav', who came from Guadeloupe and Martinique. They gave the style a pan-Caribbean sound by taking elements from compas, reggae, and salsaSalsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
music, and became one of the most famous bands of the genre in the world. Kassav' was formed in 1979 by Pierre-Edouard Décimus, a long-time professional musician who worked with Freddy Marshall. Together, the two of them decided to take carnival music and make it a more modern and polished style. Their first album, Love and Ka Dance (1980), established the sound of zouk. They continued to grow more popular, both as a group and with several members' solo careers, finally peaking in 1985 with Yélélé
Yélélé
Yélélé is a 1984 zouk album of Kassav'.This album marks the onset of the growth of the international recognition of zouk. Its international hit "Zouk la sé sèl médikaman nou ni" started the zouk dance craze in Latin America and the Caribbean, with interest expanding into other parts of the...
, which featured the international hit "Zouk la sé sèl médickaman nou ni".
With this hit, zouk rapidly became the most widespread dance craze to hit Latin American in some time, and was wildly popular even as far afield as Europe and Asia. Zouk became known for wildly theatrical concerts featuring special effects spectacles, colorful costumes and outrageous antics.
Zouk music has thrilled and inspired millions of fans from around the world. The global influence of the genre is even more remarkable considering its roots. The islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique together cover barely 1,000 square miles, and each is inhabited by just 400,000 residents. Zouk music is steeped in the complex history of the islands, one of unsurpassed beauty, colonization, political turmoil, and the abundant fusion of bits and pieces of African, European, and Caribbean cultures. Naturally, zouk itself is the product of a combination of musical influences.
Zouk influence has been felt in Brazilian lambada
Lambada
Lambada is a dance from Pará, Brazil. The dance became internationally popular in the 1980s, especially in Latin America and Caribbean countries...
and other Caribbean styles like
merengue
Merengue music
Merengue is a type of music and dance from the Dominican Republic. It is popular in the Dominican Republic and all over Latin America. Its name is Spanish, taken from the name of the meringue, a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar...
, compas, bouyon
Bouyon music
Bouyon is a form of popular music of Dominica which became popular in the late 1980s. The term Bouyon means something akin to "gumbo soup" in the local creole of Dominica...
, soca
Soca music
Soca is a style of music from Trinidad and Tobago. Soca is a musical development of traditional Trinidadian calypso, through loans from the 1960s onwards from predominantly black popular music....
and combined rhythm
Combined rhythm
Combined rhythm is a style of popular Dutch Antillean music, influenced by zouk, merengue and soca. The lyrics of combined rhythm are generally in the local Papiamento language.- Performers :*Gibu i su Orkesta*Expresando Rimto i Ambiente*OK Band...
, as well as African styles such as soukous
Soukous
Soukous is a dance music genre that originated in the two neighbouring countries of Belgian Congo and French Congo during the 1930s and early 1940s, and which has gained popularity throughout Africa...
, makossa
Makossa
Makossa is a type of music that is most popular in urban areas in Cameroon. It is similar to soukous, except that it includes strong bass rhythm and a prominent horn section. Makossa, which means " dance" in Duala, originated from a type of Duala dance called kossa, with significant influences...
, Kuduro
Kuduro
Kuduro is a type of music and dance originally born in Angola in the 1980s. It is characterized as uptempo, energetic, and danceable. Kuduro, which translates as "hard ass", began in Luanda, Angola in the late 80s...
, Semba
Semba
Semba is a traditional type of music from the Southern-African country of Angola. Semba comes from the singular Masemba, meaning "a touch of the bellies", a move that characterizes the Semba dance.-Characteristics:...
, Coupe-Decale
Coupé-Décalé
Coupé-Décalé is a type of popular dance music originating from Côte d'Ivoire and the Ivorian diaspora in Paris, France. Drawing heavily from Zouglou, Zouk, and Congolese rhythms, Coupé-Décalé is a very percussive style featuring African samples, deep bass, and repetitive, minimalist...
, mbalax
Mbalax
Mbalax is the national popular dance music of Senegal and The Gambia. Mbalax is a fusion of popular Western music and dance such as jazz, soul, Latin, and rock blended with sabar, the traditional drumming and dance music of Senegal...
, Gumbe
Gumbe
Gumbe is a style of music from Guinea-Bissau. Gumbe is a specific genre, mostly influenced by zouk music . True gumbe is a fusion of several Bissauan folk traditions. Gumbe is the genre most closely associated with Guinea-Bissauan music worldwide...
, coladeira, and funana
Funana
The Funaná is a music and dance genre from Cape Verde. Funaná is an accordion-based music. It is perhaps the most upbeat form of Cape Verdean music...
.
Zouk in the Caribbean (Traditional way)
Caribbean zouk is a dance performed in the Caribbean, most often in the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. 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.The dance steps of Caribbean zouk dance style differ significantly from the Brazilian zouk-lambada
Zouk-Lambada
Zouk-Lambada is a group of closely related dance styles based on or evolved from the lambada dance style and is typically danced to zouk music or other music containing the zouk beat...
dance style. In Caribbean zouk two steps are performed on the music ("1-2, 1-2, etc"), where in Brazilian zouk three steps are performed on the music ("1-3-4, 1-3-4, etc"). This changes the dynamics of the dance.
Zouk Chiré
Zouk béton or Chiré is the original zouk - an alternative music that contrary to zouk Love. Zouk is very rhythmic, in creoleCreole
- Languages :A Creole language is a stable, full-fledged language that originated from a pidgin or combination of other languages.Creole languages subgroups may include:* Arabic-based creole languages* Dutch-based creole languages...
it qualifies this music (moving a lot). This particular rhythm are in the songs of carnaval and it is danced usually without a partner. The Zouk béton or Zouk Chiré was popularized by Kassav during the years, but it is now losing ground due to the success of zouk Love.
Zouk-love
A special style if zouk is zouk-loveZouk-love
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...
, where the music is slower, and more dramatic. The music kizomba
Kizomba
Kizomba is one of the most popular genres of dance and music created in Angola. Derived directly from Zouk, sung generally in Portuguese, it is a genre of music with a romantic flow mixed with African rhythm. The kizomba dancing style is also known to be very sensual.- Origin :Kizomba was developed...
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 French West Indian artists Edith Lefel
Edith Lefel
Edith Lefel . Edith Lefel was born in Guyana and grew up in Martinique; she has become a popular zouk-love singer. Her career began to take off in 1984, when she worked with Jean-Michel Cabrimol's group Maffia. In 1987, Lefel began working with the well-established Martinican band Malavoi...
and Nichols
Nichols
-Places:Canada* Nichols Islands, NunavutUnited States* Nichols, California, an unincorporated community* Nichols Canyon, Los Angeles, California* Nichols Farms Historic District, a village within Trumbull, Connecticut.* Nichols, Iowa...
, or like Netherlands based Suzanna Lubrano
Suzanna Lubrano
Suzanna Lubrano is a Cape Verdean Zouk singer based in Rotterdam. On December 6, 2003 she was awarded the Kora All African Music Award for Best Female Artist of Africa of the year 2003.-Biography:...
and Gil Semedo
Gil Semedo
Gil Semedo Moreira is a recording artist and performer.-Discography:********************-External links:* http://www.gilsemedo.com [Official website]* http://www.facebook.com/gilsemedofan [Facebook Page]*...
, or the African artist Kaysha
Kaysha
Kaysha, born Edward Mokolo Jr. on January 22, 1974 in Kinshasa, is a singer/rapper and producer that works on places like the West indies, South America and Africa. He was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo but immigrated to France with his parents at the age of seven...
.
Kizomba
Kizomba is one of the most popular genres of danceDance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
created in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
. Derived directly from Zouk, sung generally in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, it is a genre of music with a romantic flow mixed with African rhythm. The kizomba dancing style is also known to be very sensual.
Cabo Zouk
Cabo-zouk (from the islands of Cabo Verde), cola-zouk (from coladeira), and cabo-love (from zouk-loveZouk-love
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...
, the slowed down and sexed up zouk variant) are also a derivatives of zouk, originating form the Cape Verde islands.
Afro-Zouk
There is also Afro-Zouk, unlike zouk-love or compas-love, Afro-Zouk features elements from soukousSoukous
Soukous is a dance music genre that originated in the two neighbouring countries of Belgian Congo and French Congo during the 1930s and early 1940s, and which has gained popularity throughout Africa...
and sometimes relies on the soukous guitar. Popular Afro-Zouk artists include artists like Monique Séka, Oliver N'Goma
Oliver N'Goma
Oliver N'Goma was a Gabonese Afro-zouk and reggae singer and guitarist. Nicknamed "Noli," he was born in Mayumba in south-west Gabon in 1959...
, Diboué Black
Diboué Black
Ebenezer Diboué Black is a singer, composer and musical producer from Cameroon. He is also a songwriter, and performs his songs in French and Duala. His repertoire is mainly makossa and zouk...
.
Compas-love
Some artists have used the term "Compas-love" or "zouk love" which is nothing but a 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 FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan 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 Sean Davz in song like "Dis moi quoi faire", Jacky Rapon in song like "Mi Amor", Ludo
Ludo
Ludo may refer to:* Ludo , a board game of the Cross and Circle game family* Luděk Mikloško Czech football goalkeeper.* Ludwig II of Bavaria, nicknamed 'Mad King Ludo', a king of Bavaria who reigned between 1869 and 1886...
in song like "Weekend", Jackito in a song like "Je l'aime a mourir", Priscillia in a song like "Dis le moi", Ali Angel in a song like "Zouk Bordel 2003", and Iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
in a song like "Mr DJ".
Zouk R&B or New Generation
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 ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
with artists such as Slaï, Thierry Cham, Jane Fostin, Ali Angel, Medhy Custos, Nichols, Kimberlite Zouk, Warren, Marvin, Kaysha, Elizio, Teeya, Soumia Linsha. Jean-Michel Rod is the precursor of Zouk R&B (Zouk RNB, Zouk R'NB) or "américanisé" with the songs "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 prefer the term "Zouk Nouvelle Génération", and that this new trend is very popular among young people of Cape Verde.
Rio-style Zouk
Rio-style Zouk was first developed in Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. 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
Lambada
Lambada is a dance from Pará, Brazil. The dance became internationally popular in the 1980s, especially in Latin America and Caribbean countries...
and is typically danced on Zouk-love
Zouk-love
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...
style music. In the Netherlands this dance style goes under the name of zouk-love.
Zouk dancing
There are multiple ways to dance to zouk music:- Zouk Love (Traditional way)
- French Caribbean way (Antilles/Haiti).
- French-speaking Africa way.
- Zouk-LambadaZouk-LambadaZouk-Lambada is a group of closely related dance styles based on or evolved from the lambada dance style and is typically danced to zouk music or other music containing the zouk beat...
style. A fusion of French Caribbean Zouk and Brazilian styles danced to Zouk rhythmic music.- Brazilian zouk. An evolved Brazilian version of Zouk dancing utilizing French Caribbean, Portuguese Cape Verdean and other Zouk-like rhythmic music.
- Lambazouk or Lambada. Lambada dance style (or a variation of it) danced to Zouk music.
- AngolaAngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
n KizombaKizombaKizomba is one of the most popular genres of dance and music created in Angola. Derived directly from Zouk, sung generally in Portuguese, it is a genre of music with a romantic flow mixed with African rhythm. The kizomba dancing style is also known to be very sensual.- Origin :Kizomba was developed...
, and Cape VerdeCape VerdeThe Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
an cola-zouk dance style. The music was developed directly from zouk.