Zouk Machine is an all-female zouk

Zouk

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...

 group from 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...

 which had several hits particularly in France

France

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...

, such as the summer number-one single on French SNEP Singles Chart "Maldon' (la musique dans la peau)", in 1990 that sold over 1 million copies well more than any others zouk band, even Kassav.

History

Founded in 1986 by the members of 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'...

, Guy Houllier and Yves Honore, and composed by three Guadeloupians (Joëlle Ursull, Christiane Obydol, Dominique Zorobabel), the group knew very soon the success from his first album Sové Lanmou (composed by Guy Houllier and Yves Honoré, who are respectively Christiane Obydol's brother and brother-in-law). Joëlle Ursull

Joëlle Ursull

Joëlle Ursull is a French singer of Guadeloupean origins.She performed "White and Black Blues", composed by Serge Gainsbourg, in the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 of May 5, 1990. She won 132 points and was second, behind "Insieme: 1992" by Toto Cutugno...

 left the group and proceeded to a solo career, culminating in second place in the 1990 Eurovision performing "White and Black Blues" composed by Serge Gainsbourg

Serge Gainsbourg

Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...

 and Sylvain Augier.

In the early 1990s, Jane Fostin (came from a large musical family in 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...

) was recruited to continue the musical adventure.

Therefore, the success of the group overstepped the Caribbean community and the song "Maldon' (la musique dans la peau)

Maldòn

"Maldòn" is a 1989 song recorded by the West Indian group Zouk Machine. The song is the first single from the album of the same name, and was released in May 1990. In France, it achieved a huge success, topping the singles charts for about two months....

" remained number 1 in the Top 50 for nine weeks in 1990. The group carried out some tours around the world, and produced its albums Sa ké cho and Clin d'œil. Group's members also participated in Maxime Le Forestier

Maxime Le Forestier

Maxime Le Forestier is a French singer.He was born in Paris to an English father and a French mother who had lived in England. He had two older sisters, Anne and Catherine....

's album, Passer ma route Julien Clerc, "Utile" and in the soundtrack of Asterix

Asterix

Asterix or The Adventures of Asterix is a series of French comic books written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo . The series first appeared in French in the magazine Pilote on October 29, 1959...

 On vit ensemble et Au Revoir.

In 1995, the group had a crisis situation, and BMG released a first best of. Jane Fostin finally left the group to launch into a solo career. Her first solo single "La Taille de ton amour", cover of Deborah Cox's "Who do you love" was a success in France, where it peaked at #9, followed by 4 albums with sonorities R&B including in 2006 an album with the Zouk hit single 'Pas de Glace' in duet with Medhy Custos.

Members

• Christiane Obydol (former)
• Dominique Zorobabel (former)
• Joëlle Ursull
  Joëlle Ursull
  Joëlle Ursull is a French singer of Guadeloupean origins.She performed "White and Black Blues", composed by Serge Gainsbourg, in the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 of May 5, 1990. She won 132 points and was second, behind "Insieme: 1992" by Toto Cutugno...
  
   (former)
• Jane Fostin

Albums

• Zouk Machine (1986)
• Maldon (1989)
• Kréòl (1991)
• Clin d'œil (1994)
• Le Best of Zouk Machine (1995)
• 7 Nuits blanches (1999)

Singles

• "Sové Lanmou" (1986)
• "Maldon' (la musique dans la peau)
  Maldòn
  "Maldòn" is a 1989 song recorded by the West Indian group Zouk Machine. The song is the first single from the album of the same name, and was released in May 1990. In France, it achieved a huge success, topping the singles charts for about two months....
  
  " (1990) - #1 in France
• "Ou ké rivé" (1991) - #28 in France
• "Sa ké cho" (1991) - #9 in France
• "DJ" (1992) - #31 in France