Zouk | |
---|---|
Stylistic origins | |
Cultural origins | Early 1980s, French Antilles (esp. Guadeloupe and Martinique) |
Typical instruments | |
Derivative forms | Zouk-love |
Regional scenes | |
Zouk is a musical movement pioneered by the French Antillean band Kassav' in the early 1980s. It has become undistinguishable from Compas.[1] Originally characterized by a fast tempo (120–145 bpm), a percussion-driven rhythm and a loud horn section.[2] The fast zouk beton of Martinique and Guadeloupe, faded away in the same 80s. During the second half of the 1980s, a slow Compas style, dubbed zouk-love, has been promoted [3][4] The original faster style became known as "zouk béton", "zouk chiré" or "zouk hard".[5]
Zouk is considered a synthesis of various French Antillean dance music styles of the 20th century: kadans, konpa and biguine.[6] Unlike the fast carnival zouk beton, zouk love is actually the French Lesser Antilles Compas.[7]
The 1990s was the confirmation of the success of zouk, the French Antilles Compas in the Caribbean. The progressive disappearance of brass instruments and the slow-down of the tempo made zouk-love the most popular zouk subgenre in the 1990s, which influenced the Cape-Verdean new generation.[8]