| Zouk | |
| Cultural Origins: | Early 1980s, French Antilles (esp. Guadeloupe and Martinique) |
| Derivatives: | Zouk-love, Kizomba |
Zouk is a musical movement pioneered by the French Antillean band Kassav' in the early 1980s. It was originally characterized by a fast tempo (120–145 bpm), a percussion-driven rhythm, and a loud horn section.[1] Musicians from Martinique and Guadeloupe eventually added MIDI instrumentation to their compas style, which developed into a genre called zouk-love.[2] [3] Zouk-love is effectively the French Lesser Antilles' compas,[4] and it gradually became indistinguishable from compas.
The original fast carnival style of zouk, best represented by the band Kassav', became known as "zouk béton", "zouk chiré", or "zouk hard".[5] Zouk béton is considered a synthesis of various French Antillean dance music styles of the 20th century, including kadans, konpa, and biguine.[6]