Zouk

Zouk developed from a musical palette that includes African drumming and the Beguine, which fused afro-Caribbean rhythms with European and jazz elements. In the 1970s American Funk, Salsa, and most importantly Haitian compas were popular in the French Antilles and as many musicians relocated to Paris they created a modern sound incorporating these diverse forms. When the group Kassav formed in the 1980s, they sang in their Creole language, creating an infectious party music they called Zouk. Favorites in Francophone West Africa, the Caribbean, Brazil and beyond, Kassav reached the French hit parade. Many groups followed suit and a vibrant new form of music emerged, gaining a large following and spawning forms such as the Lambada.