Zouk: Popular music of Cape Verde

The zouk is a pattern of rhythm music which originated from the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. The zouk means party in the local creole of French with English and African powers, all three of which contribute the sound, in Europe, this is particularly famous in France while on the African islands of Cape Verde they have developed their own kind of zouk.

 

source of picture: www.thisisafrica.me

 

As it is said before, from the 80s there are strong power from the zouk in Cape Verdean music, there has been fusion of the zouk with the coladeira to what many names have been given as cola dance, cola zouk, cabo swing, cabo love etc. Cabo zouk (from which the islands’ Kriolu name Cabo Verde), cola zouk (from coladeira, or cabo love) from zouk love, the slowed down and sexed  up zouk variant.

Cape Verdian zouk musicians include the composers and Kora Award winner Suzanna Lubrano, Frank de Pina, Mendes Brothers (and their powerful record label, MB records), Saozinha, Creole Sextet and Rui Pina, there are several Cape Verdeans living broad especially in the United States, where they focused in California, Hawaii and throughout the New England also Rhode Island and Boston. Many came on whaling ships in the 19^th century, their music include the cord bands such as the B-29s, Notias, Augusto Abrio and the Cape Verdean Serenaders. There are also Cape Verdean of the big bands, which include the Creole Vagabonds and the Don Verdi group.