Kassav' & Jocelyne Béroard

Kassav', the legend of the West-Indian zouk, came into existence in the late 70s. The group has since gone through various phases, from the carnavalesque fascination to the closer links with rock and funk. They are nevertheless famous for popularizing of the culture of the Antilles, and particularly its Creole language - so present in the Kassav' songs.




















As soon as I arrived in Guadeloupe in July 2008, I hurried to buy the ticked for the concert in Baie-Mahault, celebrating 30 years of the group. The concert was an unforgettable event. Although at the time I could only sing along: "Zouk la sé sel médikamen nou ni", the Kassav' music is so vibrant that after the 3 hours I immediately became a fan.















After its 30 years of existence Kassav' is present everywhere. Its artists, whetrher they are still members of the group or not, continue performing and encouraging other musicians to work on new innovative melodies. Jocelyne Béroard, Kassav' lead female singer, has had a flourishing group and solo career. While still in Guadeloupe, I saw her perform at the concert "Women Sing Gwoka"...




















...When I took the pictures abouve and below. Later on I also met Jocelyne in... Seychelles - where she was invited as a special guest of the cinema festival. What is more, one could hear the famous Kassav' rhythms on the radio - both in the West Indies, and in the Indian Ocean!