Kassav', also alternatively spelled Kassav, is a French Caribbean band that originated from Guadeloupe in 1979. The band's musical style is rooted in the Guadeloupean gwoka rhythm, as well as the Martinican tibwa and Mendé rhythms. Regarded as one of the most influential bands in 20th-century French West Indies music, Kassav is often credited with pioneering the zouk musical genre. Their musical evolution is a synthesis of cadence-lypso and compas traditions.
Despite initial resistance from French record labels, which disparaged their early works as excessively "too ethnic," Kassav' tenaciously persevered, collaborating with various West Indian music producers and distributing their music through Sonodisc. The term "kassav" in creole denotes a type of cassava pancake. The band's inception can be traced to Pierre-Edouard Décimus and Fréddy Marshall, members of the Guadeloupean ensemble Les Vikings, who aspired to innovate the island's traditional music by amalgamating it with contemporary influences.
The integration of Georges Décimus, brother of Pierre-Edouard Décimus, and Jacob Desvarieux, a guitarist and arranger, significantly contributed to the band's gradual formation, with additional musicians subsequently joining Kassav'. Their debut studio album, Love and Kadance, released in 1979, heralded the advent of zouk and served as the archetypical exemplar for the genre.
With a discography of over 50 albums, encompassing both band and solo projects from its members, Kassav' has achieved significant international recognition. They were the first black group to perform in the Soviet Union.
Contents
History
Kassav' was formed in 1979 by Pierre-Edouard Décimus (former musicians from the Les Vikings de Guadeloupe) and Paris studio musician Jacob Desvarieux. Together and under the influence of well-known Dominican, Haitian and Guadeloupean kadans or compas bands like Experience 7, Grammacks, Exile One, Les Aiglons, Tabou Combo, Les Freres Dejean, etc., they decided to make Guadeloupean carnival music recording it in a more fully orchestrated yet modern and polished style. The name of the band is Antillean Creole for a local dish made from cassava root.
Kassav' is the creator of the fast carnival zouk Beton style. The French Antilles' Kassav' was the first to apply the MIDI technology to cadence and fused the genre with funk, and Makossa.
Music of Guadeloupe and Martinique:
The gwo ka, traditional music of Guadeloupe, of which there are 7 versions (rhythmic)
The bélé, traditional music from Martinique, of which there are 11 variants (rhythmic)
The biguine music of Martinique
The chouval bwa, traditional music of Martinique associated with the city of Saint-Pierre
The mazurka and quadrille, European music of the French Antilles
The Compas, modern Haitian méringue popularized by Nemours Jean-Baptiste in 1955
The cadence rampa (kadans), alike compas, a modern Haitian méringue popularized by Webert Sicot in the very early 1960s that spread to the Caribbean
The cadence-lypso of Dominica cadence popularized by Exile One with Gordon Henderson and also interpreted by groups such as Grammacks with Jeff Joseph as a senior member. Experience 7 was a Guadeloupean cadence band formed in the mid-1970s, led by Guy Houllier and Yves Honore.
Musicians
Current
Vocals: Jean Philippe Marthely (1981–present), Jocelyne Beroard (1980–present)
Keyboards: Philippe Joseph (1994–present), Jean Claude Naimro (1980–present)
Drums: Thomas Bellon (2012–present)
Saxophones: Claude Pironneau (1999–present)
Bass: Georges Decimus (1979–present)
Trumpets:
Fabrice Adam (1994–present)
Trombone: Hamid Belhocine (1982–present)
Backing vocals: Marie-Céline Chroné et Marie-Josée Gibon
Past
Drums: Claude Vamur (temporarily replaced by Hervé Laval, although Vamur did not leave the group)
Percussion: Patrick Saint-Elie
Percussion: César Durcin (died 11 February 2016)
Saxophones: Claude Thirifays
Trumpets: Jean-Pierre Ramirez, Freddy Hovsepian (1982–2021) (died 12 February 2021)
Trombone: Claude Romano, Pierre Chabrèle
Backing vocals: Catherine Laupa
Keyboards: Douglas M Bida
Bass: Frédéric Caracas, Pierre Edouard Decimus, Guy n Sangué et Stéphane Castry
Vocals: Patrick Saint Eloi 1982 - 2002 (died 18 September 2010)
Vocals: Jacob Desvarieux 1979 – 2021 (died 30 July 2021)
Guests
Vocals: Zouk Machine, Jean Luc Guanel, Princess Lover, Tanya Saint Val, Shoubou, Philippe Lavil, Daly, Passi, Tony Chasseur, Jocelyne Labylle, Tribal Jam, Edith Lefel, (died 20 January 2003), Ralph Thamar.
Backing Vocals: Claudine Pennont, Suzy Trébeau, Sylvie Aïoun, Jean-Jacques Seba
Drums: Jean-Philippe Fanfant, José Zébina, Jérome Castry
Percussion: Dédé Saint Prix, Albert Vigne
Keyboards: Ronald Tulle, Thierry Vaton, Didier Davidas
Guitars: Thierry Delannay, Ryco Loza (died 24 February 2022), Jean Christophe Maillard
Saxophones: Allen Hoist, Alain Hatot (died 16 December 2020), Bruno Ribeira
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
1979 Love and kadance
1980 Lagué mwen
1981 Kassav n°3
1982 George Décimus with Kassav' (joint album George Décimus / Kassav')
1983 Kassav
1983 Kassav n°5
1983 Passeport
1984 Ayé
1985 An-ba-chen'n la (2× Gold)
1987 Vini Pou (Gold and Platinum)
1989 Majestik Zouk (2× Gold)
1992 Tékit izi (2× Gold)
1995 Difé
Live albums
1987 Kassav au Zenith
1990 Le Grand Méchant Zouk
1993 Live au Zénith
1996 Kassav cho
2005 Carnaval Tour 2005 (FR #124)
2006 Le Grand Méchant Zouk
Compilation albums
1987 Les Grand Succès de Kassav vol.1
1987 Les Grand Succès de Kassav vol.2
1998 Kassav Gold
1998 Un toque latino
Singles
(Selective, charting)
DVDs
1999 Les 20 ans de KASSAV à Bercy
2005 Carnaval tour
2006 Le grand méchant zouk
2008 All u need is zouk tour
2009 Nuit créole les 30 ans de KASSAV au Stade de France
Discography (members)
Joint with others
2006 Partie pour zouker (Lorie & Jacob Desvarieux)
2007 Fòs a péyi la (Admiral T, Jacob Desvarieux & Jocelyne Beroard)