“Siwo” by Jocelyne Beroard
Released in 1987, very few people would have any qualms about calling “Siwo” one of Zouk’s biggest hit records.
Being the lead singer for the 15-piece Martinique-based band Kassav certainly had its benefits when it came time for Jocelyn Beroard to launch her solo album “Siwo”. She had the luxury of already having established herself as the voice of Zouk, and already possessed a very strong following in the Caribbean and the Francophone world in general. Consequently the album and in particular the single “Siwo” got an amazing reception by fans and in time achieved the ever-elusive “classic status”.
“Siwo” is a fun mix of soca and calypso infused with that unmistakable Caribbean carnival sound: A “must” in any respectable Zouk collection. No pressure though….
Title: Siwo
Artist: Jocelyne Beroard
Album: Siwo, 1987
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“Se pa pou dat” by Alan Cave
Although RnB and Soul tend to get the popular vote when it comes to arguments about what the world’s default “love music” is or should be, it is a mystery to me as to how Zouk and Kompa are often left out of the conversation. It probably has something to do with its very limited commercialization outside of its place of birth.
Kompa is originally from Haiti and enjoys widespread popularity nationally and internationally in the Caribbean, especially the French West Indies. It also has a great fanbase in French West Africa especially in countries like Mali, Senegal and Cote D’Ivoire.
“Se pa pou dat” is a classic from one the genre’s flag bearers, Alan Cave, an incredible songwriter, vocalist and guitarist from the group ‘Zin”. He taps into the genre’s stylistic similarities to Cuban guitar driven music with its melodies, and African grooves with its rhythms, to unearth this gem.
Addictive….
Title: Se pa pou dat
Artist: Alan Cave
Album: Se pa pou dat, 2001
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Ssidy is what my friends call me. I was born in Senegal of Malian parents (hence my Mali nationality). I grew up all over the place…Bamako, London, Accra, Cape Town, before I went to college in Miami and finally got a job in Sydney where I’ve been living since August 2008.
When I’m not working on The Timbuktu Project, or as a financial analyst (full-time), you can usually catch me somewhere on a football pitch or involved in anything music related. Music is everything to me. Whatever mood I am in, there is always a song that captures the moment perfectly. Anyone who has spent more than 10 minutes around me will probably attest to this: I listen to all types of stuff.....possibly because no single genre holds enough songs to quench that musical thirst of mine... 