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Kassav: The doctors of zouk music

   From massive crowds at Paris’ Zenith concert hall to the intimate spaces of New York City nightclubs such as S.O.B.’S, Kassav has been mesmerizing audiences for almost three decades.
   Early in their career, Kassav declared: Zouk la sé sèl médickaman nou ni (Zouk is the only medicine.) From then, the doctors have been prescribing Kassav for any musical ailment. Whether you need a mellow song to bob your head to, or need an up-tempo rhythm to groove to, Kassav has the answer.
   Incredible zouk music flows from the beating of the drums to the blowing of the horns. Band members Jean-Claude Naimro, on keyboard, and Jacob Desvarieux, on guitar, bring up the rear of the band. However, the voices of Kassav truly stand out with lead singers Jean-Phillip Martheley and Jocelyne Beroard, as well as George Decimus, who does double duty on bass guitar. 
   A mainstay on the Caribbean music scene, this legendary group delights in having its audience dance, taking to heart the true meaning of zouk: to party.
   Zouk music is one of the Caribbean’s many contributions to the world. The sound is an eclectic mix of popular rhythms from the region, particularly beats that makes you dance. Kassav’s brand of zouk combines strong sounds of percussive instruments and horns with synthetic rhythms. Zouk is popular in Dominica, Guadeloupe and other French islands.
   Kassav is credited with developing the zouk sounds with their first album “Love and Ka Dance” in 1979. However, it took six more years before Kassav would be recognized globally. The group struck gold in 1985 with the album “Yélélé,” featuring the dance hit “Zouk la sé sèl médickaman nou ni.” 
   With 20 albums to their credit, the band has churned out some of the top songs from the French Caribbean such as the high-octane “Oh Madiana” to the slower, almost hypnotic rhythms of “Ou Lé.” They perform before sold-out audiences who get up and dance to crowd-pleasers “Rété” or “Mwen Malad aw.” 
   The Paris-based group will bring new music from their recent release “All You Need is Zouk.” The first single from the CD, “Doubout Pikan,” is now playing in heavy rotation across the Caribbean region.
   Whether it’s a crowd of native Creole speakers or an English-speaking audience, Kassav gives their all at every venue. The band has stadium-filled audiences singing along and dancing to every song.
   What began as a small band from the French Caribbean has become a world-wide phenomenon. Since their first tour in 1985, Kassav has embarked on numerous world excursions, including spirited concerts in New York City and Miami. Tahiti and Reunion in the South Pacific, the former French colonies of Africa, the established states of Europe, Spanish-speaking Latin America, and of course, every Caribbean Island; all have been graced by the magic that is Kassav.
   The legendary band plays before massive crowds in their native Martinique and Guadeloupe. They have made several appearances at Dominica’s World Creole Music Festival, the St. Lucia Jazz Festival and St. Vincent’s Blues and Rhythms Fest.
   Kassav comes to Reichhold Center fresh of their annual New Year’s Eve concert in St. Martin.

—Diane Francis