ZOUK

noun (Music) (Youth Culture) An exuberant style of popular music originating in Guadeloupe in the French Antilles and combining ethnic and Western elements. Etymology: Reputedly a borrowing from Guadeloupean creole zouk, a verb meaning 'to party', possibly influenced by US slang juke or jook 'to have a good time'. History and Usage: Zouk was developed by Guadeloupean musicians in Paris at the end of the seventies as a deliberate attempt to construct a distinctive Antillean style of popular music which could hold its own against Western pop. It was also designed to compete with disco music, especially in Paris, where its main proponents (a group named Kassav) have been popularizing it during the eighties. It was only towards the end of the decade that zouk started to get exposure in the UK and the US. Zouk is often used attributively, especially in zouk music, and occasionally forms the basis for derivatives such as zoukish. His latest, 'Kilimandjaro' (AR1000) nosedives into held-back zoukish rhythms that never let go, wimpy vocals and over the top arrangements. Blues & Soul 3 Feb. 1987, p. 27 Tonight, the first ever zouk on British soil kicks off this year's Camden Festival International Arts programme...Zouk, especially Kassav, is the pulse of Paris streets and the soundtrack for her nightclubs. Guardian 24 Mar. 1987, p. 11