Guadeloupe .net
Pierre-Edouard Décimus
Initially, Pierre Édouard Décimus was a musician in the orchestra "Les Vikings de la Guadeloupe." In 1979, he decided with his friend Freddy Marshall (also a musician) to modernize the island's traditional music. The two companions then created the group Kassav'. The group wanted to approach folk music from an innovative angle. Kassav' notably combines rock, salsa and reggae with the traditional rhythms of merengue and biguine (traditional music of the Antilles). Pierre Edouard and Freddy joined forces with guitarist Jacob Desvarieux and Georges Décimus, bassist and brother of the former. The group formed gradually and other musicians joined Kassav'. In 1960 their first album "Love and Ka Dance" was released. This album marks the emergence of zouk. It is notably the presence of new sounds, especially in the keyboards, basses and brass, that give their music a new feel. To sum up, Kassav's music breathes modernity, and blends good humor and joie de vivre. The history of zouk was launched! The group's second album came out in 1980 and is titled "Lagué mwen." It includes the group's first big hit: the track "Soleil." Kassav' began to win over more fans and established itself in the history of music. A year later, it released its third album and began a concert tour across the Antilles. The group added impressive choreographies to its music, notably performed by two talented dancers: Catherine Laupa and Marie-José Gibon. In 1982, the group gradually split up. The respective members each released their own solo album. These include Georges Décimus and his album "Avec Kassav et Cie," and Jacob Desvarieux with "Oh Madiana."
Kassav' returned in 1985 and undertook a major tour across Africa. These were the group's first concerts outside the Antilles. Everywhere they performed, success followed. The group later appeared at the Zénith de Paris, which was sold out a month before the concert! The group continued these tours, notably in the Maghreb and in African countries such as Togo, Benin and Gabon.
In 1986, the group received its first gold record. For the occasion, a celebration was organized in Guadeloupe in front of nearly 40,000 people!
The members of Kassav' have managed to keep their own identity while inventing a modern music. The roots of Guadeloupean music can be found in the very name of the group: cassave, which is a cassava flatbread in the Creole language. After a string of many successes including concerts at the Zénith de Paris, the group Kassav' is considered the pillar of zouk music by the majority of Antilleans, who find in their music the characteristic rhythm of their islands. Since then, concerts and successes have multiplied for the group, which continues to make the whole world dance!