The zouk
Zouk, the great West Indian pastime, can sometimes appear to be the preserve of a closed world, governed by unwritten rules where sticking-together is practiced by instinct, by feel. Zouk is probably the best-known export of the French from the Lesser Antilles. The word originally referred to a popular or unconventional dance space, or could derive from mazouk, the Creole mazurka. Whatever the case, it was Kassav who popularized the genre in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was an immediate success throughout the West Indies, and at the time - like the Creole language - served as a tool for defending West Indian identity. Groups and hits rained down throughout the decade, including Zouk Machine in 1989 with Maldon, a song whose success made it an emblem of the genre. Zouk was followed by zouk-love, a slower, softer and more sensual variant. Patrick Saint-Éloi was undoubtedly one of the forerunners in the French West Indies. This was followed by a decline in popularity in the 1990s, and the emergence of a new generation in the 2000s, the founders of R'n'B zouk. Today, zouk is increasingly influenced by American music. Like all Caribbean music, zouk can be heard during the biggest festival of the year, Carnaval de Saint-Barthélemy, in the evenings after the drum parades.
The kompa
Originating in Haiti in the 1950s, this genre is steeped in jazz, calypso and merengue. Listen to some of the great names of the era, such as Nemours Jean-Baptiste, the Orchestre Tropicana and the Orchestre Septentrional, and you'll be in for a real treat. From the '80s onwards, kompa kept more or less the same swaying rhythm, but became "digital", with drum machines and synthesizers replacing the traditional orchestra. It's often this kind of kompa that can be heard on Saint-Barthélemy (and everywhere else), with, of course, the contemporary version refreshed with rap, R'n'B, reggae or ragga. To get an idea of the genre, you can listen to Haitian stars like Carimi or Sweet Micky. Fun fact: the latter is so popular that he was President of Haiti between 2011 and 2016.
The soca
Extremely popular throughout the West Indies, soca is the fast-tempo party music that's a regular feature of all kinds of celebrations. Born in Trinidad in the 1970s, the genre is descended from calypso, of which it is more or less an accelerated version. Playful, ebullient, excited, not to say frenetic, soca is the music to let off steam at any Caribbean party.
Classical music and jazz
It would be wrong to claim that Saint-Barthélemy is a classical music or jazz island all year round. However, once a year, every January, it becomes a Mecca for the genre during the Saint Barts Music Festival. The festival is the brainchild of two friends, Charles Magras and Frances de Broff. Seduced by the impact a concert by a small American band had on the island in 1985, they had the idea of capitalizing on this craze and making Saint-Barth an important music venue in the Caribbean. Year on year, the festival has grown in scope - especially jazz and dance - and internationality. The festival has become increasingly prestigious, with performances by dancers from the Paris Opera and the New York City Ballet, as well as renowned musicians. In the space of a few days, almost a hundred musicians can be seen in Gustavia's churches. Unmissable.
The dance
If a large part of the Caribbean dances (re)appear here and there, in Saint-Barth, it is mainly the biguine that is danced. A mix of bèlè (traditional music and dance from Martinique) and polka, the biguine is divided into three styles: the ballroom biguine, the ballroom biguine and the street biguine. The festivals of Saint-Louis (in Corossol), Saint-Barthélemy or the Quartiers du Vent (Lorient) are a good opportunity to see and dance them.
