Stop being bias towards Konpa: Zouk , Kizomba and Konpa are just the same or Just about

A comment from Adriano De Sousa

Adriano De Sousa, a reader who lives in the UK fell compelled to make some pertinent remarks with regards to some of the Christine Jean-Pierre articles, specifically to the one referred below. Normally, we do not publish readers’ comments. However, this one merits some attention. Although, it is fair to say some of the Christine’s articles tilt towards Konpa, a last recount of her articles prove that she has written more articles about individuals Zouk and Kizomba artists than she has about Konpa artists. And all of her articles project a positive attitude towards Zouk artists and others.  To say that  we “are prepared to badmouth artists because they are trying to reach new audiences,” is an overstatement. “Stop fighting your own brothers and sisters” is out of place, for one does not promote what he is fighting. There is need to enumerate the names of Zouk and Kizomba artists we’ve have been writing about—positively. But overall, Adriano’s comments are quite substantial and deserve to be shared with the audience.  

Referring to this artilce of Christine Jean-Pierre: https://csmsmagazine.org/news.php?pg=20080302I636  I wish to comment on this article. I wish to let you understand a bit more about the music kizomba. First [and for most], it is a derivative of zouk and mixed with Samba. It has never been intended to act as any kind of facade mixture of zouk and konpa. In fact from experience, many Portuguese kizomba enthusiasts don’t even know that konpa exists. Music is always changing and adapting, and kizomba is just one of those adaptations.

This music has been around since 1989, and comes directly from zouk. (If you want to look closer at the music, then you need to consult the slave trade, because this is where there may have been similarities in music and culture in history that is also part of this identity with zouk / kizomba / konpa related music and activities.

You also make reference to kizomba in Brazil. While there are people that recognize the musical genre kizomba in Brazil, (and there are some people from the Palop countries living in Brazil also) what they mostly use kizomba and zouk related music for is what is known as the New Lambada, Brazilian Zouk, Lambada Zouk, Lambazouk, Zouk Lambada and even Lambada Francesa. They adopted zouk music to continue to dance the Lambada and as a result the dance evolved; but there is also a strong connection with Brazil and the Caribbean, which influenced these advancements both now in throughout the history of the dance as far back as the Carimbo.

What really gets me is that you are prepared to badmouth artists because they are trying to reach new audiences. When maybe what our focus should be to join us as a community of zouk / kizomba / konpa loving audiences, because we share the love of similar music. Surely, if we want to create cultural awareness working together as a group of enthusiasts, it [would be] much better than dividing us the way you’ve described. We are better off together than [if we were to be] separated. And I commend artists for understanding that this is the only way zouk / kizomba/ konpa related music will be able to reach mainstream audiences, which will create the cultural awareness that this music deserves. Sure the information about the various genres and related dance styles needs to be available. I don’t doubt that, but what’s the point if there’s not enough a large audience to make this awareness happen? What you have outlined in your article is an identification with those rhythms, which I can accept.

Let it be known that zouk related music is not confined to the French Caribbean only. It is recognized as a global movement. It is played in Mauritius, Seychelles, Reunion, Noumea, French Caledonia, Most French African speaking countries, (what about Afro- Zouk? ) Portugal, U.K.(has many aspects of these musical concepts) Spain, Brazil, Australia, Japan, U.S.A (many forms also) Columbia, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Portuguese speaking Africa (PALOP countries) South Africa, and many others……

The list is endless, and the other thing is that Kizomba from Cabo Verde, (some call it Cabo Love) is not only spoken in Portuguese, but also in Portuguese Creole (or kriolu) As is some of the Kizomba forms in Angola is sung in Kimbundu (another derivative of Portuguese) Juka from Sao Tome. The list goes on.

So you can see on one hand how similar the people are, marginalized and also the Creole aspect in the music and culture. Stop fighting your own brothers and sisters. And it’s definitely not an injustice in music, it’s proof that we are a family with some cultural differences, but that at the end of the day, we’re related. Zouk has always played a part in revolutionary aspects, this is yet another. It is the opportunity for the music to reach people that would never have had the chance otherwise. Think about it… I’ve read some of your other articles, and it seems you have a thing for comparing zouk and konpa, and you are in favor of konpa. Please note that while you claim there are dwindling sales in zouk music, you haven’t’ shown us any statistics or where you got this information from, though it is true more and more musicians are selling their music online these days. So, yes it is possible that less artists in general are interested in selling CDs. And hopefully this will be of benefit to the artists of Haiti also. Wow, I’m just in favor of good music. http://www.zouklambada.com http://zouk-lambada-kizomba-world.blogspot.com/ Thanks for your time Adriano I’m based in the U.K.

Also see Kaalysta: La nouvelle Caledonian zouk sensation 

Warren E-Zouk Album: An Artistic Success 

Misty Jean’s Li pa two ta has catapulted the artist to the pinnacle of her career 

Harmonik’s Jere’m: album review 

Jude Jean: the forgotten prince of the nouvelle generation
 Kenedy: La nouvelle princesse of zouk

Milca: New Haitian diva crowned in Paris while Konpa is breaking new grounds

Dwindling record sales forces Zouk producers to call Konpa to the rescue

Zouk music producers have turned into Kompa to boost record sales