Pawolka means the message of Ka, or Gwo-Ka, the traditional percussion music of Guadeloupe, although the group also uses voices and melodies from other Caribbean islands.
The group was born in 1985 as a result of the celebration that the francocaribeños students celebrated every year to commemorate the abolition of the slavery in the French colonies. Several students (Joël “Djo” Toussaint, and Maurice “Moy” Mayen), saw the opportunity to join and form a vocal and percussion group that they baptized as Gwo-Ka.
Later, the nucleus of the group wanted to broaden its objectives: to their common passion for rhythm, they added the desire to make music (and theater) as a way of expressing their ideals. The project immediately attracted two percussionists, Frank Kouby and Yannick “Yao” Loiuis and thus the second version of the group was born.
During the following four years, different musicians were in the orbit of this band and each of them contributed diverse influences. This explains the originality that has always marked the work of PWK but without ever losing the style of the group. They perform a musical style called “Afro Karayib Rifdim”, a powerful fusion of rhythms from the Caribbean Islands, from Africa and from the African-American world.
The music of PWK (Pawolka) draws from Gwo-Ka, the traditional music of Guadeloupe, freedom and spontaneity, two constants in all its repertoire. The peculiar style of the group is completed with the addition of soul, reggae, rock, jazz and African rhythms. Most of the lyrics are written in “Creyol”, a language widely used in the French Caribbean, although they also use English, French and Wolof (a Senegalese dialect).
Discography:
Wabe (Declic, 1998)
Pawolka
Danse
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Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
