The music of Guadeloupe encompasses a large popular music industry, which gained in international renown after the success of zouk music in the later 20th century. Zouk's popularity was particularly intense in France, where the genre became an important symbol of identity for Guadeloupe and Martinique. Zouk's origins are in the folk music of Guadeloupe and Martinique, especially Guadeloupan gwo ka and Martinican chouval bwa, and the pan-Caribbean calypso tradition.
Cape Verde is known internationally for morna, a form of folk music usually sung in the Cape Verdean Creole, accompanied by clarinet, violin, guitar and cavaquinho. Funaná, Coladeira, Batuque and Cabo love are other musical forms.
The music of Dominica includes a variety of genres including all the popular genres of the world. Popular music is widespread, with a number of native Dominican performers gaining national fame in imported genres such as calypso, reggae, soca, kompa, zouk and rock and roll. Dominica's own popular music industry has created a form called bouyon, which combines elements from several styles and has achieved a wide fanbase in Dominica. Groups include WCK, Native musicians in various forms, such as reggae, kadans (Ophelia Marie, and calypso, have also become stars at home and abroad.
The music of the Lesser Antilles encompasses the music of this chain of small islands making up the eastern and southern portion of the West Indies. Lesser Antillean music is part of the broader category of Caribbean music; much of the folk and popular music is also a part of the Afro-American musical complex, being a mixture of African, European and indigenous American elements. The Lesser Antilles' musical cultures are largely based on the music of African slaves brought by European traders and colonizers. The African musical elements are a hybrid of instruments and styles from numerous West African tribes, while the European slaveholders added their own musics into the mix, as did immigrants from India. In many ways, the Lesser Antilles can be musically divided based on which nation colonized them.
Edward Mokolo Jr., better known as Kaysha, is a singer/rapper and producer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is the son of Congolese politician Édouard Mokolo Wa Mpombo.
Kizomba is a dance and musical genre that originated in Angola in 1984.
Konpa, also known as Konpa dirèk, is a modern méringue dance music genre of Haiti. The genre was popularized by Nemours Jean-Baptiste following the creation of Ensemble Aux Callebasses in 1955, which became Ensemble Nemours Jean-Baptiste in 1957. The frequent tours of the many Haitian bands have cemented the style in all the Caribbean. Therefore, Konpa is the main music of several countries such as Dominica and the French Antilles. Whether it is called zouk, where French Antilles artists of Martinique and Guadeloupe have taken it, or konpa in places where Haitian artists have toured, this méringue style is influential in part of the Caribbean, Portugal, Cape Verde, France, part of Canada, South and North America.
Passi is a hip hop artist who became famous in the mid-1990s with the group Ministère AMER, which included himself and Stomy Bugsy. He is most widely known, however, as a solo artist, as well as a participant in many other groups, such as Bisso Na Bisso and Dis l'heure 2 zouk.
The coladeira is a music genre from the Cape Verde islands in the central Atlantic Ocean.
Suzanna Lubrano is a Cape Verdean Zouk singer based in Rotterdam. Several albums have gone Gold and Platinum, while she has won major international music awards.
"Laisse parler les gens" is a song released in the summer of 2003 in Europe, Africa and in the Caribbeans. The song features Jocelyne Labylle, Cheela, Passi and Jacob Desvarieux. It is Afro-Zouk and is from the album Dis L'heure 2 Zouk. The song sold more than a million copies and was nominated for Victoires de la musique. This song was the summer anthem of 2003 in France, Belgium, Africa, and the Caribbean. As of August 2014, the song was the 12th best-selling single of the 21st century in France, with 640,000 units sold.
Sophie Jordier, better known by her stage name Lynnsha, is a French R&B-zouk singer. She has released four albums, self-titled Lynnsha (2004), Elle & moi (2008), Île & moi (2013) & Over & Other (2018).
Mickael (Mika) Mendes is a Cape Verdean-French kizomba/zouk singer. He was born in Nice, France. His father is Boy Gê Mendes former lead singer of the famous Capeverdean group Cabo Verde Show and later part of the band Mendes e Mendes.
Pedro Henriques Lisboa Santos, better known by his stage name C4 Pedro, is an Angolan kizomba musician.
Francisco Xavier da Cruz, also known as B. Leza or Beleza was a Cape Verdean writer, composer and singer of morna music..
Gilyto Semedo, aka Mr. Entertainer is a Cape Verdean Singer, Songwriter, Dancer, TV & Music Producer, Cultural Activist, Mentor Of Cabo Verde Music Awards-CVMA and PALOP Music Awards - PALOPMA.
Dany Silva is a Cape Verdean singer, musician, composer and producer.
Codé di Dona, nickname of Gregório Vaz, was a Cape Verdean musician and composer.
Nelson Freitas is a Cape Verdean-Dutch singer, producer and recorder. He records with GhettoZouk Music, which also signed artists Chelsy Shantel and William Araujo.
Tchiss Lopes, is a singer, instrumental performer, and composer.
