Exile One

Last updated
Exile One
Origin Dominica, West Indies
Genres Kadans
Cadence-lypso
Zouk
World music
Years activeEarly 1970s–present
MembersGordon Henderson
Vivian Wallace
Fitzroy Williams
Julie Mourillon

Exile One is a cadence musical group founded by Gordon Henderson in the 1970s with musicians invited over from Dominica, to be based in Guadeloupe. The band was influential in the development of Caribbean music. It became famous throughout the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and the Indian Ocean. Exile One opened the way for numerous Cadence-Lypso artists as well as for Zouk. [1] [2]

Contents

History

In 1969, Gordon Henderson (the "Creole father of soul" and "Godfather of Cadence-lypso") decided that the French Overseas Department of Guadeloupe had everything he needed to begin a career in Creole music. From there, lead singer Gordon Henderson went on to found a kadans fusion band, the Vikings of Guadeloupe – of which Kassav' co-founder Pierre-Eduard Decimus was a member. At some point he felt that he should start his own group and asked a former school friend Fitzroy Williams to recruit a few Dominicans to complete those he had already selected. [3] The group was named Exile One. During the early 1970s, they initiated a fusion of cadence and calypso "Cadence-lypso" that would later have influence on the evolution of a certain style of soca music. [4]

The full-horn section kadans band Exile One led by Gordon Henderson introduced the newly arrived synthesizers to their music that other young cadence or compas bands from Dominica, Haiti (mini-jazz) and the French Antilles emulated in the 1970s. [5] In the early 1980s, lead guitarist Julie Mourillon of Exile One formed a new group called Roots of Exile. Together, they launched a new beat dubbed "Island Boogie", a fusion of cadence-lypso and North American funk and soul music and toured Africa and Europe. [6]

Exile One and Grammacks were two influential figures in the promotion of cadence-lypso in the 1970s. They were inspirational for Kassav and the emergence of zouk in the 1980s. [7] Exile One was the first kadans band to sign a production contract with a major label called Barclay Records, [1] and the first to export kadans music to the four corners of the globe: Japan, the Indian Ocean, Africa, North America, Europe and The Cape Verde islands. [1]

Gordon Henderson

Gordon Henderson was born in Roseau, Dominica, grew up in the town of Portsmouth and received his secondary education at the St. Mary's Academy in Roseau, where he joined the "glee club" and participated in talent shows, activities which encouraged the pursuit of a career in music.

Gordon Henderson musical career began with short stints with various teenage bands performing at talent shows and dances around the Island. In the late 1960s he formed his own quartet called Voltage Four, patterned on American group Booker T and the MGs or The Meters, and mainly toured the French Islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. In 1970, Henderson moved to Guadeloupe to become the lead singer of "Les Vikings" of Guadeloupe, a group that toured the French Departments of Guiana, Martinique, St. Martin and Metropolitan France. [8] He wrote and recorded a song titled “Love” with the Vikings which became a huge hit across the Caribbean and particularly in Suriname and later the Netherlands. [9]

Gordon Henderson is the leader and founder of the famous musical group Exile One and the one who coined the name Cadence-lypso. The group became known for having created Cadence-lypso defined by Henderson as “a synthesis of Caribbean rhythmic patterns...” The music combined Haitian cadence and the Anglo-calypso music with Creole in a manner that Haitians as well as Jamaicans could identify. Cadence-lypso revolutionized Caribbean music while Gordon Henderson’s Exile One visited every Caribbean country on a regular basis to perform. Record licenses existed in Jamaica, Barbados, Colombia, and Japan among other places. The group became a household name in several African countries and the islands of the Indian Ocean.

In 1975, Exile One became the first Creole act to sign a major recording contract with the French label Barclay, today a part of Universal. Exile One would go on to sell gold records. Gordon Henderson went on to produce other artists including, Ophelia, a fellow Dominican who is known as the Creole lady of song. He also took time off to study the French language and researched Creole culture. In forty years, Gordon Henderson and Exile One has worked with scores of different musicians.

In the 1980s he got involved in creating Tropic FM in Paris, France, a radio station now known as Media Tropical targeting the Caribbean Diaspora in France. He produced and hosted a TV show called Feel the World Beat that was broadcast on selected PBS stations in the US and the RFO-SAT network. Henderson spearheaded the creation of an annual international music event in Dominica, The World Creole Music Festival, featuring the best performers of Creole music.

A Brazilian version of a Gordon Henderson's composition "Jamais voir ça" sold more than 2.5 million copies, recorded by Carlos Santos with the title "Quero Voce". In addition Henderson has been the recipient of numerous gold records for sales of over 100,000 in France.

Henderson has received numerous awards at home and abroad, among them the AFRICAR MUSIC AWARDS in the Ivory Coast, the Golden Drum, the National Meritorious award, Lime Lifetime Achievement, the DFC lifetime achievement (twice), and the CIAO award Washington, among others.

Among his other achievements he is author of a book titled Zoukland, and credits as producer and performer of more than 30 long-playing recording projects. Publications references include: The Pop Music of a Continent (African All Stars) by Chris Stapleton and Chris May; Zouk: World Music in the West Indies by Jocelyne Guilbault (University Chicago Press); and World Music/The Rough Guide by The Penguin Group.

Members

The original members of Exile One.

Related Research Articles

Soca music is a genre of music defined by Lord Shorty, its inventor, as the Soul of Calypso, African and East Indian rhythms. It was originally spelt Sokah by its inventor but through an error in a local newspaper when reporting on the new music it was erroneously spelt Soca, Lord Shorty confirmed the error but chose to leave it that way to avoid confusion. It is a genre of music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 1970s and developed into a range of styles during the 1980s and after. Soca was initially developed by Lord Shorty in an effort to revive traditional Calypso, the popularity of which had been flagging amongst younger generations in Trinidad due to the rise in popularity of Reggae from Jamaica and Soul and Funk from the USA. Soca is an offshoot of Kaiso/Calypso, with influences from East Indian rhythms and hooks.

The music of Martinique has a heritage which is intertwined with that of its sister island, Guadeloupe. Despite their small size, the islands have created 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 Martinique and Guadeloupe. Zouk's origins are in the folk music of Martinique and Guadeloupe, especially Martinican chouval bwa, and Guadeloupan gwo ka. There's also notable influence of the pan-Caribbean calypso tradition and Haitian kompa.

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.

Music of Dominica

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.

Webert Sicot was a Haitian saxophone player, composer and band leader. He is recognized as one of the creators of compas also known as compas direct, a style of Haitian music born in the 1950s that he named cadence rampa after he left Nemours' band to differentiate himself in 1962 in the spirit of competition.

Kassav' is a French Caribbean band formed in Guadeloupe in 1979. The core members of the band are Jocelyne Béroard, Jacob Desvarieux, Jean-Philippe Marthély, Patrick St. Eloi, Jean-Claude Naimro, Claude Vamur and Georges Décimus. Kassav' have issued over 20 albums, with a further 12 solo albums by band members.

Compas is a modern méringue dance music of Haiti. The genre was popularized 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, compas 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 compas in places where Haitian artists have toured, this méringue style is influential in part of the Caribbean, Portugal, Cabo Verde, France, part of Canada, South and North America.

Culture of Dominica

The culture of Dominica is formed by the inhabitants of the Commonwealth of Dominica. Dominica is home to a wide range of people. Although it was historically occupied by several native tribes, the Taíno and Island Caribs (Kalinago) tribes remained by the time European settlers reached the island. "Massacre" is a name of a river dedicated to the murders of the native villagers by French and British settlers, because the river ran red with blood for days. Each claimed the island and imported slaves from Africa. The remaining Caribs now live on a 3,700-acre (15 km2) Carib Territory on the east coast of the island. They elect their own chief.

Cadence rampa or simply kadans, is a dance music and modern méringue popularized in the Caribbean by the virtuoso Haitian sax player Webert Sicot in the early 1960s. Cadence rampa was one of the sources of cadence-lypso. Cadence and Compas are two names for the same Haitian modern meringue.

Cadence-lypso is a fusion of cadence rampa from Haiti and calypso from Trinidad & Tobago that has also spread to other English speaking countries of the Caribbean. Originated in the 1970s by the Dominican band Exile One on the island of Guadeloupe, it spread and became popular in the dance clubs around the Creole world and Africa as well as the French Antilles.

Les Aiglons was a 1970s Guadeloupean cadence band. Their single "Cuisse-la" was the greatest selling record of any Antillean band until Kassav's Zouk la sé sèl médikaman nou ni in 1985.

Experience 7 was a Guadeloupean kadans band formed in the mid-1970s, led by Guy Houllier and Yves Honore. However unlike Kassav' or Malavoi, the small band produced most songs with Henry Debs in Guadeloupe.

Ophelia Marie, also known as Ophelia Olivaccé-Marie, is a popular singer of cadence-lypso from Dominica in the 1980s. She is sometimes referred to as "Dominica's Lady of Song", the "First Lady of Creole", and "la grande dame de la musique Antillaise".

Bouyon is a genre of Dominican music that originated in Dominica in the late 1980s mainly with the group "WCK", with names such as Derek "Rah" Peters on vocals, Cornell Phillips keys and vocals among others, while bands such as the "Triple Kay" are very popular with "Carlyn XP" being the undisputed MCs for having won numerous contests. Dominican singers such as "Asa Banton", "Suppa" and "Gaza Girl" became popular years later.

Jing Ping is a kind of folk music originated on the slave plantations of Dominica, also known colloquially as an accordion band. Dominican folk music, jing ping bands accompany a circle dance called the flirtation, as well as the Dominican quadrille.

The World Creole Music Festival (WCMF) is an annual three-day music festival hosted on the island of Dominica during the final weekend in October, as a conclusion to Creole heritage month.

Culture of Martinique

As an overseas départment of France, Martinique's culture is French and Caribbean. Its former capital, Saint-Pierre, was often referred to as the Paris of the Lesser Antilles. Following French custom, many businesses close at midday, then reopen later in the afternoon. The official language is French, although many Martinicans speak a Creole patois. Based in French, Martinique's Creole also incorporates elements of English, Spanish, Portuguese, and African languages. Originally passed down through oral storytelling traditions, it continues to be used more often in speech than in writing.

Gramacks was a Cadence-lypso group from Dominica.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Funkyorgan. Cadence Lypso and the organ. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  2. ↑ Gregory Rabess (24 April 2014). "Cadence-lypso". In David Horn; John Shepherd (eds.). Bloomsbury Encyclopedia Popular Music of the World. 9. ISBN   9781441132253 . Retrieved August 10, 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  3. ↑ Caribbean and Latin America (24 April 2014). Exile One and Cadence-lypso. ISBN   9781441132253 . Retrieved August 10, 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  4. ↑ Jocelyne Guilbault (1993). Zouk: World Music in the West Indies . The University of Chicago press. p.  50 . Retrieved April 10, 2012. cadence lypso cadence rampa and calypso.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  5. ↑ Caribbean and Latin America (24 April 2014). Introduction of digital technology. ISBN   9781441132253 . Retrieved August 10, 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  6. ↑ cdbaby. JulieMourillon . Retrieved August 10, 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  7. ↑ Neva Wartell. "Zouk - Tracing the History of the Music to its Dominican Roots". The Dominican. Reprinted from National Geographic. Retrieved August 10, 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  8. ↑ World Music: The Rough Guide - Volume 2: "Simon Broughton, Kim Burton and Exile One's lead singer, Gordon Henderson, went on to found a highly original cadence band, the Vikings of Guadeloupe. The Vikings' style was very much a precursor of Kassav, whose own co-founder, Pierre Eduard Decimus, was a member of the group. Onto the lilt of cadence was forged a crash of ...".
  9. ↑ Horn, David; Shepherd, John (24 April 2014). Exile One and Cadence-lypso. ISBN   9781441132253 . Retrieved August 10, 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.