Though many in the English-speaking Caribbean may not know the name ‘Bouyon Music, they may however be quite familiar with the bouyon sound. It originated in Dominica in the late 1980s as a fusion of soca, zouk as well as Dominican styles such as Cadence-lypso and traditional Jing ping, Chante mas, and lapo kabwit rhythms. Bouyon has gained a stronghold in other French-speaking islands and the northern Lesser Antilles as a whole and has also gained international popularity over time.

Fun Fact: Did you know that the name ‘Bouyon’ (pronounced Boo-yon) originates from a typical Caribbean dish (from Antillean Creole culture) something akin to ‘gumbo soup’ or ‘coubouyon poisson’.

So who created this unique musical sound?

When discussing some of the pioneers and trailblazers of this musical movement, one group surely comes to mind- The Windward Caribbean Kulture Band, WCK Band which was formed in 1988. More specifically Derick “Rah” Peters and Cornell Phillip, two of its founding members, have been credited as creators of Bouyon music.

Initial group members of the WCK Band

Some of the founding members of the band include Wayne McLawrence (guitar), Keith Goddard (bass), Derick “Rah” Peters (drums & vocals), Irvine Phillip (keyboards & production) and Cornell Phillip (keyboards). The full flavor of bouyon can be heard in their first album ‘Culture Shock’ in the 1990s.

The WCK Band toured the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean from 1995 to 1998, releasing the albums Original Hold Dem, Too Many Cooks, and Marathon, which led to even wider international recognition for both the band and Bouyon music. However, with over 19th albums, some may argue that their most popular album to date is ‘Tou Cho Tou Flam’ from 1995 which contains the hit ‘Balance Batty’.

Presently, the WCK band is still very much active, although their lineup and faces may look a little different today.

Continuing to fly the Bouyon flag high, we move onto the band ‘Triple Kay International’ which has been on the musical circuit since 2000 mastering all types of music, including the Bouyon genre which has significantly attributed to the growth of the band over the years. The band has produced six albums namely – “Big Ting” – “Fanatik” – “Sewo” – “All Out” – “Pressure” and the most recent 2008 gold compilation “Colours”.

Triple Kay International

Other Trailblazers:

Asa Bantan, ‘The Bouyon Boss’ whose real name is Asa Edwards, has amassed a huge following since breaking onto the music scene in Dominica and across the region almost 2 decades ago. He has many hits, such as Wet Fete, Strictly Local, I Know People/Last Name, Do Something Crazy, I Sing Di truth, Task Force, and Take It Anywhere.

Carlyn XP, ‘The Bouyon Queen’ having captured the Bouyon Monarch title in 2016 and 2017, is one of Dominica’s most acclaimed female artists. She has dominated the stage as a premier performer in all Caribbean genres. Her big Bouyon songs are ‘Bouyon Calling’, and ‘Bouyon wuk’.

Bouyon like other musical genres has been evolving with different individual artistes adding their own touch to it. What remains consistent though are the ultra-fast tempo and the incorporation of French ‘Creole’ musical styles in the lyrics and harmonies. A listening to some recent Bouyon tracks and be heard in the Youtube playlist below.

Another fun fact:

Dominica recognizes ‘Bouyon Day as a special day for Bouyon music, artists, and musicians. Bouyon day is usually celebrated on the Tuesday prior to Carnival Monday and Tuesday. This initiative started in 2015 as a movement to promote Bouyon music as a Dominican Genre.

Sources include: https://en.wikipedia.org, https://www.last.fm, https://dominicanewsonline.com, https://dominicafestivals.com, https://www.avirtualdominica.com,

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