COMPLICATIONS OF COVID-19 RESPONSIBLE FOR JACOB DESVARIEUX DEATH
Kassav co-founder Jacob Desvarieux has died
Jacob Desvarieux has died.
The lead singer of Kassav is said to have passed away at the University Hospital of Abymes in Guadeloupe.
According to media reports from Martinique and Guadeloupe, the co-founder of the band passed away on Friday from complications of COVID-19. He was hospitalised and placed in a medically-induced coma earlier this month.
Desvarieux was 65.
A heavy metal rock guitarist living in Paris, Desvarieux formed Kassav in 1979 with musicians George and Pierre-Eduard Decimus of the Kadans fusion band, the Vikings of Guadeloupe.
The group used the influence of well-known Dominican, Haitian and Guadeloupean bands to create a Guadeloupean carnival sound known as Zouk.
In 1980, the band, whose name is French for Cassava, launched its first album Love and Ka Dance and toured widely through Paris.
In 1983, Kassav released Zouk La Se Sel Medikamen Non Ni (Zouk Is The Only Medicine We Have) off their second album, Yélélé. It became the first Antillean record to sell 100,000 copies.
Kassav has produced over 50 albums, a combination of band albums and solo projects from members of the band.
The band celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2019.
Kassav was popular throughout the Caribbean, particularly in islands such as Haiti, St Lucia and Dominica, where they last performed at the World Creole Music Festival in 2018.
The band also performed at the 2019 Carifesta held in Trinidad and Tobago, impressing the audience with their clean sound and energetic vibe.
Earlier that year, Desvarieux collaborated with Soca king Machel Montano on the Motto-produced track Dance on the Ole Ting Riddim.
Photo: Jacob Desvarieux