Jacob Desvarieux

Jacob Desvarieux was an original member of the French Caribbean band Kassav', as well as a guitar-playing solo musician whose 1984 single "Zouk la sé sèl médikaman nou ni" became an international hit. He was born in Paris, France, on November 21, 1955, and soon moved to the Caribbean, where he spent much of his youth. Jacob Desvarieux learned to play music while living in the tropics and became interested in the islands' kadans and calypso traditions. He founded the band Kassav' in 1979. While popularizing the zouk style of music around the globe, the band released more than 20 albums, including Vini Pou (1987), Majestic Zouk (1989) and Tékit Izi (1992). Singles like "Sye bwa," "Soleil," and "Ou lé" also became hits. In addition to his work with Kassav', Desvarieux released five albums as a solo artist, beginning with 1983's Banzawa. He also composed music for French films like Siméon (1992), Switch (2011), and L'Invitation (2016). Still active during his 60s, he contracted Covid-19 in July 2021 and succumbed to the disease later that year, passing away on July 30, 2021, at 65 years old.