Kassav' (Haitian and Antillean Creole for a local dish made from cassava) i… Read Full Bio ↴Kassav' (Haitian and Antillean Creole for a local dish made from cassava) is a Francophone zouk band which was formed in 1979. The core members of the band are Jocelyne Beroard, Jacob Desvarieux, Jean-Philippe Marthely, Patrick St. Eloi, Jean-Claude Naimro, Claude Vamur and Georges Decimus (who left the band to create another band, Volte Face, before returning to Kassav' later) along with several other, more minor members. The total number of albums by the band and its members is approximately 30.

Kassav' was formed in 1979 by Pierre-Edouard Décimus, a long-time professional musician who worked with Freddy Marshall. Together, the two of them decided to take carnival music and make it a more modern and polished style. It was the leading band to emerge from the formative years of Zouk. They gave the style a pan-Caribbean sound by taking elements from kompa, salsa, and calypso, and became world famous. Their first album, Love and Ka Dance (1980), established the sound of zouk.

Kassav' continued to grow more popular, both as a group and with several members' solo careers, finally peaking in 1985 with Yélélé, which featured the international hit "Zouk la sé sèl médikaman nou ni" (meaning "Zouk is our only drug" in French Antillean Creole) With this hit, zouk rapidly became a widespread dance craze in Latin America and the Caribbean, and was popular in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Zouk performers became known for wildly theatrical concerts featuring special effects spectacles and colorful costumes.

Zouk-La-Se Sel Medikaman Nou Ni
Kassav' Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Anou

Kijan zot fé
M'pa ka konpran'n
Zot ka viv' kon si
Pa ni pwoblém'

Poutan zot sav'

Lavi la réd
Kijan zot fé
Pou pé sa kenbé

Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)

M'pa té konnet
Sécré lasa
Ban mwen plan la
P'mwen pé sa konpran'n

Ban mwen plan la
M'poko sézi'i
Si janmé on jou
Mwen tonbé malad

Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)

Si sé sa mwen an nou zouké!

Anou

Mi'i kon sa
Mi'i kon sa
Mi'i kon sa
Mi'i kon sa

Kon sa
Kon sa
Kon sa
Kon sa
Kon sa
Kon sa
Kon sa

Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)

An malad, an malad, an malad
An malad, an malad, an malad

Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)

Kijan zot fé
M'pa ka konpran'n
Zot ka viv' kon si
Pa ni pwoblém'

Poutan zot sav'
Lavi la réd
Kijan zot fé
Pou pé sa kenbé

Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)

M'pa té konnet
Sécré lasa
Ban mwen plan la
P'mwen pé sa konpran'n

Ban mwen plan la
M'poko sézi'i
Si janmé on jou
Mwen tonbé malad

Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni

A oui ça çé bon
Çé bon
Çé bon

A oui ça çé bon
Çé bon
Çé bon

A oui ça çé bon
Çé bon
Çé bon

A oui ça çé bon
Çé bon
Çé bon

A oui ça çé bon

A oui ça çé bon
Çé bon
Çé bon

A oui ça çé bon
Çé bon
Çé bon

A oui ça çé bon
Çé bon
Çé bon

A oui ça çé bon
Çé bon
Çé bon

A oui ça çé bon
Çé bon
Çé bon

A oui ça çé bon
Çé bon
Çé bon

A oui ça çé bon
Çé bon
Çé bon

A oui ça çé...

Attention...

Stop!

Encor

Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)

An malad, an malad, an malad
An malad, an malad, an malad

Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Kassav's song, Zouk-La-Se Sel Medikaman Nou Ni, express the idea that the rhythm of zouk music is the medicine that heals and brings people together. The singer is questioning how other people live their lives without understanding how the healing power of zouk music can help them overcome problems. The singer is telling everyone to dance to zouk music as it is the only medicine they need to survive. He further admits that he did not understand the power of the secret of zouk music in the past, but now he does after experiencing its healing power. It is clear that the song is calling for a celebration of the rhythm and energy of zouk music, a music genre from Guadeloupe that has transformed into a global sound.

Line by Line Meaning

Anou Kijan zot fé
Let's see how you do it

M'pa ka konpran'n
I don't understand

Zot ka viv' kon si Pa ni pwoblém'
You're living as if there are no problems

Poutan zot sav' Lavi la réd
Yet you know that life is hard

Kijan zot fé Pou pé sa kenbé
How do you manage to cope

Zouk la sé sel médikaman nou ni (sa kon sa)
Zouk is the only medicine we have

M'pa té konnet Sécré lasa
I didn't know this secret before

Ban mwen plan la P'mwen pé sa konpran'n
Give me the plan, I still don't understand

Ban mwen plan la M'poko sézi'i
Give me the plan, I'm still not sure

Si janmé on jou Mwen tonbé malad
If someday I fall ill

An malad, an malad, an malad
I'm sick, I'm sick, I'm sick