On Friday, July 20, was launched the 11th edition of the Festival International du Zouk – FIZ (International Zouk Festival) that will take place until August 1 in Guadeloupe. This year, the organizers chose as theme“Rhythms & Feelings”.
The same evening, at 6:00 pm, at the Centre Rémi Nainsouta in Pointe-à-Pitre, was organized the preview of the 8th edition the FIZ art exhibition that gathers more than twenty professionnal and amateurs painters, visual artists, sculptors and photographers and the preview of the photo exhibition whose objective is to enhance the protagonists of zouk music; after Patrick Saint-Éloi in 2017, this year, it is titled the “History of Zouk in pictures” and focused on another Guadeloupean star of zouk desappeared too early, Gilles Floro. All the pictures were taken by photographer Robert Thimodent.
Almost two hundreds people among them music personalities like Roland Louis, visual art personalities like Lucien Léogane and Alain Caprice attended to this cultural event organized every year by Eugène Louisor and his team. It must be noted that Lucien Léogane is the guest of honor for this major art exhibition. Jean-Claude Floro (musician and painter) was also present and he thanked the FIZ organization for this tribute paid to his younger brother Gilles, this gifted musician who died on June 22, 1999 at the age of 37.
Several performances were offered during this pleasant party which was presented by Marc Manne: poetry with Fabienne Phémius-Inamo and Michel Falémé; dancing on Gilles Floro’s songs with Marie-Yvonne Erdan and her association “Les Libellules”; zouk music with Jérémy, the guitarist of Karavan’ and with the carnival band Moun ki Moun (MKM).
One of the most important moments of this opening was the introduction to the audience of all artists exhibiting their works. Then, they could talk to these art lovers including some who came with their children or grandchildren… The ceremony ended with the “FIZ by night” and the guests were invited to dance zouk in the garden of the Centre Rémi Nainsouta with DJ Patos and DJ Didi, the young winner of the “DJ Zouk Mix contest 2017”.
During these next ten days, the 11th Festival International du Zouk planned, among other activities, writing workshops, plastic art workshops and computer-assisted music workshops, masterclasses in zouk and jazz dance, DJ contests and live bands contests, concerts in various locations in Guadeloupe.
