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Jocelyn Virapin
Respè Pou Fanm
Hot Casa - Cat No: HC89
- updated:2026-03-31
A master of the traditional percussion instrument “Gwoka” from Guadeloupe, an archipelago in the southern Caribbean and neighbor to Dominica! Jocelyn Virapin, a leading figure in the genre, is known for his work in the 1990s with his own group, Gwoka, as well as for serving as the opening act and performing alongside Kassav and Zouk Machine. Based on a rare 1994 recording of his masterpiece “Pasyon,” and in consultation with the artist himself, this 7-inch single features a new edited version that adds a Rhodes piano improvisation to the original take!!! Limited-edition 7-inch on a PCV sleeve.
Track List
Jocelyn Virapin’s *Gwo Ka* pays homage to the traditional combination of call-and-response in Guadeloupean Creole, the rhythms of the Ka drum, and dance—a traditional combination—while preserving African traditions. It is a tribute to the masterful performance featured on Side A of the album, which was released in 1994 but had since become a rarity: “Pasyon” (sample 1)—which had become a rarity—is now included as a powerful new edited version featuring an improvised Rhodes piano solo added to the original take. This was produced in consultation with the artist himself, featuring Florian Pellissier, a leading artist at Hot Casa and a master keyboardist at the forefront of France’s current modern jazz scene.
Furthermore, this album includes “Pasyon,” a track originally released in 2010 as a CD-only release in extremely limited quantities under the name of his band Beloka. It features a hypnotic bassline, a jazz ensemble featuring the Rhodes piano, Ka percussion grooves and timbres, call-and-response with sublime, spiritual Creole chants, and lyrics brimming with the joy of life—a masterpiece that was originally released in 2010 as a limited-edition CD-only release under the name of his band, Beloka. (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)