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Jump up: bouyon under its French Antillean name

If you are looking for bouyon in Guadeloupe or Martinique, ask for jump up. It is the name the French Antilles give to the bouyon music of Dominica, a name that sums up its effect: a fast tempo that makes everybody jump.

A nickname that says it all

The term jump up already existed in the French Antilles to describe very rhythmic carnival music, notably after the song L’hivernage by Exile One in 1987, nicknamed The Yo. When Dominican bouyon crosses the sea, the Antillean audience naturally files it in that family: for many people, bouyon and jump up are the same sound.

Jump up at carnival

At the carnivals of Guadeloupe and Martinique, jump up is the soundtrack of the skin drum bands, the déboulés and the street fetes. It links the carnival traditions of the three Creole-speaking islands: Dominica, Gwada and Martinique.

Frequently asked questions

Are jump up and bouyon the same thing?

In Guadeloupe and Martinique, yes, in everyday language: jump up means the bouyon music that came from Dominica.

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