Kassav are set to celebrate their thirtieth anniversary in 2009, commemorating three decades during which they have taken the French West Indies, then France, then the world by storm with a string of zouk hits. Sye Bwa, Zouk-la sé sèl medikaman nou ni and Kolé Séré, to name but a few of Kassav’s hottest grooves, have enticed generations of fans onto the dancefloor. The group’s female vocalist, Jocelyne Béroard, says she is extremely proud of Kassav’s track record to date and delighted by the release of the group’s new album (its title a new twist on the famous Zouk-la sé sèl medikaman nou ni - Zouk is the best medicine). "We needed a slogan, a really catchy title to mark our comeback on the recording front," she says, "And I think an album title in Creole would have been a little complicated this time round. At least All U need is Zouk has the merit of being clear to everyone!" she laughs, humming a few notes of the Beatles’ All You Need is Love.

But does Kassav’s new album really live up to its name? Is a spoonful of zouk still an effective music tonic in the 2000s? Jocelyne bristles with indignation at the very idea that zouk has lost any of its healing powers. Kassav’s female vocalist, who began her career as a pharmacy student in Caen, then enrolled on an art course at the Beaux-Arts in Paris before launching a career as a backing singer, claims all music has therapeutic powers. "But what we’ve got to hand in the French West Indies is zouk! That’s the homegrown sound, the sound Kassav invented. And we’re taking it even further now. Yes, zouk is still an effective remedy - and it’s a cure we discovered ourselves!"

As for the thorny question of whether zouk has perhaps run its course after three decades in the music spotlight, Jocelyne snaps, "That’s a question that shouldn’t even be asked! Look at the huge turn-out we get at Kassav concerts. Our concerts are regularly sold out at the biggest venues around the world. It’s obvious that our fans aren’t flagging! As for the music we’ve created for almost three decades now, yes, it still needs to be developed. We’re constantly working on new variations. But please, don’t give me that ‘zouk’s running out of steam’ business! It’s complete nonsense! There are obviously music fads, trends and new production techniques emerging all the time, but zouk is very much here to stay. Zouk has carved out a lasting place on the international music scene!"

So could All U need is Zouk have been recorded back at the beginning of Kassav’s career? Once again, Jocelyne snaps into action without a moment’s hesitation. "No, absolutely not! But that’s mainly because of the technology we were working with back then. Recording studios have progressed enormously and the way we work now is light years away from the way we worked then. But in terms of content, I’ll spell it out again, the Kassav sound, the Kassav ambiance, Kassav’s signature mark is still there! It’s zouk always and forever with us! If we feel like experimenting with other sounds like reggae, rock or tango, we can do it on solo albums. And, believe me, none of us have ever stopped ourselves from doing anything on that score! To begin with, our solo albums were more of a marketing strategy, a way of storming the market on all fronts. But over the years our solo work has come to be a necessity. The solo albums are our way of opening windows onto other things."

Having sold a staggering four million albums to date, Kassav can pride themselves on having conquered the market - and become their own producers in the process. "It hasn’t always been easy, Jocelyne admits, "because we were never part of the official ‘club’ and we weren’t particularly interested in joining it, either. We just wanted to get out there and do our job, making music to the best of our ability. At the end of the day we were still branded as rebels though, because we refused to play the game and pay to have our records broadcast on certain radio stations. The reason we were able to do that was because our concerts were always packed out. Our fans have been incredibly loyal over the years."

And those fans are treated to Kassav’s usual prescription on the fourteen songs on All U need is Zouk, the group serving up their usual mix of light, carefree, upbeat tracks (Zouk Party, Bodé apiyé, Pli Bel Flè), but also some more serious food for thought. After all, Jocelyne and her consorts are firm believers in the fact that "when you’ve got a microphone in front of you, you can’t just shoot your mouth off and say anything that comes into your head. Our voice carries a certain weight these days so any message we send out has to be clear and unequivocal." Jocelyne has sent out her own clear message in recent years, campaigning on issues such as children’s rights and having the true history of the slave trade officially recognised.

All U need is Zouk opens on a combative note with Doubout Pikan, a song on which Kassav urge their compatriots to familiarise themselves with their country’s history in order to move on. And Fo pa fann is an equally hardhitting track. "I believe we have to serve as an example for the French West Indies," says Jocelyne, "It’s taken us just under thirty years’ struggle and hard work to get where we are today. It’s all about believing in yourself and putting your best foot forward!" On a song like Pa Bizwen sa Kassav directly address their compatriots, criticising local ‘opinion-makers’ in the Caribbean who vaunt the merits of compas, reggae, rock, dancehall and R&B instead of homegrown sounds. Wa wè’y evokes another typically Antillais subject - "gossip!" says Jocelyne, in English, "les racontars", those who like to tell a story rearranging all the facts.

Kassav may sing in Creole, but the message in their songs is generally a universal one. However, the target of tracks such as Pa kriyé mwen lies slightly closer to home, Jocelyne speaking out against the Antillais tradition whereby local menfolk refer to their wives as their "cher-la" (an affectionate term which literally means "piece of flesh.") "There may be a humorous side to Pa kriyé mwen," says Jocelyne, "but I’m addressing a serious issue here. And what I’m saying is that macho attitudes cannot be tolerated any longer!" Jocelyne Béroard is a woman who knows there’s a time for laughter and a time for anger. "It’s all about expressing the right emotion in the right time and the right place!" she says with a smile.