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◆ Act Index — Article SOM · 1988-2026

Article written by TIITII NBA, artist of the New Bouyon Wave collective.

All the chapters of the Bouyon blog

The complete documentary series on bouyon, from its 1988 origins in Dominica to the global stages of 2026, plus the specials and listening guides.

◆ Index · The Bouyon documentary series

The whole story of bouyon in one place: the chapters in order, then the specials and listening guides.

Position 0 — The Bouyon blog traces the genre's history across thirteen chapters, from its 1988 origins in Dominica to the global stages of 2026. You can read them in order, or jump to the chapter you want. Alongside them, the specials and listening guides help you step into the genre through practice.

Act I — The origins in Dominica

Chapter 01 · The Roots — The traditional roots bouyon grows from in 1988.

Chapter 02 · The LanguageWCK lays down the grammar of the genre.

Chapter 03 · The Arena — The carnival era and the rivalry of the bands in Dominica.

Act II — The crossing to Guadeloupe

Chapter 04 · The Crossing — Bouyon crosses over to Guadeloupe.

Chapter 05 · Gwada Transition — The scene shifts toward Guadeloupe.

Chapter 06 · Saint-Martin Wakes — The Saint-Martin scene and the Tolly Boyz.

Chapter 07 · New Bouyon Wave — The Guadeloupe collective reviving the genre from 2023 on.

Act III — Consecration and horizon

Chapter 08 · Warm Up — The tempo and the Warm Up format.

Chapter 09 · The Global Crossover — Bouyon reaches international stages.

Chapter 10 · Women of Bouyon — The female voices of the genre.

Chapter 11 · Producers and Connectors — The people who keep the machine running behind the scenes.

Chapter 12 · Consecration and Limits — The peaks and the tensions of the scene.

Chapter 13 · Other Circles of Gwada Bouyon — The peripheral circles of the Guadeloupe scene.

Specials and listening guides

The best bouyon artists to listen to in 2026 — The listening guide to get started, artist by artist.

How to dance bouyon — The basic steps and the carnival spirit.

Bouyon, soca, kompa, dancehall — How to tell each Caribbean genre apart.

New Bouyon Wave & 1T1 — The special on the collective and 1T1's role.

Keep exploring

- Back to the Bouyon Hub — The interactive globe and the complete guide to bouyon. - The artist profiles — Over 130 bouyon artists documented. - Bouyon: origin, BPM and history — The blog's starting point.