As Guadeloupean vocalist and composer Marie-LineDahomaywrites in her liner notes to the compilation,gwokais more than a style of music, it is a way of living and thinking. Rooted in the social,musicaland ritual practices of enslaved African people and their descendantsonGuadeloupe,gwokahas alwayssoughtto express the spirit of independence and resistance authentic to the island.

Building on its traditional call-and-response form and the ideas of pivotal figures like GrardLockeland ChristianLaviso, moderngwokaevolved throughout the second half of the twentieth century to include funk,jazzand electronic influences.

Defined by its propensity for innovation and experimentation, this compilation charts the most radical changes to moderngwoka, capturing a sensory riot of traditionalrpertoires, rhythms and make techniques fused with a rich seam of genre-defying experimentation.