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MARIGIOT--The first Gwo Ka Drum Festival held in Marigot over the weekend was hailed by organiser SOS Radio as a great success, with at least six invited groups from Guadeloupe and St. Martin performing Saturday and Sunday to a capacity crowd on both nights.
The event held in the Lazy Bay car park honoured the late cultural icon Juliette Mingau who was well known for her work with the Grain D'Or dance group.
The groups comprised Ti Fey La Ka Soné, the only one from St. Martin and an exponent of "modern" Gwo Ka using guitar and bass, an all-women group Kalbaska, youth group NJK, all-male group Kalbaska, Lammoufanmka, and Soley Nwè.
In addition, St. Martin's very own Generation New Status drum band STM whose musicians will soon leave for workshops in the USA put on a spectacular show both nights with some highly impressive drum solos.
The groups, clad in traditional Creole wear gave the audience a master class in precision Gwo Ka drumming, dance and musicianship, showcasing a genre that struck a chord even to those uninitiated with this expression of music born in Guadeloupe out of the suffering of slavery.
Developed from African rhythms, Gwo Ka music is based on seven basic rhythms corresponding to seven ways of singing and dancing. Instruments include hand drums called the "boula" and "makè," each with a different pitch, with accompaniment in the background of musicians shaking the "chacha", a calabash emptied then filled with grains. Backing singers provide the response to the call of the lead vocalist.
The large Lazy Bay car park recently hosted a Fish Fry and lent itself perfectly to the drum festival with the opening night drawing the biggest crowd that could also enjoy the numerous food stands. It began with a prayer from Father Samson and a rendition of the St. Martin Song. Opening remarks were made by emcee Shujah Reiph, Territorial Councillor Jean-Philippe Richardson and President of the Economic Cultural and Social Council Georges Gumbs. Raymond Helligar read out his poems.
The Mingau family was presented with a plaque to honour Juliette's contribution to culture while local Gwo Ka icon Hellier Coquillas, President of Ti Fey La Ka Soné, also received a plaque.
"The groups from Guadeloupe are telling me they have been amazed by the reception they received here as they don't get recognised like that in Guadeloupe," said SOS Radio's Billy D Hamlet. "It took a lot of work, money from sponsors and preparation to organise this festival but we are very happy to have pulled it off. We're looking next year to have a bigger and better one. World-renowned Gwo Ka groups want to come here now as they understand what we are trying to do."
