Posts Tagged ‘Gwo Ka’

Rhythm Talk: Gwo Ka.

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

gwo ka 1

It’s been while since we spoke in depth. Apologies for the  hiatus. Time will show where time was spent. I’ve been busy collating some pieces for the site, some pieces for friends and getting our monthly sessions back up & running. Thankfully, Lola has been holding it down in the meantime despite her own hyper-hectic schedule. Props to her for keeping the flow…

Alright, I was rappin’ with my man Jocko last night and all he could talk about was rhythm. With any African diaspora music, you cannot isolate the rhythm. The rhythm is always linked and the rhythm is always moving. Back to Jocko, as he was talking, I had a realisation. I love the rhythm. The rhythm is the foundation for nearly all music I hold close. My recent delve into the cross-pollination of the rhythm in the Caribbean (click here for the first evidence of this) made me realise just how little I knew about the traditions that underpin our musical expressions. Journalists love to squeeze tags like ‘Afro-inspired, Tribalistic and Tropical’ into their descriptions of contemporary musical movements, but what do those things really mean? I can honestly say that digging the traditions of the French Antilles, and meeting some amazing personalities in doing so has changed how I perceive music. Forever.

‘Traditional music has another aim than to entertain. Traditional music is the past, it is the present it is the future. Eternal music. Popular music aims solely to entertain but with the traditional, entertainment is but one of many aims.”

That’s my friend and colleague Suga Kan’n’s word. When he’s not making organic ice cream, he travels the African continent absorbing it’s traditional rhythms, dance and song. He also happens to have roots in Martinique. Linking with him provided me with an introduction into the Gwo-Ka I share with you today.

Both the name of a family of drums and the music they create, Gwo-Ka runs deep. Most often used as a platform for social commentary and inextricably linked with Africa, her culture and the idea of ancestral lineage, the Ka is heavy. Before I continue, check this out to feel the real…

The big drums the brothers are holding the foundation rhythm on are Boula drums. You’ll find these type of drums or similar across the Caribbean. Again, the link… The soloist is playing something called a Kake drum. His job is to follow the moves of the dancer who is constantly trying to outsmart him with their steps. Traditionally, only one dancer holds the floor at any-time….pressure if your movement’s not fluid!
There are seven main rhythms in the Gwo Ka family each having dozens of variations. The tradition has been on Guadeloupe since the first slave ships docked. Some say the rhythms come from the Kongo (an idea I like) others say they developed with Guadeloupe’s slave communities. Either way, there’s a depth to the Ka you can’t ignore.
Alongside Velo, the official king of Ka (whose statue can now be found on la rue Saint John Perse, Point A Pitre). The work of Gwo Ka musicians like Germain Calixte, Ti Celeste and Carnot deserve a place on the world stage.
Ti-Celeste-SesGrandSucces
Recognition is a sore point when it comes to Gwo Ka. For reasons which I explore  in an upcoming SHOOK feature, the style never made a strong impact on the collective consciousness outside of the islands and their ex-pat communities. There are a few heads who have bridged the gap and taken the Ka somewhere other – mostly somewhere Jazz.  Again, hold tight for the SHOOK piece. You’ll have all the info you need, past and present….
GUY_KONKET_GroupeKA
When something touches you its good to share it. It cleanses the soul. My soul feels a little cleaner now. I hope this all means something to you. If it does, be sure to stay tuned for the fullness and for more rhythm talk…