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Music in Martinique before the 80's

Martinique is renowned for the beauty of its landscapes, the richness of its flora and fauna, as well as its local crafts and cuisine. But there is another area for which Martinique is famous: its music. Music has always brought the people of Martinique together, even in the days of slavery, when it punctuated days of hard labour and evenings after work. While today it's easy to get our heads around the way zouk makes the whole world dance, there are many other musical styles that complement this emblematic island. Bélé, chouval bwa or zouk before the 80s still went under the radar of the younger generation. Nowadays, more modern music such as shatta, Afro drill or Zouk love is gaining in popularity to the point of drowning out traditional music.

Introduction The roots of Martinican music 1 : The influence of African and European traditions 2 : Music at the time of slavery 3. Traditional musical genres 1 The bélé 1 : Origins and development 2 : Instruments and dance 4. Chouval Bwa 1 : Origins and influence 2 : Instruments and performances 5. The pre-Zouk era 1 : The emergence of new influences 2 : Notable artists and groups

In Martinique, the word bèlè covers several realities. It designates a musical genre, a musical instrument, a body of songs and three dance suites: bèlè sentmari, bèlè baspwent and bèlè lisid. The term is also used to designate the type of event at which bèlè is danced, sung and played. Its presence on the plantations of Sainte-Marie is attested to in historical sources from the 1830s onwards. Elements introduced by African ancestors enslaved on the island during the colonial period predominate in today's bèlè. There are also, however, many aspects of the quadrilles and contredanses that were fashionable in Europe between 1780 and 1840. Bèlè is a cultural expression with which many 21st-century Martiniqueans identify. In Martinique's northern region, the drum was used when working together on plots of land reserved for food-growing, such as Creole gardens. A string was stretched over the skin of the bèlè drum, to which were attached match sticks and bits of feather to serve as a timbre. The gran son was sung while turning over the soil with a hoe, moving from the bottom of the hills to the crest. During gran son (when slaves sang in unison), hoe strokes were synchronized by the calls of the kòn lanbi (a horn carved from a shell, the queen conch). When more than one soloist was present, they sang the gran son stanzas alternately. There are two main bèlè repertoires in Martinique today. One is bèlè lisid (southern bèlè), known and danced mainly in the Anses-d'Arlets and Diamant areas, and the other is bèlè linò, which comes in two variants: bèlè Sainte Marie and bèlè Baspointe. Ultimately, bèlè music is a blend of musical traits from different cultures, transformed over generations. From Africa, it has inherited rhythms and the inseparability of song and dance. Similarly, the use of the drumhead and an idiophone percussed on its body is a widespread technique on the African continent, particularly among the Bambara. It is also found in Cuba with rumba, and in Saint Lucia and Haiti, regions that have also seen a significant influx of African peoples.

Chouval bwa is a traditional Martinican musical genre, originally instrumental, based on a variety of instruments including percussion, bamboo flute, accordion and kazoo. It is a style of music that originated in the Martinican countryside after the abolition of slavery. This musical style is played during festivities and accompanies the Martinican wooden manege; this is where the name chouval bwa comes from, in reference to the wooden horses of the caroussels.is There is no dance associated with this instrumental practice. Traditionally, there is no singing during this performance, and the pieces are about the length of a carousel ride, around 3 to 5 minutes. The percussion instruments used in the chouval bwa are the two-sided ‘dé bonda’ drum and the ti bwa, an instrument made from a horizontal piece of bamboo played with drumsticks; the chacha (a metal tube containing bells); the most traditional ensembles also include an accordion, very often a tanbour bélè; more rarely a di bass drum. But while the Martiniquais have respected this type of musical formation over the generations since the end of the nineteenth century, there is no reason why other instruments should not be included.

Although today zouk is clearly associated with the French West Indies, this modern musical genre in fact derives from a variety of folklores, making it a veritable "world music". Because of its geographical proximity, the genre is inspired by Haitian compas, and derives from rhythmic and melodic structures typical of Martinique and Guadeloupe, such as Gwoka and Chouval Bwa. In particular, they draw their tempo from local percussion instruments such as the maké, the "tambour", the bel-air, the boula, or the chacha (a kind of maracas that acts as a hi-hat). These traditional percussion instruments and their codified rhythms are of course the highlight of local carnivals, which are particularly important traditional musical events in the West Indies. The history of Guadeloupe and Martinique has also seen these genres interact with Western and African styles. Thus, many folkloric pieces are inspired by waltzes, mazurkas and other quadrilles that were popular at popular balls in Metropolitan France. Similarly, the singing and percussion techniques of the future zouk drew part of their inspiration from the traditions of the West African slaves whose descendants populated the West Indies. "Zouk" means party in Creole. And it has to be said that the genre is above all associated with the celebration of life in all its forms. And let's not forget the dance: as early as the 1930s, people in Paris were learning the steps of the "biguine", a rhythmic movement straight out of the French overseas departments of the West Indies. Martinique's straw huts were key places for the development of local music, where jazz began to take root, leading to the island's first classical orchestras. In the 1960s, "cadence" from Haîti blended with this sound, inventing the first form of zouk. Among the best-known Zouk artists are Jacob Desvarieux, the Décimus brothers (Georges and Pierre Édouard), Jean-Claude Naimro and many others. A decade later, violins, double bass and brass instruments from these jazzy orchestras became part of the composition of the first major zouk band: Malavoi. Comprising Dédé Saint-Prix and singer Édith Lefel, the group blended the influences of local rhythms with instrumental virtuosity and Afro-Cuban touches. True performers, they quickly succeeded in introducing a danceable, pop form of West Indian music. The musical landscape of Martinique is a reflection of its vibrant history and cultural evolution. From the days of slavery to the present, music has been a unifying force for the people of Martinique. Traditional genres such as bèlè and chouval bwa grew out of a blend of African rhythms and European influences during and after the era of slavery. Both bèlè, with its complex cultural significance, and chouval bwa, known for its instrumental richness, play a crucial role in Martinique's heritage. Modern zouk, influenced by Haitian compas and local rhythms, also illustrates this mix, evolving into a celebrated global genre. As modern genres gain popularity, it is crucial to preserve ans celebrate the traditional musical styles that have defined the island’s unique cultural identity. Understanding and appreciating these roots not only enriches our knowledge of Martinique’s heritage but also ensures that the legacy of it’s traditional music endure for future generation.