Music of French Guiana
Encyclopedia
The music of French Guiana includes aléké, bigi pokoe, and bushee negro music. Surinamese music
, especially kaseko
, is also very popular in French Guiana
.
, followed by major bands like Bigi Ting and Fondering. Modern performers include Bigi Monie (Saint-Laurent), Bigi Libi and Young Clémencia (Grand Santi), Wan Ton Melody and Big Control (Papaïchton
), Slave and Bigi Laï (Maripasoula
). Historical groups include Pokina and Lagadisssa (from Paramaribo), Clémencia and Alkowa (from Grand Santi), Rasta (from Papaïchton), Tranga Oousel (from Maripasoula
), Mabouya (from Apatou), Switi Lobi (from Albina), Sapatia, Lespeki and Africa (from Saint-Laurent du Maroni).
in the west of French Guiana and Suriname. It is traditionally played with drums and maracas, although today guitars, keyboards and percussion instruments are used.
Intermix, Tchoutcha, Inter Spoity (Apatou
), Multi System and Compress 220v (Saint Laurent) , who toured in Europe in 1999, are the main representatives of this style.
.
Music of Suriname
The music of Suriname is well known for kaseko music, and for having an Indo-Caribbean tradition.-Kaseko:Kaseko is probably derived from the French expression casser le corps , which was used during slavery to indicate a very swift dance. Kaseko is a fusion of numerous popular and folk styles...
, especially kaseko
Kaseko
Kaseko is a musical genre from Suriname, a fusion of African, European and American styles. The term kaseko derives from casser le corps which referred to a swift dance during the period when slavery was legal in the region...
, is also very popular in French Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
.
Aléké
Aléké is a style of drum-based music that arose in the 1950s. It is sort of like salsa music and merenge. The first major group was SalkaSalka
Salka is a village and municipality in the Nové Zámky District in the Nitra Region of south-west Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 110 metres and covers an area of 26.066 km²...
, followed by major bands like Bigi Ting and Fondering. Modern performers include Bigi Monie (Saint-Laurent), Bigi Libi and Young Clémencia (Grand Santi), Wan Ton Melody and Big Control (Papaïchton
Papaïchton
Papaïchton is a commune in the overseas region and department of French Guiana...
), Slave and Bigi Laï (Maripasoula
Maripasoula
Maripasoula is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. With a land area of , Maripasoula is the largest commune of France, and is recognized as the fourteenth largest city in the world by surface area....
). Historical groups include Pokina and Lagadisssa (from Paramaribo), Clémencia and Alkowa (from Grand Santi), Rasta (from Papaïchton), Tranga Oousel (from Maripasoula
Maripasoula
Maripasoula is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. With a land area of , Maripasoula is the largest commune of France, and is recognized as the fourteenth largest city in the world by surface area....
), Mabouya (from Apatou), Switi Lobi (from Albina), Sapatia, Lespeki and Africa (from Saint-Laurent du Maroni).
Bigi Pokoe
The bigi pokoe is a style of dance musicDance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
in the west of French Guiana and Suriname. It is traditionally played with drums and maracas, although today guitars, keyboards and percussion instruments are used.
Intermix, Tchoutcha, Inter Spoity (Apatou
Apatou
Apatou is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America.The commune of Apatou was created on 12 November 1976 by detaching its territory from the commune of Grand-Santi-Papaichton ....
), Multi System and Compress 220v (Saint Laurent) , who toured in Europe in 1999, are the main representatives of this style.
Bushee Negro music
Awassa, mato and soussa are important kinds of Bushee Negro music. Other rhythms and styles include kawinaKawina
Kawina is an extinct genus of trilobite in the order Phacopida. It contains one species, K. wilsoni.-External links:* at the Paleobiology Database...
.