Tu seras jamais dans la misère

A jednak się stało - mimo horoskopowej przepowiedni, wyczytanej jeszcze na Gwadelupie - ostatecznie wylądowałam "w biedzie", czy raczej - jak można odczytać poniżej - w "La Misère". Przez dwa miesiące mieszkałam w tej właśnie jakże pochlebnie nazwanej miejscowości! Dodam może tylko, że to właśnie La Misère, a nie stolica Victoria, jest domem wszelkich osobistości - ministrów, doradców, etc... Mnie żyło się tam raczej skromnie, ale przez to i bardzo spokojnie. Uczta dla ducha!

Despite what I read in one of the Guadeloupian horoscopes (that I'd never be in misery), in the Seychelles I came to live exactly in "misery" or rather in "La Misère." Two months in misery, quite an achievement! Yet, it's important to point out that this "misery," and not the capital Victoria, is the neighborhood of all the big fish in the country. Myself, rather than any luxury, I found in La Misère the peace and quiet which I appreciate greatly!

The wooden house - very cozy! And then two dogs, some chicks, and a goat in the garden. Quite an idyllic atmosphere...

In the garden I also took some botany lessons. For example, for the first time in my life I saw a cocoa fruit (yak - bitter seeds!).

Some more garden treasures: bananas, papayas, "fruit à pain"...

My Seselwa host-family, who on the day of my arrival took me on a very nice walk in Beauvallon at the sunset...

La Misère and its particular neighborhood.

Seychelles

On October 9 I arrived in the Seychelles, a country with the population of only 85,000 - one of these pearls on our globe where the Western civilisation has not yet had a full access. No McDonald's, beautiful unpolluted beaches, limited internet access... In fact, I am typing these words with a certain delay... Indeed, internet was quite an issue. But also the fact that the personal communication is so much more important in the Seychelles than the quick "shoot me an email". I loved this direct contact so much, that somewhat unconsiously I renounced the digital communication for quite some time@.

Nonetheless, the time has come to upload those thousands of picks that I took over the past 3 months and to share with with my beloved readers (;-) some reflections on this beautiful and quite mysterious country - hidden in the Indian Ocean, to the East from Madagascar.

Seychelles are officially an African country, although culturally they form an insular connection between Africa, Asia, and Europe - the three continents that had a direct impact on the constitution of this young country. The Republic of the Seychelles was proclaimed in 1976, after 200 years of French and British colonialism. After the period of political turmoil - a debate between Seychelles People's United Party and Seychelles Democratic Party - in 1977 the country became a one-party state with SPUP, or rather Seychelles People's Progressive Front in power. The second political formation, Democratic Party, came into existence only in 1992, and in 1993 the first multiparty elections were held.

Earlier governed directly by the British Empire, the Seychelles are still culturally close to the UK. After the local Creole - Seselwa, English is the second predominant language of communication, followed by French (Creole, English, and French are all official languages of the country - quite a phenomenon!). In the afternoon one can see the Seychelois enjoy their 5 o'clock vanilla tea (local plantations - delicious tea!). Academic exchange with the UK is also relatively vibrant.

Geographically speaking, Seychelles are an archipelago of 115 islands of the granitic type. The biggest is the island of Mahé, where the capital (Victoria) is located. Praslin and La Digue are other important islands of the archipelago. Tourism and fishing (tuna) are at the basis of the Seychellois economy.

Bye-bye Gwada

On the 4th of October my Gwada-friends threw me a truly unforgettable good-bye party at Le Caméleon, Gosier. Traditionally there was karaoke (I'm falling in love with this song, "Pa fe mwen lapenn"), but also Macarena-dancing, pool (for the kids), pizza (well, service was typically à la guadeloupéenne: waiting time = 30mins or more), ti-punch, and a cake.

The party was not a surprise so I could invite anyone I wanted. Chantal (2nd from the left in the 1st photo) was La Reine of the evening; she had actually been the one to put it all together - she reserved the place, configured the logistics, and suggested we bring a cake. With her came Michel and Océane. Then there was Paul; Annick with Juju; Martine, Dennis, and Tom; Luana & Andrei with their mom; Sophie with her daughter, and Victorio.

La fête a été inoubliable. J'en ai un tres bon souvenir que je garderai pour l'année.
De même que je garderai les souvenirs de mon séjour "Gwada 2008".

Voici quelques photos de la soirée:

Kassav' & Jocelyne Béroard

Kassav', the legend of the West-Indian zouk, came into existence in the late 70s. The group has since gone through various phases, from the carnavalesque fascination to the closer links with rock and funk. They are nevertheless famous for popularizing of the culture of the Antilles, and particularly its Creole language - so present in the Kassav' songs.




















As soon as I arrived in Guadeloupe in July 2008, I hurried to buy the ticked for the concert in Baie-Mahault, celebrating 30 years of the group. The concert was an unforgettable event. Although at the time I could only sing along: "Zouk la sé sel médikamen nou ni", the Kassav' music is so vibrant that after the 3 hours I immediately became a fan.















After its 30 years of existence Kassav' is present everywhere. Its artists, whetrher they are still members of the group or not, continue performing and encouraging other musicians to work on new innovative melodies. Jocelyne Béroard, Kassav' lead female singer, has had a flourishing group and solo career. While still in Guadeloupe, I saw her perform at the concert "Women Sing Gwoka"...




















...When I took the pictures abouve and below. Later on I also met Jocelyne in... Seychelles - where she was invited as a special guest of the cinema festival. What is more, one could hear the famous Kassav' rhythms on the radio - both in the West Indies, and in the Indian Ocean!

The Legacy of Aimé Césaire

I first heard about Aimé Césaire in the Francophone Cultures course that I took at Hamilton College my freshman year. We learned about the "Négritude" and the two other founders of the movement, Léopold Senghor and Léon Gontian Damas. We read Cahier d'un retour au pays natal. We watched a movie about Césaire's life. It was then that I heard the famous phrase for the very first time: "Il est beau et bon et légitime d'être Nègre."
As a senior at Hamilton I chose to examine Tropiques, a cultural revolutionary review published by Césaire, his wife Suzanne, and other intellectuals under the Vichy regime in Martinique. Tropiques were a collection of short texts, poems, and letters that portrayed the particularities of the West Indies, but at a closer look - criticized the regime. The authors used surrealist writings as a means to convey the "second meaning." Publishing of Tropiques was interrupted in 1943 and the review depicted as "révolutionnaire, raciale et sectaire." More issues came out of press by 1945.Poet, playwright, and politician, Aimé Césaire is one of the most influential authors from the French-speaking Caribbean. In his works he promoted his homeland, and his racial and cultural heritage. He aimed at "restoring the cultural identity of black Africans." (http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/cesaire.htm)

Below I am pasting Césaire's abbreviated biography
(based on: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/594):

Aimé Césaire was born June 25, 1913, in Basse-Pointe, a small town on the northeast coast of Martinique in the French Caribbean. He attended the Lycée Schoelcher in Martinique, and the Parisian schools Ecole Normale Supérieure and the Lycée Louis-le-Grand. As a student he and his friend, Léopold Senghor of Sénégal created L'Etudiant noir, a publication that brought together students of Africa and the West Indies. Later, with his wife, Suzanne Roussi, Césaire co-founded Tropiques, a journal dedicated to American black poetry. Both journals were a stronghold for the ideas of Negritude.He served as Mayor of Fort-de-France as a member of the Communist Party, and later quit the party to establish his Martinique Independent Revolution Party. He was deeply involved in the struggle for French West Indian rights and served as the deputy to the French National Assembly. He retired from politics in 1993. Césaire died on April 17, 2008 in Martinique.

During my week-long stay in Fort-de-France in September, on numerous occasions I noticed that Aimé Césaire is still present in the life of the Martiniquais. Streets, cultural centers, and the Town Hall, all directly or indirectly carry the poet's thought. The selected photos are just a sample of this presence.

Martinique

Biblioteka Schoelcher, Fort-de-France



















Cmentarz w Fort-de-France















Targ w Fort-de-France




















Saint-Pierre



















Morne-Rouge z Montagne Pelée w tle















Habitation Clement, Le François















Bellefontaine

Music and Cultures in Gosier

Fête du Gosier was the highlight of the last week of August. With the theme «la diversité notre richesse, la solidarité notre force,» the Fête celebrated the minorities present in the region, and particularly the importance of peaceful and friendly cohabitation. Numerous events of the week included a special service at the local Church of St Louis, vin d'honneur (a toast) at the Town Hall, a concert of spiritual music by Lina Racon, a Lewoz, and many other attractions...

As a choir member, together with about 30 other choristes, I sang celebratory chants in French as well as in Creole during the service. The rehearsals began in mid-July. We'd meet every Friday night to first learn and then revise the songs. Mme Cessy was a wonderful choir teacher. I loved her enthusiasm and the passion for choir singing. I thought it was particularly funny when during the rehearsals, annoyed with our poor performance (:-), she would abruptly switch to Creole yelling that she's going to have us all soak in the rain and that she cannot stand such a disorganized group. Nevertheless, the performance was great afterall. It was easy to see that the audience (the locals and the officials) present during the service was very touched. I had great time singing too...
I love how here, during major celebrations, the church becomes a local arts scene. Not only did the choir clap and dance when singing "Sen sen se ou Sen o!" ("Saint Saint Vous etes Saint oh!"), but we also shared the joy with the entire church community. We had a small band too - a pianist (Mme Cessy's husband), a guitarist, and a drummer Gwo Ka. Shame on all those who resisted swinging during the celebration!
I was truly touched when another choir member lent me one of her beautiful madras dresses. At first slightly afraid that wearing the dress will provoke some nasty comments (like "Do you think that wearing madras will make you a community member?"), I quickly realized that the local people truly appreciate my festive image. And indeed, when dancing the zouk later in the afternoon, I did feel I was a member of the community in Gosier!
The concert of Lina Racon, a recognized spiritual Creole singer, began without surprises. A traditional choir, gospel rhythms, spiritual atmosphere...

Everything changed however, when a group of talented dancers started their show in front of the Altar. Ensuite, Lina's dance performance! Sitting in the first row I was truly surprized but also enchanted with the show...
Yet a true show was yet to follow. Approximately at midnight, at the nearby parking lot of Belle Plaine, a magical Lewoz took place. Lewoz is a traditional Gwo Ka performance, where a group of drummers, dancers, and singers gather for a mysterious celebration. Dancers appear from the crowd, and disappear after their demo; the musicians like in a trance continue drumming inviting more and more performers to come and join. The audience gathers around the enchanted group. Some listeners clap and dance rhythmically; tourists take photos; elderly people bring small chairs and without a word or a gesture observe the show.

I returned to Belle Plaine the following day. The parking lot lost all of its mysterious charm. Yet the drumming, still pulsating in my head, did not cease.

The Fête culminated with representatives of different minorities present in Gosier signing a pact on intra-cultural solidarity. After a panel discussion during which everyone was welcome to express both positive and negative comments on minority co-habitation in the region, Jean-Pierre Dupont, mayor of Gosier, invited representatives of different nations and cultures to sign the pact to reinforce the community spirit. A simple yet a praiseworthy act, the pact has later been referred to on numerous occasions.

Indeed, to me Gosier seems an open and welcoming community, with various international influences. A new Western trend or the multicultural roots of West Indies?