World Creole Fest Music

Dominica World Creole Music Festival 2006 - Preview

Burning Flames featuring the late Onika Bostic

Frenzied audience kicking up a crowd of dust


Closing a night of incredible music, Antigua's Burning Flames were mashing up the stage with their keyboard, bass and drum driven poly rhythms and vocals by the late Onika Bostic. The fans had been on their feet for nine hours and as the sky grew light Sunday morning it revealed a cloud of dust hanging in the air kicked up by their moshing feet. This was the scene at a recent World Creole Music Festival, where three nights of music mean full nights, no 45 minute sets here, and transforms the humble Pottersville savannah into a stage for the greatest musicians in the Creole diaspora

We found at the WCMF an incredible sense of artistic freedom and the togetherness of a celebration of common heritage that made moments like these possible. Needless to say we are excited about returning October 26th -30th this year and plan a full review of the festival.

WCMF is celebrating its 10th anniversary and its first under the leadership of Val Cuffy whose broader focus is to revolutionize music in Dominica. Cuffy is bringing from Jamaica the legendary Byron Lee and Dancehall from Shaggy, From Haiti rhythms spanning the history of Kompas from Tabou Combo, T Vice, Djakout Mizik, and Carimi as well as Wyclef Jean, Dominica is represented by Bouyon pioneers WCK, the high energy Impromptu Band, Calypso Kings Hunter and Dice with the Swinging Stars, and the Triple Kay Band, From Guadaloupe: Zouk from Kraven and Dancehall rhythms from Admiral T. Congolese soukous from Sakis and the Royalty Band out of the U.S. round out the festival.

As contemporary artists migrate and adapt to new technological developments the music transforms and is being shaped much the same way Creole cultures adapted the native rhythms to cultures of western europe: by preserving traditional elements and adopting new influences creating a new sound and pop culture. The WCMF is bringing local music to a wide audience and playing a role by bringing international artists and a wave of young artists are making a name for themselves continuing the trend that began in the late 70's. Festival schedule cannot accommodate all so look to parties parties and clubs preceding the festival for a broader musical sampling.

Papa Chubby and Midnight Groovers and Michele Henderson are two of the biggest stars from Dominica that Ayo Green says you should not miss during your visit. Diamond Point and SubUrban are two lesser known but very captivating groups that may also be of interest. Green will be updating the official web site of the festival, www.worldcreolemusicfestival.dm with related festival related events. Click on the events link.

Papa Chubby of the Midnight Groovers

Lapo Cabwit from Grand Bay - Traditional Group


Dominican musical icon Gordon Henderson in his book Zoukland divides the music of his country into two categories the traditional and the modern/contemporary. "Dominican traditional music" Henderson writes, "is itself sub-divided into two distinct patterns. One expression was imported directly from Africa along with the African ancestors with little or no modification and has been transmitted down from one generation to the next. One example of such is the "bele" (pronounced bel-air) a form based mainly on percussion and chant with a specific dance pattern. Quadrille, waltz, and a few other patterns often performed by "zhing-ping bands are in fact adaptations of European music as interpreted by the African slaves."

King Dice, Calypsonian performing with the Swinging Stars

Calypsonian Hunter

Radio airwaves brought Dominican musicians Spanish and West indian rhythms including calypso, ska, rocksteady and reggae which were picked up and by the 70's the Gaylords and particularly Exile One emerged. Exile One pioneered a unique sound that became known as Kadanslypso, Gordon Henderson defines as a "Synthesis of black, primarily West Indian rhythmic patterns". It was a time of radical change defining Dominican modern music to this day. Phillip "Poppa Chubby and the Midnight Groovers (celebrating 35 years this year) is the most prominent of local performers of the music has a new album out and while not on the WCMF bill this year can be seen at the Creole WarmUp October 21st.

Audience responding to Dominica favorites Swinging Stars


Couple from St Lucia enjoying the music	Elephant Man

Calypso was coming into its own also at this time. Ian Jackson, in Dominica's The Sun, writing on the Calypso of the late 60's said "Still it was different from anything experienced in Trinidad or Antigua where brass dominated. In Dominica it was all about the rhythmic structure, the drums, and the picking of the guitar." Swinging Stars carries this tradition into this year's festival (Saturday show) with high energy calypsonians Hunter and King Dice.

Bouyon created by the band WCK in the late 80's is based on an electronically generated pulsating beat, Echoes of Jin-Ping rhythms accelerated and electronically generated, fused with the modern kadanslypso. Their website bio states "Candance-Lypso sound is based on the creative use of acoustic drums, an aggressive up-tempo guitar beat and strong social
commentary in the native Creole language, the new sound created by WCK, focused more on the use of technology with a strong emphasis on keyboard rhythmic patterns & street vernacular of the younger generation."

WCK

Carimi

Shoubou, Lead Singer for Tabou Combo


Haitian Kompa celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005, Nemours Jean Baptiste and his band Orchestre au Callabesse blended elements of the popular latin music of his day into Haitian folkloric rhthms and added electric instruments to the traditional acoustic ones creating a sound that was original in the orchestral 'format. Tabou Combo was part of the second wave of Konpa bands in the 60's and 70s known as Mini Jazz. Led by Roger "Shoubou" Eugene they have been performing as a group for 38 years running and are still going strong as WCMF fans will find. Its a good opportunity to see the masters alongside the exciting new generation of Konpa groups as well as on the same stage as Jamaican legend Byron Lee. While remaining true to the Konpa rhythm he sound was stripped down and electric experience. Other must see Konpa acts, representing the newer generation, include T Vice, Carimi feature a keyboard-driven sound and the exceptionally tight band Djakout Mizik. Each of these bands has a substantial following and fan base of its own. The opportunity to catch each of these acts on stage during the same musical festival emphasizes the special nature of this year's World Creole Fest.

Wyclef Jean

Haitian konpa group T-Vice

Djakout

Carrying the spirit of the day to the festival stage,the masked dancers of
the performance troupe Colihaut Ban dramatizing the historic moment when the
maroons came out of the hills into town after emancipation was declared

Shaggy

Michele Henderson

Escale from Martinque

Martiniquan band Escale who keep the traditional Zouk big band approach
while infusing a contemporary sensibility to the music followed playing
creole zouk, cadence, and Zouk love rhythms

Diblo Dibala & Matchacha

Atlantik group with lead singer Destra Garcia

Destra Garcia with Atlantik


Rupee from Barbados