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Life is a rhythm. Rhythm unites people. The simplicity in complexity.

We are born with a rhythm. The first thing we do when we come to this world is breathe. And we breathe in a rhythm. The last thing we do when we leave this world - we breath. In a rhythm... We walk in a rhythm, talk in a rhythm, work in a rhythm. Sometimes we can get off it but we always return. Feel safe, feel united, feel supported and encouraged by others next to us that live in a same rhythm.

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Today we learned about music in a cultural context. Gwo Ka is folk music from Guadeloupe. they assume that everything is rhythm and that the drum manifests this and also spirituality. We got to try drumming the seven rhythms typical of Guadeloupe. Each one of these is used in a different way, e.g sadness, happiness, work etc. What is typical is the repetitive and and interactive way of performance. Everyone has a Heart and therefore the rhythm in them, they say- it didn't feel like that all the time but sometimes i fell into it and it felt really nice. The drum consists of a holy Trinity: the sprit of the tree, the goat and the drummer. Many drummers therefore refuse to let anyone else use it, why it is an honor to have been able to try this today. It was also nice to see the children got to take part in their cultural heritage, both tangeable by having to borrow Edgars drum, and intangible as they got to take part in his knowledge. The children are the future and Edgar conveys their history. And i am happy that we were able to see and learn about this.

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Today I learned that I have the rythm in my body.
And that we all have and that we can connect with others by drums.

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Wednesday, 22nd  September 2022

What I have learnt today:

Today I have learnt about various, highly interesting aspects of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage:

First of all, I have learnt very many things about how to play the drum, how to teach other people play the drum and what the historical and cultural background of playing the drum is.

Secondly, I have learnt something about myself, i.e. that there is no need to worry too much about whether one could possibly fail in trying out something new, i.e. play the drum, or not because I did manage to play the drum, even though, at times, I found it rather hard to put our teacher’s instructions into action.

Thirdly, I have learnt what a single family can achieve when they are really devoted to something, i.e. disseminating the seeds of the  culture of Gouadeloupe and bringing its various aspects closer to small children in particular.

Fourthly, I have learnt how great it is to have a copy of the book signed by the author who has written a children’s book on how Gouadeloupe developed.

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Finally realised: today I found the tangible and intangible culture by having a drum session. 🪘

We had a Kwo Ka session in a private institution directly in a village next to Sainte-Anne. I can‘t say that I learned to play the drums in the wright way but I realized that our host had an excellent sense of rhythm by playing the drums and he is an excellent teacher explaining the instruments and their history.

I got the impression that music is a way to forget for some time the daily life as it needs a lot of concentration. In the history the music had a social function and was given to the next generation. There is a special sense and history behind the instrument. These skills are the memory to the past and that’s the reason why music had just an emotional impact for everyone, showing that the person is part of bigger society. So the music is not only one important aspect of the culture in Guadeloupe but it is also a view into the past and an important aspect of the culture.