DDCD 2019 - Session 7 by STOSKIENE RITA

Anders

TeacherASH — 2019-11-11 22:40:42 UTC

Music is democracy! We were learning to play drum today and we did it really good;) There are seven different rhythms in Gwo Ka and we tried them all today, playing, singing and dancing. There are a lot of options to develop these rhythms and to make improvements. So I guess there are many young people sitting with their drums on Guadelope trying to find new ways to express feelings and opinions.

Nowadays there are a lot of options for those who would like to share their music with other people. So even if it is not completely free you could use your imaginations and skills to create better music and spread it all over the world. Maybe you will have the opportunity to affect many other girls and boys.

I do not think that any of us that joined the lesson will be famous in the genre Gwo Ka, but it was a relief and at the same time energetic to hit the drum.

Silvia

2019-11-12 00:56:29 UTC

CREOLE GARDEN HERITAGE AND GWO KA

It is fascinating to discover the Creole culture through nature and music; thanks to all the precious teachers, today I have had the opportunity to learn that nature and music are powerful instruments to give people a real feeling of being connected.

We all could perceive that words are of very little importance if compared to the vibrations music conveys; music can talk to people of unity and convey to them the certainty of belonging to one being only.

Gwo Ka music can explore human most basic feelings: love, joy, pain, fatigue, hard work, struggle; that’s way we were all deeply involved in hearing the musicians today.

Nives

2019-11-12 01:38:03 UTC

Today we visited the Creole garden. In the middle of the garden is a small house where music is made. Music called Gwo ka. Gwo ka is folk music of Guadeloupe. There are 7 rhythms typical of Goudeloupe: Toumblack, Kaladja, Woule, Padjanbel, Mende, Graj and Lewoz. They play drums, which are different sizes. Together they form a group. Besides playing, they also dance and sing. Today, we were not only observers, but together with them we created Gwo ka music. It was an unbelievable experience. I loved seeing their wholehearted dedication to their music. They dance to the rhythm they fell at given moment.
Today is a good idea for me how to make foreign music with children.

Daniela

danielafunck — 2019-11-12 02:17:04 UTC

A life with music away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life as a self-sufficient with the things nature gives us. How this works, we were allowed to experience today and were kidnapped and enchanted into a completely different world. On the one hand we were able to rediscover the diversity of nature and how one can actually live on it.

On the other hand, we were able to try out the rhythms of the "Gwo Kas" and experience its captivating effect in a collective game. We also sang and danced together, and we were carried away by the music and immersed in it.

I really want to experience that with my students, because this interplay connects and lets you experience the rhythm in a completely different way. I really want to pass on this experience. 
After playing music together, the day was far from over.In addition to wonderful discussions, we were allowed to try a bath in the river and a mud mask, the bond with nature was now even clearer and the farewell was difficult. I take this feeling with me and will not only try to pass it on but try to keep it in the hectic school life.

Mateja

2019-11-12 02:44:14 UTC

The performing arts range from vocal and instrumental music, dance and theatre to pantomime, sung verse and beyond. They include numerous cultural expressions that reflect human creativity and that are also found, to some extent, in many other intangible cultural heritage domains. (Unesco)

The ritual and music must be felt and understood. Gwo ka on Guadeloupe is listed on the Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Spending a day at Creol garden and playing drums made an incredible impression on me. The vibration of music and rhythm goes beyond human speech. For a moment the time stopped and we breathed together in the same rhythm. Having an efford to listen to such a great musician in the nature was realy an honor.

Each person has their own vibration and when we harmonize, we
breathe in the same rhythm. Man must first reconcile with himself, then with
another man, and finally with nature. Real music and dance come from the heart
and bring inner peace. Like the river with all the streams which gather before flowing in to the sea. It was a perfect day.