Kayenn Jazz Festival & Guiana Travel Guide
Feature and Photos by William Farrington
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Di Don, Di Don in a quick few syllables Pianist Ronald Tulle of Martinique made the connection between Beguine and Be Bop. Moving between be bop and beguine is seamless because of the rhythm is the same, he said. We had been wondering about the relationship of jazz and creole musics Listening to his words a light went on immediately opening our ears to new possibilities encompassed by the artists at the Kayenn Jazz festival . Of course, be bop and jazz are names applied to a music with a certain characteristics, and we interpreted his words in the broadest terms as these forms being part of a large musical family. Drummer Max Roach said of the music (jazz) “for a title I would Call it African American music.....a music created and developed by musicians of African descent who live in America”.
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The most interesting music, to our ears, at the Kayenn festival came from a forward looking line up of musicians from outside of mainstream. Artists whose music intersected with “Jazz” from traditions in Brazil, Martinique, Cape Verde, Haiti, Congo, Cameroon, Surinam, and French Guiana. Music, sharing the same genealogical roots as African American music, created and developed by musicians of African descent from across the Creole diaspora. Just as both Jazz and Caribbean traditions were born from the conditions created by the slave trade, migration plays a major role for contemporary musicians as they absorb adopted cultures and reconnect with roots.
Acantha at Cafe de la Gare in Cayenne, French Guiana during the Kayenn Jazz Festival.
At Kayenn we felt lucky to experience the Friday nights line up included Ronald Tulle, Djmso, Russell Gunn, and Acantha. Tulle a musical polyglot displayed his virtuosity on piano on traditional beguine and mazurkas, jazz standards and original compositions in a jazz trio setting. Pulsating Beli-Haut is the Afro- Amazonian music of Djmso and Klack-son, original rhythms from Guianese traditons such as Bélia and Debot. Krunk Jazz and Ethnomusicology are two labels used to describe the music of Atlantan Russell Gunn, who performed with his Electric Butteryfly group. They improvised drawing on a wide range of sources from Heavy metal to hip hop and Caribbean rhythms. A hard hitting set of Harlem blues from Acantha closed out the evening. Click on the friday link for photos and band information.
Surinam roots musicians Sweeti Libi after a set at Cafe de la Gare in Cayenne, French Guiana during the Kayenn Jazz Festival.
Saturday’s line up featured performances by Dominic Kanza, Maria de Barros, Carl Gustave, Etoumba, and Beethova Obas. Like Mr. Tulle, guitarist Dominic Kanza moves effortlessly between the music of Charlie Parker and other traditions including the guitar based soukous of his native Congo. His band included a special guest whose name is synonomous with Soukous, guitarist Diblo Dibala. We caught a set of their collaboration at the Cafe de la Gare, but unfortunately missed them onstage at the festival because of another commitment.
Surinam roots musicians Sweeti Libi after a set at Cafe de la Gare in Cayenne, French Guiana during the Kayenn Jazz Festival.
Maria de Barros was in the middle“Espaco Infinito” a beautiful slow morna when we arrived, The traditional Cape Verdean song form compared to American blues, slow and fast coladiera rhythms, evocative other tropical rhythms, salsa on fast dance numbers or bossa nova on slower, were also featured in her repertoire of traditional music. Her contemporary approach to the traditional is evident in the spacious modern arrangements. Maria feels that Cape Verdean music, like the islands, being at a cultural crossroads reaches out to people of many cultures but is particularly close to those in the Caribbean. St. Lucian Guitarist/vocalist Carl Gustave delivered an emotional set of jazz and blues honed in the clubs of Los Angelos.
Etoumba is a recent project of seven musicians and four dancers based in Guiana collaborating in an “ethnojazz”. context. Etoumba’s music draws on a variety of rhythms Afrobeat, reggae, capoeira and American jazz filtered through the writing of several band members and featured the guitar of Eric Bonheur, vocals from James Chow and the saxophone playing of Olivier Perrin. The extended compositions often shifted gears starting with Jazz, moving into ragga or Dancehall beats. Congolese rhythms feature prominently. Not known as a jazz musician, Haiti’s Beethova Obas had many in the delighted audience on their feet, even singing chorus in a call and response with the artist on stage. During the set Haitian, Zouk or even Brazilian rhythms could be heard while the band played with improvisational skills and musical interaction that are the hallmarks of jazz musicians. Click on the Saturday link for more photos and band information
Sunday night Gino Sitson, Ricardo Silviera, Robert Dede and Donald Harrison performed. New York based, Cameroonian (Bamileke region) vocalist Gino Sitson wrings maximum expressive range from his extraordinary voice. He performed with the Gino Sitson 4. Veteran guitarist Silveira barely acknowledging the audience played an intensely introspective set highly influenced by the rhythms of his native Brazil. Robert Dédé, a Guianese self taught on guitar. Traditional Guianese music backed by traditional drummers, percussion, keyboards, sax and electric bass. New Orleans saxophonist Donald Harrison closed the festival. Click on the Sunday link for more photos and band information.
Place des Palmistes, the central square in Cayenne
First the setting, for three nights under the trees in the Jardin Botanique, artists performed alternately on two stages. Crisp production kept the music flowing without extended interruption allowing up five groups to perform full sets each evening. The public had free access which enabled parents to bring children to earlier sets and allowed others to take in the music at their convenience. The laid back approach seemed typical of this unpretentious city. The architecture with its pitched tin roofs, wooden shutters on the doors and balconies typical of the predominant creole culture here. For those who aren’t familiar with Fr. Guiana, in the vast rain forests the ancient traditions of the Amerindian and African bush nengue culture are alive,while on the Kourou river near the coast the European Space Agency launch facilities send rockets into space. Surely Sun Ra is smiling at the thought.
A couple on the Cayenne waterfront, a popular sport to watch rocket launches from.
The artist line up was focused in its inclusivity, drawn from across the creole diaspora and including exciting local artists and traditions. It also sparked dialogue on jazz and purists found reason to debate several choices.