The Ka and the Gwoka are unshakeable symbols of Guadeloupe's precious cultural heritage.
Genesis and Rebirth: Gwoka, an Echo of Freedom and Cultural Heritage
Gwoka has its roots in the 18th century, during the era of slavery in Guadeloupe. This music draws its inspiration from the chants and percussions of West Africa, transmitted by the plantation slaves of the time. Frequently compared to the bèlè of Martinique, Gwoka was a way for slaves to express the torment caused by their condition, although it was prohibited before the abolition of slavery in France in 1848. It also served to invigorate the slaves, instilling in them courage for their laborious tasks.
In 2014, Gwoka was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list, encompassing the music, songs, and dances symbolic of Guadeloupean identity. Every year in Sainte-Anne, Guadeloupe, the Gwoka Festival has celebrated this heritage for over 35 years.
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What does Gwoka still symbolize today?
Today, Gwoka punctuates key moments in the lives of Guadeloupeans: popular gatherings (léwòz), festivities (Chanté-Nwèl), funeral wakes, union and political events. Some contemporary artists draw inspiration from it. If you visit Guadeloupe, you can discover Gwoka every Saturday on the pedestrian street of Pointe-à-Pître!
Gwoka is divided into seven distinct rhythms, performed by a set of two drums: the boula, which marks the central rhythm, and the maké (“marker”), which accentuates the melody followed by the singer, the dancers and the responders (the choir).
These rhythms are as follows:
- Kaladja (love),
- Menndé (carnival, collective festivities),
- Léwoz (warrior rhythm),
- Padjanbèl (dance of the workers for the cutting of the cane),
- Woulé (“Creole waltz” to charm and satirize the white),
- Graj (for agricultural work),
- Toumblak (love, belly dance, fertility dance, earth dance).
The artisanal making of Ka
The evolution of the Ka drum has spanned the ages. In its early days, Africans made it by digging wood. However, with the ban on harvesting wood from the forests, musicians had to look for alternatives, such as the salting barrels used for transporting goods at the time.
During the 20th century, with the gradual decline of transport by salting, musicians had to learn to make their instruments from A to Z. They were thus inspired by the methods of cooperage (heating the wood then bending it).
Today, traditional Ka makers generally pass down their expertise from generation to generation. They craft Kas from wood and goat skin using two main techniques: hand-crafted wood (mahogany, pear, mahogany, or almond) and barrel-shaped Kas, made from preformed wooden slats, assembled and strapped with metal. With the problems of forest clearing and the arrival of salting barrels, barrel-shaped Kas became more widespread, replacing wood-based Kas. A more delicate goat skin, from females, produces higher-pitched sounds. After being stretched and washed, the skin is finally applied to the Ka.
Where to get your Ka?
Explore the remarkable work of traditional Ka makers at Ledoux Store and support their craft by choosing to have them made to order.
Your Ka are available to order .
