Last year in November, Zil’oka was invited to perform at a Caribbean Cultural day in Dublin organised by the Caribbean association Ye Krik! It was a lot of fun, we played, danced, told stories and apparently you liked it because we have been re-invited by Ye Krik and the Alliance Francaise for another French Caribbean event.
We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with you Ines Khai and we cannot wait to show you what the “Indisciplines” of Zil’oka can do
We are of course working extra hard to deliver a fantastic show, high energy workshops and great children stories. We cannot wait to see you all on the 22nd and 23rd of March!
A danm Bèlè, or “lady of Bèlè”, is a creole expression that defines a female Bèlè dancer. This very respectful address indicates the reverence that La Rond Bèlè (the circle where Bèlè is played and danced) has for women. Graceful, creative and daring, the danm Bèlè plays a crucial role in La Rond. If she dances well, the drummer will follow her steps, the singer will comment on style, her partner is compelled to match her moves. A danm Bèlè is therefore an inspiration, primordial to the artistic creation in Bèlè. Among the women who have title is Mrs. Marie Victoire Persani.
In January 1949, in Bezaudin, the same neighbourhood of Ste-Marie where Edouard Glissant grew up, was born Marie Victoire Persani from a notorious Bèlè family: the Persanis and the Caserus. She is indeed the younger sister of the celebrated Bèlè singer Ti Emile Caserus, and the daughter of the illustrious “Man St-Ange” a great Danm Bèlè whose style has impacted all Bèlè dancers from Ste Marie.
From age four, Marie Victoire was introduced to the Bèlè world by her mother. She had the opportunity to learn from the greatest singers, drummers and dancers such as Dulténor CASERUS, Emile LAPOSTE (who initiated her to the dance kalennda), Féfé MAROLANY, GALFETE and Michet MARCELLIN. With such illustrious teachers and models, Marie Victoire has developed a particular style where the technique Bèlè is supreme. Her steps are always well marked. She stomps the ground with force and precision. Her skirt is an extension of her person. Her style is succession of fluid moves and breaks, which make it unpredictable and very entertaining. She is really impressive, but instead of me going on and on about her technique, watch her in Edmond Mondesir’s “Manze Tala”, where she is the main dancer with the cornrows, and the pink skirt.
In addition to her talent as a dancer, Marie Victoire has also played a great role in perpetuating the Bèlè tradition in Martinique. In her earlier years, she was an active member of what I call the “Bèlè renaissance”. This was the time when the journalist and ethnologist Anca Bertand was promoting Bèlè on the local and International scene and when Martinique started to recognise this dance and musical genre as a legitimate cultural heritage. She was everywhere with her brother Ti Emile dancing and singing in various dance groups. In the late 1980’s she founded the group MATJOUKANN, a Bèlè reference that was active over a decade. She was also the owner of one of the most popular “kay Bèlè” (Bèlè house) of Ste Marie: “Anba Tol La”. Along with the “Pitt Caserus”, “Anba tol la” was a convivial place where men, women, children came to share the Bèlè experience. Very welcoming and pleasant she always had a nice word or treat for the children making everyone feel at home in La rond Bèlè and by doing so, planting the Bèlè seed in them.
Nowadays Marie Victoire is still very much active in the Bèlè world as she is a member of Coordination Lawonn bèlè, an association organising and promoting Bèlè and making sure that the tradition is transmitted to the next generation. A daughter, a sister, a mother, a Danm Bèlè, Mrs. Marie Victoire Persani is a true Pillar of our culture and we, at Zil’oka, we salute her.
Last year for Black History Month, we have been kindly invited by Queens Park Community School in order to deliver a talk/workshop on Gwoka and the cultural resilience of the African-Caribbean people.
We presented the 7 rhythms of Gwoka to the assembly and then gave a percussion workshop to a selected few.
We had a great time! Young people and teachers loved it as we celebrated this aspect of history.
If you want us to come to your school, do not hesitate to contact us at zilokainfo@gmail.com !
Gwoka, Dance, Drumming, Traditional culture, Creole - Ziloka 