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Jounen Kwéyòl—a true taste of Creole
culture!
Jounen Kwéyòl is a family activity filled
with food, drink and fun
If you came under the impression that this was solely an
English speaking island, we've got news for you—think again!
Your ears will soon catch something that may sound a bit strange at first.
Don't be too alarmed, you'll soon get the hang of it—if you're determined
that is.
Creole or kwéyòl (patwa) is a local dialect that
epitomises everything uniquely St Lucian—a combination of history and
culture, unmatched. Kwéyòl, while strikingly similar in operation to many
West African indigenous languages, borrows most of its words from the
French, with a touch of English and Amerindian.
The story of this language dates way back to the days of
slavery. At the time, the "mother tongues" of the Africans
were suppressed through a divisory tactic practiced by slave owners. Slaves
who came from the same tribe and spoke the same language had to be separated
to prevent any potential revolt. Communication would be made virtually
impossible.
But, never mind this "divide and conquer"
method, the Africans were able to maintain a common grammatical core of
their related African dialects. What emerged from this was Creole—a
language scalded, moulded and plied but still standing resolute today.
Many St Lucians were born into and socialised in the Kwéyòl culture and it
has been estimated that at least 90% have varied degrees of fluency in the
language. Although English has become our primary means of communication,
Kwéyòl is still a medium through which people interact.But just think that
a few decades ago, speaking kwéyòl was regarded as a sign of ignorance,
while the mastery of the English language was a sure ticket to the elite
class.
It was believed that patwa was the wall obstructing academic achievement and
economic development. As a result, many grew to deny our native language,
inadvertently inculcating these attitudes in their children. Today much work
has been done to reverse this and there is an increasing number of bilingual
St Lucians. Kwéyòl is regularly spoken on TV and radio with programmes
like Jook Bois en Hall-là, Constitution Park en kwéyòl and Réfléchi.
Celebrating all that is kwéyòl culminates on October 27 when Jounen
Kwéyòl (Creole Day) is held in chosen communities. This is indeed a feast
for all observing and promoting our heritage. So here's your chance to join
in.
During activities to mark the event, community spirit and togetherness is
the overriding theme; usually beginning with community church services and
culminating in a big outdoor fétè. Coup de main enthusiasm is captured in
the traditional wood-sawing or siay, where local men get together to help
saw a log.
On exhibition will be household items and items of
clothing from the past—calabash bowls and goblets, tin kerosene lamps,
"kat wiban" (underpants) which resemble French culottes, straw
chairs and baskets. Wakonté or story-telling and La Wenn Kwéyòl (Creole
Queen pageants for seniors and kiddies) are must-see. To keep the
cultural spirits flying high, music adds to the creole flavour—folk music,
cadence, zouk and Kassav. Riddle and joke nights, along with
traditional games and sounds of bamboo bursting, shak shak, violin and drums
can only mean one thing—it's that time again!
And as always, food is at the heart. Finger-licking good souse,
bouillon (a mouth-watering combination of salted beef, onions, beans,
potatoes and dumplings), delectable acras or fishcakes, bwapain woti
(roasted breadfruit) and of course the national dish—greenfig and saltfish—are
all prepared to perfection as vendors try to outdo each other. By the
way, forget about the blenders and microwaves since traditional appliances
are the order of the day—they've got nothing on the sugarcane crusher or
coalpot (local earthenware.)
Legend has it that the slow cooking (consommé) of food on a coalpot helps
to release the natural juices and flavour. Dishes are served
traditionally in the dried calabash—the fruit of the island's national
plant. Admittedly, it might not be all local since the occasional
barbecued chicken or pork can be spotted on a few grills. You
can capture this cultural court-boullion with the many timeless pieces of
memorabilia, from handicraft to dolls, coalpots and even packaged herbal
medicine. Oh and by the way, if you want to avoid a possible fine of a few
cents on the day, for speaking any language apart from patwa, here are a few
helpful hints.
Good morning/Good afternoon—Bonjour.
What is this?—Sa sa yé?
How much is this?—Commeh pou sa?
I would like that one, please—Mwen vlé, sa-a souplay.
Thank you—Merci.
Jounen Kwéyòl helps create an awareness of our cultural, providing a
platform for its preservation for future generations. Besides, it's a great
family outing, So come on down
Source:
http://tropicaltravellers.com
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