Music and Dance of St. Lucia
St. Lucia has a rich culture with influences from its European settlers and African slaves. These two, very different, settlers have greatly impacted music and dance in St. Lucia. The French first introduced the popular folk dance Kwadril, which is performed at private parties or in halls. Kwadril is a dance that is choreographed and is separated by five different dances. This dance is always accompanied by music from four stringed instruments such as a banjo, guitar, violin, etc. African culture has spiced this conservative dance up with colorful attire and island rhythm. Kwadril had lost its popularity because it was a symbol of colonialism but now the people of St. Lucia are encouraging young people to learn this dance to renew the culture of the country.
An African influence on music is Jwe, which is a type of rural folk music played at beach parties, dances, wakes and full moon ceremonies. Jwe includes both song and dance with instrumental music accompanying. The music is sung in Creole and is a way that folk artists can communicate their views on political and social events of the country.
Then there is Kele, which is an ancient Afro-Lucian religious tradition and only one family is allowed to perform the Kele rituals. The rituals are performed for three deities (gods) where they ask for protection for the family, good fortune, good crops and good health. Although these rituals used to be taboo the Roman Catholic Church accepted it in the 1960s. Rituals are accompanied with a mother drum and a child drum, where four rhythms are played. The settlers of St. Lucia come from extremely different backgrounds but they both have taken pieces from their native land to create new traditions on the beautiful island of St. Lucia.
