Soul Jazz Records Presents Gwo Ka: Music of Guadeloupe, West Indies

Description

Soul Jazz Records Presents Gwo Ka: Music of Guadeloupe, West Indies. The album Gwo Ka by TRADISYON KA has just been recorded in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe by Soul Jazz Records. Gwo Ka is the musical and cultural product of the region's African ancestors, forcibly brought to the Caribbean for slavery. Indeed, Gwo Ka exists only in Guadeloupe, an island very different from the rest of the Caribbean, maintaining its colonial aspect through its French identity. This constant 'Europeanisation' of the island gives Gwo Ka a fundamental role in defining Guadeloupean identity. As an African-derived music, its position counterbalances French influence, also giving Gwo Ka an evolving aspect. Tradisyon Ka is made up of the most talented singers and percussionists on the island, and is part of a large network of Gwo Ka groups on the island, perpetuating the traditions and cultural importance of Gwo Ka as a process on a broader scale defining Guadeloupe's identity and culture.