History of Jounen Kweyol
Introduction
The kwéyòl language is the thread which weaves through all aspects of St. Lucia's oral traditions: traditional drama. music, dance, social life. Apart from its own value as a symbol of identity and culture, the language effectively facilitates the passing on of oral traditions, be it forms of folk express in song, dance and music or forms of economic and social activity.
kwéyòl the St. Lucian Creole language, is the focus of the observance of Jounen kwéyòl (International Creole Day) on October 28th each year. This ocassion is observed by Creole speaking peoples throughout the world grouped into an international organisation called Banzil kwéyòl
While a specific date has been designated, members of Bannzil would find it more practical and convenient to organise activities on dates close to the designated date where socio-political realities do not permit mass gatherings on October 28th.
Jounen kwéyòlFor the past years, Jounen kwéyòl has been observed in St. Lucia with a very significant level of public participation. The major focus of the observance in 1983 was radio. The day was observed with almost fifteen hours of kwéyòl broadcasting on the national radio station, Radio St. Lucia. This was a historic day which will be remembered by all St. Lucias. From eight o'clock in the morning, Kweyol music was played. There were a number of special features including an interview with Earl Huntley, who conceived of the kweyol programme, 'Radio-a sa nou'. There was also a special feature on local poets who have produced work in kwéyòl. The major news events for that day were reported in kwéyòl.
The highlight of the broadcast was a two hour link-up with DBS radio in Dominica. During that period, persons involved in promoting kwéyòl in Dominica and St. Lucia exchanged views on topics, such as, the role of the kwéyòl language, BANNZIL, kwéyòl drama and attitudes towards the language. Among the persons who were on 'air' for that special programme were, Yves Renard, Pearlette Louisy, Allan Weekes and MArcellus Miller in St. Lucia and Alwyn Bully, Felix Henderson and Sinky Rabes in Dominica. For the entire day Radio St. Lucia's broadcast was flavoured with kwéyòl music.
Jounen kwéyòl was also observed independently in two communities. A panel discussion was held in Laborie where the role and importance of kwéyòl as a language was examined. This discussion was well attended and there was a lively exchange of views between the panelists and the persons within the community.
The Fond Assau Combined School had its morning assembly in kwéyòl. In the afternoon, students of that school, directed by Michael Gaspard, presented a cultural show in Kweyol. The school principal and other teachers participated in the programme.
The radio link-up which was organised in co-operation with the local station was not direct line link-up in that both stations monitored each other off air (on their respective frequencies) and agreed on a cue word to switch to each other. It was a process which lacked technical sophistication but did not affect the quality of content and historical importance of the ocassion.
Mon Repos
The observance in 1984 marked the introduction of mass participation in the observance at the community level. The first Creole community day was held in the Mon Repos, a small community on the east coast of the island. After months of preparation including meetings in Mon Repos, the programme was organised.
The day began with a Kweyol mass celebration by Fr. Patrick Anthony an ardent kwéyòl campigner. Amidst the punctuation of kwéyòl hymns, Kweyol intercession and prayers, his message was one of undiluted support for the language. In his sermon Fr. Anthony emphasised the need for co-operation in the restoration of the aspects of St. Lucian culture whose existence is threatened by external influences. The honouring of Sesenne Descartes, a St. Lucian chantwel from Mon Repos which followed the mass was a precedent set, which organisaers of future Jounen kwéyòl must emulate and improve. Sesenne received a certificate inscribed in kwéyòl, a trophy, flowers and numerous words and songs of praise. She in turn gave thanks in song with her rendition which has become a legacy in St. Lucia "Manmay la I di Way".
For the rest of the day Sunday, October 28th, 1984, the atmosphere and mood was kwéyòl. It was a magnetic rallying theme for the St. Lucians who came from all over the island to witness the event. There were 'strictly Creole meals served in Creole vessels', Creole games including walaba (a cricket game); Creole tpys such as wawa symbolizing the deep christian influence on Creole culture.
The other folklore legends who joined Sesenne in sharing with the people the richness of St. Lucia's oral traditions, were Erick Adley, Ramon Poleon and his Morne Gallian Band (south of St. Lucia), Leonards John and Clifton Joseph with a group of folk dancers and singers from Piaye in the south of the island.
The other activities for that day included the sale of literature on Kweyol including the bilingual newspaper BALATA and a Creole dance feature Kwadril groups from Mon Repos, Vieux Fort and Castries.
In her reflection of the event, Armelle Mathurin, leader of the kwéyòl group in Mon Repos noted 'the strickly creole meals served in Creole vessels, the fun and laughter, the entertainment, the warm and heart-felt St. Lucian greetings, the general atmosphere was all fitting to and expressive of the day and the extent to which our people are still true to their own national culture. As far as the organisation and planning for the culmination of Jounen kwéyòl at Mon Repos was concerned, there was much scope for expansion and Mon Repos would not mind another opportunity to improve and prove itself in that area.
In the first instance, the planners never in their wildest imagination, anticpated such a crowd, and therefore preparations were somewhat limited in all areas, including the numbers of hands running and manning the day. But thanks again to the 'koudmen' spirit which is still very prevalent in St. Lucia, the day was saved by the additional service of voluntary helpers who came in at the twelfth hour.
Radio played an important role. The co-operation of Radio St. Lucia in facilitating the numerous programmes and information and education features assisted in the process of mobilising people for participation in the Mon Repos Creole Day. Numerous announcements encouraging St. Lucians to hold conversations and communicate in Kweyol, on the two days preceding, October 28th, were patterned on the adopted slogan 'Di'Y an Kweyol' (say it in kwéyòl). There was a very high percentage of Kweyol language programmes on Creole music information on other countries invloved in the global Creole movement and general information on Jounen Kweyol activities and St. Lucia and Dominca and other Bannzil members.
A kwéyòl announcer worked alongside a English language counterpart for the entire day (October 28th) staring with 'Bonjou Sent Lisyen, jodi se Jounen Kweyol' at 5:30a.m. sign-on time. The hourly news bulletins were done in Kweyol and English giving adequate evidence of MOKWEYOL position that St. Lucia is a bilingual society and the languages must function side by side. The major local news bulletin was done in English and kwéyòl and throughout the day folk music, kadans and other forms of music associated with Creole folk dominated the airwaves.
Again the two hour radio link-up was the highlight of the use of mass media in Jounen kwéyòl. It is worth noting that throughout the year (all days except Jounen Kweyol) mass media especially radio engage in artificial communication whereby language and content of information is relatively alien to the majority of people thereby depriving them of participating in that process. The radio station consciously or unconsciously deprives itself of valuable feedback from the Kweyol speaking peoples.
Apart from the discussants and annouceer in the studios of RSL and DBS, a member of GEREC in Martinique joined on air by telephone. The two hour exercise invloved news presentations from Dominica and St. Lucia, music, short features and general exchange of ideas on work in progress on the kwéyòl language and future research.
October 27th reflected similar thrust in programming with 'misik tipik' music of the rural folk, features, and a ninety minute radio discussion and call in examing research and promotion of the kwéyòl language. This session offered the public the opportunity for feedback on the positive and negative opinions of Kweyol. Inevitably the arguments for and against the wider use of the language in the society were prominent, but in effect the reasons for these positions have not changed significantly over the years. Reporting to a national consultation in St. Lucia in 1980, Lawrence Carrington captured the entire situation: 'The problem with non-acceptance of Creole goes beyond failure to capitalise on the major communication medium, it extends to non-acceptance of creole-speakers. Persons whose societal functioning is circumscribed by lack of competence in English evaluation themselves in terms which reduce their ability for self-fulfillment'.
Such is the fate of the Creole peoples and the future of the rich St. Lucian oral tradition if Jounen Kweyol is not established as a national event and developed into an institution.
Written by Embert Charles..........
Research in Ethnography and Ethnohistory of St. Lucia