Gwoka

Gwoka is played on the ka, a barrel drum headed with goatskin, in a set of seven base rhythms, with a lead drum answering the dancer directly while the others hold the pattern and a caller and chorus sing above them. It grew among the enslaved population and their descendants and became the sound of Guadeloupean identity. The lewoz, the night gathering where it is played, is where it lives; UNESCO inscribed it in 2014.

The main sights

• The ka drums - the barrel drums the whole form is built on.
• The seven rhythms - the base patterns every player and dancer works from.
• The lewoz - the night gathering where the music, dance and song come together.
• The dancer and lead drum - the exchange in which the drummer follows the dancer.

When to go

Lewoz gatherings happen through the year, often at weekends and announced locally. The Sainte-Anne gwoka festival falls in July. Carnival in February brings it onto the streets.

Practical notes

A lewoz is a community gathering, not a performance, and finding one takes local knowledge. Hotel shows bear little resemblance to the real thing. Filming and photographing without asking is not welcome.

Nearby

Sainte-Anne holds the July festival, and Pointe-a-Pitre is west.