the grand father vulture – a pyai man song. A good spirit song is the Touki song for warriors. Songs were also made for celebrations, to tell stories about survivals and successes.
Traditional musical instruments were used in ceremonies and to communicate with the spirits. The instruments were made mainly from local raw materials found in the environment.
| Instrument | Source of Material |
|---|---|
| Drums | Goat Skin |
| Maracas | Calabash and seeds |
| Flute | Bamboo stick |
| Stick | Conch shell |
Dance
Dances have played a vital part in the culture of the Kalinago people. Some dances depict different elements of nature, such as the rain dance, wind dance, eclipse dance and moon dance. Many of the dances, such as the bird dance, would imitate animal movements. There were also dances which depicted the Kalinago way of life, such as cassava grating, fishing and hunting. In addition, dances were made for special purposes, such as the inauguration of a chief.
| Dances | Purposes |
|---|---|
| Bird dance | Hunting (bird movements in flight) |
| Snake dance | Ceremonial for guardian spirit (snake movements) |
| Sisserou dance | Celebration (Sisserou movements in flight) |
| Moon dance | Ceremonial (different phases of the moon) |
| Eclipse dance | Ceremonial (appearing of spirits) |
| Marie Marie dance | Ceremonial (wedding) |
| Cassava grating dance | Stages of cassava preparation |
| Harvest dance | Stages of any crop production |
| War dance | Ceremonial (preparation for war) |
| Bow and Arrow dance | Ceremonial (preparation for war) |
| Marouka dance | Dream dance |
| Shack Shack dance | Celebration (the use of Maracas a musical instrument) |
| Fan dance | Celebration (the use of fans made from the Larouma reed) |
| Kala kala dance | Celebration (the use of calabash) |
| Fishing dance | The demonstration of fishing movements |
Article by Gerard Langlais
