| The origins of Bèlè are African and date from Martinique’s slave days but the influence of the French colonists on the dances is quite apparent. The traditional form requires a solo singer, chorus and percussion – bèlè drum & tibwa – and it is the principal performers on this CD, men whose average age is 75, who are the upholders of this tradition. Presented as a “swaré bèlè” (bele night) with a succession of performers, this is a disc which celebrates the richness of a culture from the past which still survives today. |
