Balakadri


Balakadri is a traditional quadrille music that was performed for balls on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.

History

Guadeloupean balakadri persisted into the 20th century and, despite disruption after World War II, made a comeback in the 1980s. The Guadeloupean-administered island of Marie-Galante has also had a vital and well-documented balakadri tradition. As in Martinique, kwadril dances are in sets consisting of proper quadrilles, plus creolized versions of 19th-century couple dances: biguines, mazouks and valses Créoles.
To save the Balakadri, an association was created: F.R.E.G.A.Q.. Its purpose is to promote, transmit, store Balakadri which is part of the cultural patrimoine Guadeloupe.
The first musicians to record on vinyl balakadri are:
  • Ariste Ramier
  • Commander Abel Marcille
  • Salt Iphano
  • Commander Grévius.

    Instrumentation

Instrumentation consists of variable combinations of accordion, guitar, violin, tanbou dibas, chacha, malakach, triangle, bwa and syak, a bamboo rasp one metre long, grooved on both top and bottom, held with one end on the belly and the other on a door or wall and scraped with both hands. A konmandé completes the ensemble.

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Category:20th-century music genres
Category:Music of Guadeloupe
Category:Caribbean music genres
Category:French styles of music