Chanté mas
Encyclopedia
Chanté mas and Lapo kabrit is a form of Carnival
music of Dominica
. It is performed by masequerading partygoers in a two-day parade, in a call-and-response format "lavwé", with a lead female "chantwèl" singer dancing backwards in front of the drummer on a tambou lélé. Chanté mas lyrics are traditionally based on gossip and scandal, and addressed the personal shortcomings of others.
and are traditionally sung by women (chantwell), while the instrumental tradition are predominantly practiced by men. Traditional instrumentation includes, the lapo kabwit, tambou lélé, maracas
, scraper-rattle
, cowbell, tambourine
, triangle, conch shell, and several horn
players.
and steel pan music in the early 1960s. After a fire in 1963, the traditional carnival was banned, though calypso and steelpan continued to grow in popularity. Calypso appealed to Carnival-partygoers because the lyrical focus on local news and gossip was similar to that of chanté mas, despite a rhythmic pattern and instrumentation which contrast sharply with traditional Dominican Mas Domnik music.
Though the traditional Chanté mas and Lapo kabrit declined in popularity due to imported calypso and steal pan music, several villages on Dominica, such as Grand Bay
, has preserved the unique Dominican tradition.
On modern Dominica, chanté mas and lapo kabrit has become a part of Bouyon
music.
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
music of Dominica
Music of Dominica
The music of Dominica plays an important role in the social and culture life of the Antillean island of Dominica. The Nature island boasts of Cadence-lypso, a genre developed in Dominica and made popular in the French deparments of Martinique and Guadeloupe. It spread through France and was very...
. It is performed by masequerading partygoers in a two-day parade, in a call-and-response format "lavwé", with a lead female "chantwèl" singer dancing backwards in front of the drummer on a tambou lélé. Chanté mas lyrics are traditionally based on gossip and scandal, and addressed the personal shortcomings of others.
Characteristics
Accompaniment for the Chanté mas is provided by the lapo kabwit, a drumming band of Dominica. Lapo kabrit (goat skin) are the most prominent part of Dominica's instrumental tradition. Chante mas and lapo kabrit is participitory music, with the band leader singing a verse and the audience responding. Lyrics are almost all in French creoleFrench-based creole languages
A French Creole, or French-based Creole language, is a creole language based on the French language, more specifically on a 17th century koiné French extant in Paris, the French Atlantic harbors, and the nascent French colonies...
and are traditionally sung by women (chantwell), while the instrumental tradition are predominantly practiced by men. Traditional instrumentation includes, the lapo kabwit, tambou lélé, maracas
Maracás
Maracás is a town and municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil.-References:...
, scraper-rattle
Rattle (percussion)
A rattle is a percussion instrument. It consists of a hollow body filled with small uniform solid objects, like sand or nuts. Rhythmical shaking of this instrument produces repetitive, rather dry timbre noises. In some kinds of music, a rattle assumes the role of the metronome, as an alternative to...
, cowbell, tambourine
Tambourine
The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
, triangle, conch shell, and several horn
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
players.
Decline in tradition
The chanté mas tradition started to become dominated by imported calypsoCalypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
and steel pan music in the early 1960s. After a fire in 1963, the traditional carnival was banned, though calypso and steelpan continued to grow in popularity. Calypso appealed to Carnival-partygoers because the lyrical focus on local news and gossip was similar to that of chanté mas, despite a rhythmic pattern and instrumentation which contrast sharply with traditional Dominican Mas Domnik music.
Though the traditional Chanté mas and Lapo kabrit declined in popularity due to imported calypso and steal pan music, several villages on Dominica, such as Grand Bay
Grand Bay, Dominica
Grand Bay , known officially as Berekua, is a village in the south of Dominica. It has a population of 2,288, and is the largest settlement in St. Patrick Parish....
, has preserved the unique Dominican tradition.
On modern Dominica, chanté mas and lapo kabrit has become a part of Bouyon
Bouyon music
Bouyon is a form of popular music of Dominica which became popular in the late 1980s. The term Bouyon means something akin to "gumbo soup" in the local creole of Dominica...
music.