963:, the dance incorporated into work and periods of festivity and lamenting. Because the bélé dance ranged through so many diverse occasions and life-events, the dance and music continued to evolve over time from slavery into freedom. The French named the dance "Belaire," or good air, which shortened to bélé.
1269:, with each performed to its own rhythms and chants. Female costumes usually have plain underskirts with bright and flowy over skirts. Female costumes may also include headpieces correlating with their overskirts. Male costumes are usually much more simple with slight tributes to the female costumes.
1260:
The house slaves, in their moments of leisure, took the dance to the field slaves and mimicked the dance of their masters. The slaves who worked in or around these houses quickly copied the French style and dress. They showed off by doing ceremonious bows, making grand entrances, sweeping movements,
1148:
It is organized in a specific way, beginning with the entry of the singer ( lavwa ) and choir ( lavwa Deye or "answer"). Then the "Bwatè" (player ti bwa) sets the pace, followed by bèlè drum. Finally, the dancers take the stage. A dialogue is created between the dancers and the "tanbouyè" (drummer).
1261:
graceful and gentle gliding steps which imitated the elegance of the French. The rhythmic quality of the bélé drums added spicy and yet subtle sensuality to the movements. There are more than 14 types of bélé dances including the
882:, it is thought to have been performed by women of the planter class at social events in the planters' great houses, and the dress and dance style copied by the enslaved people who worked in or around these houses
932:" and the "Dam") show off their dance skills to the other dancer, hinting at their sexuality in chants led by a "chantuelle" meaning singer, with the refrain or "lavway" given by a chorus of spectators. The
1149:
The "answer" play opposite the singer. The audience can also participate. As a family, together singers, dancers, musicians and audiences are lured by its mesmerizing rhythms. The bèlé song-dances include,
1257:, they brought with them a life style of "joie de vivre" to their plantations. At that time, the French held many balls at the Great Houses where they enjoyed doing many of the courtly dances of Europe.
916:
The bélé dance formed from a combination of traditional
African dance styles and Caribbean influences due to the changed landscape, musical instruments, and tumultuous lifestyle.
592:
1211:
is a form of Creole song and couple dance, performed by one couple with a leader and chorus. They are performed in several contexts, most notably in funeral wakes.
1371:
1185:
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1542:
805:
1133:" (two wooden sticks) played on a length of bamboo mounted on a stand to the tambour bèlè. Added to the tambour bèlè and tibwa are the
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858:. It may be the oldest Creole dance of the creole French West Indian Islands, and it strongly reflects influences from African
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rhythm plays a basic pattern and the drum comes to mark the highlights and introduce percussion improvisations.
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On modern
Dominica, bélé are primarily performed for holidays and other celebrations, such as
1129:
drum that players ride as though it was a horse. It is characterized, in its rhythm, by the "
31:
1289:, meaning "threshing platform", or it may further derive from a West African language word.
1198:
1088:
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744:
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also refers to a kind of drum found on the music of
Caribbean countries and islands like
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at festivals associated with mating and fertility. A male and female (in Creole, the "
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The bèlè is the origin of several important
Martiniquan popular styles, including
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Folk dance and music from
Dominica and other Caribbean Island nations
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Music in Latin
America and the Caribbean: an encyclopedic history
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977:All bélé are accompanied by an eponymous drum, the
1405:
1339:
956:, and both dance in the wildest part of the bélé.
1040:) respectively. The bélé song-dances include the
1514:
1024:between a male and female dancer, known as the
862:dances. It is performed most commonly during
799:
476:
1376:. Music in Latin America and the Caribbean.
1235:is the only form which is not responsorial.
806:
792:
483:
469:
944:first demonstrates his prowess, then the
1099:for fishermen and workers respectively.
924:In Kitas, the bélé dance had origins in
1412:. University of Chicago Press. p.
1346:. University of Chicago Press. p.
14:
1515:
1444:from the original on 21 December 2021
1285:, meaning "good air", or from French
1493:
1408:Zouk: World Music in the West Indies
1342:Zouk: World Music in the West Indies
1137:, more commonly referred to as the
1543:Trinidad and Tobago styles of music
1475:. Vol. 2. Routledge. pp.
1473:Garland Encyclopedia of World Music
1192:
24:
1249:In the late 18th Century when the
1183:; it also exerted an influence on
1102:
1008:Bélés start with a lead vocalist (
25:
1569:
622:Isle of Beauty, Isle of Splendour
607:Nationalistic and patriotic songs
284:Nationalistic and patriotic songs
1238:
966:
1087:festivals held annually in the
1430:
1397:
1364:
1331:
866:evenings, or sometimes during
13:
1:
1498:. University of Texas Press.
1324:
1467:Guilbault, Jocelyne (1999).
1404:Guilbault, Jocelyne (1993).
1338:Guilbault, Jocelyne (1993).
1272:
1245:Music of Trinidad and Tobago
327:Aruba and the Dutch Antilles
7:
1292:
597:World Creole Music Festival
10:
1574:
1253:plantation owners came to
1242:
1196:
1106:
1012:), who is followed by the
970:
911:
29:
1523:18th-century music genres
940:take turns dancing. The
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760:St Vincent and Grenadines
437:St Vincent and Grenadines
170:
165:
127:
122:
91:
56:
46:
41:
1117:bèlè is a legacy of the
30:Not to be confused with
1558:Dances of the Caribbean
1281:may derive from French
1553:French styles of music
952:again courts with the
1494:Kuss, Malena (2004).
1121:music tradition. The
578:Media and performance
1548:Music of Saint Lucia
1199:Music of Saint Lucia
1091:, especially in the
1089:Parishes of Dominica
190:music of Saint Lucia
1538:Music of Martinique
1533:Music of Guadeloupe
1109:Music of Martinique
856:Trinidad and Tobago
770:Trinidad and Tobago
645:Antigua and Barbuda
447:Trinidad and Tobago
322:Antigua and Barbuda
204:Music of Martinique
175:Music of Martinique
92:Typical instruments
86:Trinidad and Tobago
60:Late 17th century,
1425:biguine evolution.
1359:biguine evolution.
989:), along with the
750:St Kitts and Nevis
690:Dominican Republic
427:St Kitts and Nevis
372:Dominican Republic
51:West African music
1528:Music of Dominica
1505:978-0-292-70951-5
1438:"Martinique bélé"
1125:itself is a huge
973:Music of Dominica
816:
815:
627:
626:
602:
601:
499:Music of Dominica
493:
492:
304:
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198:
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185:music of Dominica
47:Stylistic origins
16:(Redirected from
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1462:Virtual Dominica
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1193:Saint Lucia bèlè
1073:Independence Day
1054:bélé contredanse
872:Antillean Creole
808:
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775:Turks and Caicos
613:
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511:Related articles
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57:Cultural origins
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1373:Martinique bélé
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1314:Edmond Mondesir
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1103:Martinique bèlè
1097:Fèt St.-Isidore
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616:National anthem
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587:Music festivals
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293:National anthem
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1207:tradition of
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1081:Jounen Kwéyòl
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868:funeral wakes
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1446:. Retrieved
1432:
1424:
1417:. Retrieved
1407:
1399:
1387:. Retrieved
1372:
1366:
1358:
1351:. Retrieved
1341:
1333:
1304:Bouyon music
1286:
1282:
1278:
1276:
1266:
1262:
1259:
1248:
1233:bélè anlawis
1232:
1228:
1225:bélè anlawis
1224:
1220:
1216:
1215:include the
1212:
1202:
1184:
1178:
1172:
1170:
1166:
1162:
1159:biguine bèlé
1158:
1154:
1150:
1147:
1142:
1138:
1122:
1112:
1096:
1092:
1085:patron saint
1066:
1061:
1058:bélé rickety
1057:
1053:
1049:
1045:
1041:
1037:
1033:
1029:
1025:
1017:
1014:responsorial
1009:
1007:
998:
990:
986:
983:tambour bélé
982:
978:
976:
958:
953:
949:
948:reacts. The
945:
941:
937:
933:
923:
915:
889:
887:
875:
819:
817:
524:
229:
166:Other topics
36:
18:Bèlè (dance)
1440:. YouTube.
1309:Chouval bwa
1174:chouval bwa
1050:bélé djouba
979:tanbou bélé
961:West Indies
906:Saint Lucia
852:Saint Lucia
745:Puerto Rico
535:Bouyon soca
422:Puerto Rico
240:Chouval bwa
137:chouval bwa
82:Saint Lucia
1517:Categories
1469:"Dominica"
1419:20 January
1353:20 January
1325:References
1319:Rara music
1283:belle aire
1267:Congo bélé
1263:Grand bélé
1221:bélè matjé
1163:bèlé belya
1155:bèlé pitjè
1115:Martinique
1062:bélé pitjé
902:Martinique
848:Martinique
840:Guadeloupe
824:folk dance
735:Montserrat
730:Martinique
705:Guadeloupe
545:Chanté mas
412:Montserrat
387:Guadeloupe
78:Martinique
70:Guadeloupe
1277:The name
1273:Etymology
1217:bélè anlè
1209:St. Lucia
1167:gran bèlé
1151:bèlé dous
1077:Christmas
1042:bélé soté
1022:courtship
987:bélé drum
888:The term
864:full moon
860:fertility
725:Louisiana
565:Quadrille
560:Mini-jazz
550:Jing ping
407:Louisiana
265:Quadrille
260:Mini-jazz
157:twoubadou
1442:Archived
1293:See also
1255:Trinidad
1229:bélè atè
1227:and the
1095:and the
1030:cavalier
1016:chorus (
1010:chantwèl
999:chakchak
995:triangle
991:tingting
950:cavalier
942:cavalier
934:cavalier
930:Cavalier
894:Dominica
832:Dominica
765:Suriname
755:St Lucia
660:Barbados
640:Anguilla
593:Carnival
442:Suriname
432:St Lucia
367:Dominica
337:Barbados
317:Anguilla
109:triangle
62:Dominica
1477:840–844
1448:6 March
1389:6 March
1299:Biguine
1180:biguine
1135:maracas
1127:tambour
1026:kavalyé
1003:maracas
959:In the
912:History
836:Grenada
720:Jamaica
700:Grenada
685:Curaçao
670:Bonaire
665:Bermuda
655:Bahamas
402:Jamaica
382:Grenada
362:Curaçao
347:Bonaire
342:Bermuda
332:Bahamas
250:Jump up
245:Hip hop
235:Biguine
132:Biguine
104:maracas
66:Grenada
1502:
1483:
1380:
1251:French
1231:. The
1165:, and
1141:. The
1139:chacha
1069:Easter
1032:) and
997:) and
920:Origin
880:Tobago
878:). In
876:lavèyé
854:, and
740:Panama
710:Guyana
555:Kadans
530:Bouyon
517:Genres
417:Panama
392:Guyana
255:Kadans
222:Genres
152:bouyon
142:compas
84:, and
1143:tibwa
1131:tibwa
1119:slave
1018:lavwa
926:Benin
898:Haiti
844:Haiti
830:from
828:music
822:is a
715:Haiti
650:Aruba
397:Haiti
114:tibwa
74:Haiti
1500:ISBN
1481:ISBN
1450:2014
1421:2014
1391:2014
1378:ISBN
1355:2014
1287:aire
1279:Bélé
1265:and
1213:Bélè
1205:bèlè
1203:The
1186:zouk
1177:and
1123:bélé
1113:The
1083:and
1060:and
1034:danm
936:and
904:and
890:bélé
826:and
820:bélé
680:Cuba
570:Zouk
525:Bélé
357:Cuba
270:Zouk
230:Bélé
147:Zouk
99:Drum
42:Bélé
32:Bele
1414:111
1348:111
1038:dam
1005:).
985:or
954:dam
946:dam
938:dam
885:.
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1423:.
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900:,
896:,
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818:A
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