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M.-C. - – What about the léwòz today ?

C. - Léwòz today ?... It is not everywhere that you can hear a léwoz where you will see people who know how to dance perform: the léwoz dancers. If you hear that a léwoz will be held, for instance, in Gosier... you hear that one is being held in Gosier, another in Grande-Terre, or thereabouts, or perhaps in Les Abymes, you can go there because it is guaranteed that you will find two or three people ther who know how to dance, how to sing, how to play the léwoz rhythm. In the area of Sainte-Rose you can also hear a real léwoz. Yet such is not the case everywhere. If you hear there is a léwoz in town, then it is a rip off! Yes, indeed !... a rip off !... I myself would really like to hear a léwoz or participate in a léwoz... – there are two or three dancers I know who are not dead yet, they’re still here – yes indeed! ...

So my dear, the léwoz today?… You hear people saying : " léwòz, léwòz ", but there are some places where léwoz are held and they are a flop my dear ! You can also find a léwoz where people dance well, or drum well, where the singing is beautiful and well modulated... ah ! You are in your element in such a setting! Yes indeed ! You are in your element ! Just like Blaise ! it’s not jyst a question of... there are some places in town, where I see... Sometimes I hear a drum being played, a so-called léwoz ! Mais rien du tout ! There they are, bare chested, and the people swing their hips wildly. And that is a léwòz ? I don’t call that sort of thing a léwòz. I don’t call that a léwòz ! Not at all.

M.-C. - What is a léwoz for you ?

C. - The léwòz is dancing the léwòz. You dance the léwoz with your two feet, with your two feet and your body ! But those people, they are there standing up and they swing their hips wildly, and that’s a léwòz ? That is not a léwòz my dear! No, they are degrading the drum, my dear! Those people of today are degrading the drum, my dear ! They are making it nothing at all! They sell it for nothing!... Beat the drum! Beat the drum ! But instead of so-called beating the drum, you stop me from earning a little money!... Previously, people used to say : " Look here ! Where does Carnot live? Do you know where he lives? I have to organise a léwòz. I have to see Carnot so he can come and play at my léwòz ". Okay. Yet nowadays, the drum is everywhere: blum, blum, blum, blum, blum ! People hear that and they are no longer interested in anything else ! You see what I mean ? But what are they really playing? Léwoz? No, shit! They are wasting the drum! And me, I need two goatskins and I can’t find any, or two barrels and I can’t find any! And there are those who have at least four barrels at home and they can’t play shit ! They gesticulate, that’s all !

M .-C. - But there must be some players of stature in Guadeloupe at the moment, aren’t they ?

C. - Yes! Roundabout Sainte-Rose is the place where you’ll find a drummer who can really play the léwoz. Yeah. There is Albert Délòs – if he still plays the drum - or Kristèn. Antoine has already stopped playing, he also used to drum beautifully, Antoine Sopta, but he doesn’t play anymore. Who else could really play a léwoz rhythm for you ? I can’t think of anyone, no, there is no one else. Perhaps there’s someone that I don’t know. See what I mean ? But the ones I know are these ones that I told you about: they are the ones who could play a léwoz today.
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