Kwadril Music of Saint Lucia

Quadrille is a Lucian Creole traditional dance that originated from the European quadrille. This is performed mainly at the individual parties which are organized by a host of the person place or home or can be a rented hall, with artists paid to perform. Kwadrils is held annually, except during the Lent. The current kwadril has dropped in fame; it is seeing as a sign of colonialism around the period of the independence and it was shunned as an ancient designed and out-of –fashion. In the recent, some parts of Lucian society have come to popularize the quadrille as a sign of Lucian culture. Quadrilles are different from other Lucian dances in that it must be memorized and choreographed, with only slight room for personal clarification and managing. Beginners acts as a type of trainee for more established artists. A flourish performance brings respect and reputation for all the people who dance the right steps which are traditionally said to show control over character, skills, and manner and symbolize a set of unique values connected with a higher social level.

source of picture: www.mustrad.org.uk

The kwadril music is provided by a band comprising of a four-corded instrument, the cuatro (which is the instrument), a rattle, the chakchak bones which is known as zo, a banjo (skround, bwa poye), violin, guitar and mandolin. A kwadril is made up of five different dances and it includes the katwiyem fidjj (which is also avantwa or lanmen dwet), pwemye fidjj, twazyem fidjj, dezyem fidjj and gwan won (which is also grande rond). The artists may decide to use a lakonmet (mazurka), schottische or polka; the lakonmet which is also known as the mazouk, it is especially renowned and it is the only close join dance which derived in Saint Lucia.