Kont (Caribbean)

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Kont is a specific genre of folk songs in St. Lucia performed by funeral singers in front of the deceased's house as part of funeral rites . These chants are Creole question-and-answer chants to be accompanied by drums. The texts often refer to words or aspects from the life of the deceased. The funeral singers also dance Débòt and Bélé and are accompanied by Zo or Tibwa and Ka .

In addition, a traditional form of storytelling in Dominica is called Kont . These stories are usually told at night at festivals. The storytellers mix local history and legends and aim for a moral or ethical one . An important feature of the Kont stories is a simple song theme that usually only consists of a single verse and is often performed as a duet.

literature

  • Jocelyne Guilbault: Saint Lucia. In: Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Vol. 2, Routledge 1999. ISBN 0-8153-1865-0
  • Jocelyne Guilbault: Dominica. In: Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Vol. 2, Routledge 1999: 840-844. ISBN 0-8153-1865-0