Stratégies de la transmission : la patrimonialisation du groupe martiniquais Watabwi, souffleurs de conques

Abstract

Studying the transmission strategy of the group of musicians “Watabwi”, conch blowers of queen conch, allows us to question the notion of tradition in relation with our contemporaneity. I endeavour to solve the problems raised by the modes of transmission of the type of music that the conches produce, despite the ruptures from Amerindian and African surviving forms. This article highlights the importance of an emotional strategy in this musical and scenic journey during commemorations with a high symbolic value in the memory of Martinique. Watabwi emphasizes the literature of Édouard Glissant in the expression of this emotion. By choosing to focus on a percussive pattern at the expense of the glissando, Watabwi open up to collaborations with musicians from various musical backgrounds (biguine, freejazz, jazz, traditional drums, biguine-jazz, etc.), thereby enriching the emotion inherent in the conch. For four years, I have followed the construction routes of this group which gradually defined itself as a “heritage” musical group. During these years, I have carried out photographical work which contributes to the image of the group. This particular dimension of my work is the occasion for a disciplinary questioning around the function of the anthropologist.