Every Saturday, Silvio and Germain work in one of the steep slopes that extend through the mountainous terrain that surrounds the small settlement of Le Morne-Vert. Lasotè is the name given to tradition according to which Martinica workers work together in their fields.
Armed with heavy peaks, men and women, young and old, are standing in line at the edge of the slope slope. Simply standing in this embankment is not easy. I have to find my balance and pay close attention to where I place my feet to avoid falling head down.
After slavery in Martinica, the Martiniqueños received a piece of land to cultivate. However, the ancient slaves were not given good and fertile lands, but small plots of land on the slopes of the mountains to which it was difficult to access. In these fields the use of simple technical aid was out of question. The only option that remained was to grow them by hand. The ancient slaves, now free farmers, organized and began to dig and plant their fields together.
While the workers align in the lowest part of the field, musicians take their positions above, approximately half the field. Music plays an important role in Lasotè. While drums, snails and bamboo reeds begin to sound in a monotonous rhythm, workers’ peaks rise and fall symmetrically to the rhythm of music. Men and women seem to do sweaty work as if they were in a kind of trance. Next to each other they make their way up. Step by step, row to row, advance.
Music consists of high and low strange tones. The drums mark the rhythm with their low tones, while the shells, which are used as wind instruments, provide high tones. The monotony of the tones sequences that are constantly repeated also contributes to the workers almost automatically falling in this rhythm and working synchronically the earth with their hoe.
The drummers take their job very seriously. It is a ritual issue, almost meditative.
It is hard, sweaty and exhausting work. But through drums, being together, becomes easier. Soft movements are almost automatically produced. I look, bewitched. On the one hand, I feel sorry for them because they have to work very hard under heat. But on the other hand, I also admire these people. They even seem to have fun and do hard work with a friendly smile.
The monotonous rhythm of the drum sounds slow but sure and leads me to a state in which my mind simply divages. Instead of working, I let my gaze slide on the green mountains. Light jirs of fog cover the steep slopes on the other side of the valley that extends much below.
At some point one of the workers begins to sing. It is actually a cry, as if I wanted to talk to the drums or encourage the group. From the edge of the field, women respond with a similar song. So the sound of the drums now joins the sound of the voices.
Once the working group arrives at the place where musicians have been installed, they are allowed to take a short break. In the past, women walked through the ranks with pumpkins and distributed water. Today there are plastic bottles. While musicians continue to rise to reassemble their instruments at a higher point in the field, workers can recover breath.
This procedure is repeated until the workers have reached the top and have finished plowing the field. Then it is still sowing, but that is easier, and then the food is finally distributed. The people dinner together directly in the field. Lasotè means a whole day of hard work, but it also means that as a group we can do it.
Lasotè is much more than a work technique. Values such as solidarity and help are the basis of this tradition. With this ritual mode of working, Martiniqueños also transmit to younger generations the consciousness of union and the sense of community.
Information about Lasotè
Drum / Bélé
Martinica’s slaves brought with them the music of drums from their homeland. In Martinica African and Indian traditions are mixed, as well as Caribbean and French. This mixture of cultures finally resulted in completely new and unique customs and traditions.
A rope is stretched on the animal -coated drum used in Lasotè. Fine needles are placed below this band that modify the sound of the drum. The lining They do not touch each other, but sitting. The drummer places his instrument slightly diagonally on the ground and sits on the drum to touch it.
Los t-bois
(Tibwa ) They are thick bamboo reeds that are placed on improvised wooden supports so that several people can touch on them with their sticks at the same time.
Lambis shells
The beautiful shells of the Giant Espadachín Caracol ( Lambi horn ) They are used as a wind instrument. These aquatic snails can weigh up to 2.5 kg and unfortunately now they are considered endangered species in many parts of the world. Here in Martinica, Kòn Lambi has been an important part of Lasotè for centuries.
This article was created thanks to a press trip to which I was invited by Atouut France, CMT Martinque and Condor Airlines. Thank you!
This article was reproduced with authorization from the author, as well as the use of her photos.
The author loves to travel, and he believes that it is not always necessary to go very far, because even in central Europe there are still small unknown places, exciting landscapes and exciting stories that expect to be discovered. After finishing his studies, Nicole Biarnés moved to Spain, where he has resided near Barcelona for 23 years. As an independent writer, she writes travel books, writes texts for several websites, conducts in situ research for television productions and reports life in the Mediterranean in her travel blog www.freibeuter-reisen.org.
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