Music unchained
NANDINI NAIR
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The lead singer of Ziskakan, from the French Reunion Island, Gilbert Pounia brings Creole out of the shadows through his music
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Photo: S. Subramanium
Full Force Members of ‘Ziskakan’, a music troupe from French Reunion Island
Music doesn’t need a common language. The recent performances by a band from the French Reunion Island recently proved this. Formed in the late seventies by Gilbert Pounia, Zizkakan was brought to Delhi by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts and SPIC MACAY.
Their performance at the Tagore International School was characterised by a lively and interested audience. The students didn’t know French but they didn’t hesitate to sing along. Their themes varied from love to legends. The music travelled from the soulful to the robust.
Zizkakan means ‘till when’ in the Creole language. Their music is essentially about the official recognition of the Creole language and tradition. Unwilling to classify their music as political, Pounia says, “It is the music of truth.”
Resurrection
Creole has always struggled against French, with the majority in Reunion Island often preferring Creole to French. Pounia is quick to say that Creole is also being resurrected by theatre personalities, story tellers, writers, universities, painters and directors.
For Pounia, Creole has been the reason for his music and evolution. Through a translator he explains, “I was not a musician. I used to be a guy plucking a guitar. Creole taught me to say what I should say.” Previously there was 100 per cent opposition to Creole, today, Pounia says that 42.7 per cent are opposed to Creole as the official language. Their music has also reflected the change in times. With his beret hat and twinkling eyes, he continues, “We can’t keep saying what we were.” Today he looks to youngsters for their technical know how and finds musicians outside also inspiring. They have previously jammed with Indian Ocean and found the experience most fulfilling.
The band is known for playing with unique instruments. The monochord bobre, one of the oldest musical instruments, is part of their repertoire. They make music with instruments like the kayamb. It is basically bamboo stems filled with sugar seeds. During one recording the kayamb went missing. They substituted with plastic bags! They also use a bass drum which is essentially a wine cask wrapped in a buffalo hide.
Tabla arrives
The tabla came to Reunion Island chiefly because of Zakir Hussain and John McLaughlin. But thirty years ago, the tabla and mridangam were considered ritualistic instruments. Pounia reveals, “There were taboos attached to these instruments. We could not use them to make music. The people from the temple looked at us badly when we used the sitar for the first time,” he adds with a glint, “but now they are proud.” In the absence of proper infrastructure, Pounia reveals that those who had learnt the tabla in the Reunion did so through determination and hard work. But there has been progress. Today, the National Conservatory in their country actually runs courses in tabla.
Rolling back his memories, Pounia recites, “Open the earth, you’ll find the sky,” voicing the aspirations of a people.
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