It is well known, Akiyo, the most famous of the “skin groups”, was created in the Pointe-à-Pitre-Les Abymes region in 1978. Over 40 years later, the number of carnival groups playing traditional music with drums covered with skin goat has multiplied in the Pointe-à-Pitre-Les Abymes region and throughout Guadeloupe. If on the calendar of carnival festivities, a great unitary parade is planned every Sunday in a town on the island, that day “skin groups” meet in Pointe-à-Pitre around 6:00 pm. And even if on Friday or Saturday they participated in a large gathering in a town, their stronghold remains the area of Pointe-à-Pitre…
This Sunday, January 12, the public was invited to go to Goyave to attend the 2nd parade of the season in which 39 groups participated (groups with snare drums in great majority) representing nearly 4,000 carnival lovers with the organization of a competition… However, the crowd preferring this carnival music played with traditional instruments (goatskin drums, siyak, conches, chacha…), these costumes made without rhinestones or sequins and often with natural materials or who did not want to face the traffic jams stayed in the economic capital to see a dozen local “skin groups” but also came from other towns: Moun Ki Moun, Makso, Klé la, Mas Ka Klé, Nasyon a Nèg Mawon , Loko la, VIM, Akiyo, Mas a Robè, Sonjé Sa (Sainte-Anne), Point d’Interrogation, Inité Mas (Baie-Mahault) etc. These carnival artists made the show until very late into the night for the happiness of adults and children, looks like it was in school holidays…
Rare “snare groups” (Double Face, Kontak and ToumBlack), “Ti-Mas groups” (Mas La Pwent, ADN Mas and Tonshi Mass) and the Haitian group Tanbou Ginen also participated in this great popular show…
