Folkalization, Orality and Syncretizing in Derek Walcott
Orality, folkalization and syncretising in Derek Walcott’s Ti-Jean and his Brothers
Walcott’s dramatic art is an artistic reservoir, reflecting the new intellectual trends of the twentieth century Caribbean world. The time when Walcott was writing marked a period of political and creative activity. Walcott himself pointed out the need for bringing together the different creative elements from African, European and West Indian art traditions. The most powerful among the indigenous cultural elements is orality that Walcott combined with Western dialogical form in his famous play, Ti-Jean and his Brothers. He himself termed it ‘My most West Indian play’. Christopher Balm in Decolonizing the stage, points out how the play combines African orality and local rituals, accepting obvious influences of Lorca, Brecht, and Noh theatre. Walcott himself acknowledges the folk tale and local festivals working their way into this drama: ‘Other Saint Lucian rituals came out too , branching from the simple roots of the folk tale such as our Christmas black mass dances of Papa Diable and his imps, the Bolom, or Foetus, and the melodies which they used.’(Derek Walcott quoted by Sharon Ciccarelli, 1979: 303). The second half of the twentieth century, particularly the decade from 1950-1960 saw a feverish political struggle in the Caribbean islands reinforced by an equally powerful impulse to develop a new assimilated theatre. Turning away from the westernized logocentric form of literature, the indigenous writers searched within to discover the strength of rhythms and styles culturally familiar to them. Balme observes how, during this period “the various plays and programmes aimed at demonstrating and producing an indigenous West Indian theatre all sought to quarry the rich mine of the expressive ‘folk’ culture: the musical, dance, storytelling, and processional traditions which contained a pronounced performative content”( Balme1999:44)
When dealing with a play like
Walcott’s dramatic art is an artistic reservoir, reflecting the new intellectual trends of the twentieth century Caribbean world. The time when Walcott was writing marked a period of political and creative activity. Walcott himself pointed out the need for bringing together the different creative elements from African, European and West Indian art traditions. The most powerful among the indigenous cultural elements is orality that Walcott combined with Western dialogical form in his famous play, Ti-Jean and his Brothers. He himself termed it ‘My most West Indian play’. Christopher Balm in Decolonizing the stage, points out how the play combines African orality and local rituals, accepting obvious influences of Lorca, Brecht, and Noh theatre. Walcott himself acknowledges the folk tale and local festivals working their way into this drama: ‘Other Saint Lucian rituals came out too , branching from the simple roots of the folk tale such as our Christmas black mass dances of Papa Diable and his imps, the Bolom, or Foetus, and the melodies which they used.’(Derek Walcott quoted by Sharon Ciccarelli, 1979: 303). The second half of the twentieth century, particularly the decade from 1950-1960 saw a feverish political struggle in the Caribbean islands reinforced by an equally powerful impulse to develop a new assimilated theatre. Turning away from the westernized logocentric form of literature, the indigenous writers searched within to discover the strength of rhythms and styles culturally familiar to them. Balme observes how, during this period “the various plays and programmes aimed at demonstrating and producing an indigenous West Indian theatre all sought to quarry the rich mine of the expressive ‘folk’ culture: the musical, dance, storytelling, and processional traditions which contained a pronounced performative content”( Balme1999:44)
When dealing with a play like
References: Aidoo, A.A.( 1972) “African Writers Talking: A Collection of Radio Interviews”. Ed. Pieterse, Cosmo & Denis Duorden,(23) New York: Africana Artaud, A. (1970)The theatre and its Double, tr. Victor Corti London: Calder & Boyars Bescom, R. W. (1975) African Dilemma Tale. The Hague: Mouton Ciccarelli, S. (1979) ‘Reflections before and after carnival: Interview with Derek Walcott’ in Michael Harper and Robert B. Strep (eds), The Chant of saints: A Gathering of Afro- American Literature, Art, and Scholarship( 33- 35) Urbana: University of Illinois Press Hill, E. “The Emergence of a National Drama in the West Indies”. Caribbean Quarterly,18/4 ( 1974),34. Katrac ,H. K.( 1970) Telling Stories and Transforming Postcolonial Societies quoted in Afterword to No Sweetness Here, New York: The Feminist Press Odamtten, Vincent.O. (1994) The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo. Florida: University Press of Florida Walcott, Derek. (1970) Dream on Monkey Mountains and Other Plays. New York: The Noon Day Press