Big Drum Dancing at the Stone Feast (from That Time in Bogles - A Carriacou Tale)

Soon the intensity of the drumming increased. A few ladies standing behind the drummers clapped and chanted as the dancers stepped, skipped and strutted for a few minutes in the ring. The choreographed dancing and rhythmic drumming hypnotized Daniel until he thought he was in a trance. One singer would throw out a line then the others in the group would respond in a chorus. Their language was unfamiliar to Daniel. He made a mental note to ask his mother if Kayaks speak other languages besides English. Then Tanty was left alone to do a solo act. She took up a spot in front of Elisha who pounded his drum while focusing on his mother’s feet. The bass seemed to reach out on its own to move them. 28 “Woii!” Daniel exclaimed. “Dat sick, boy!” He nodded in approval and his eyes bulged as they fixed on his aunt’s feet moving in perfect cadence to her son’s drumming. Tanty flared her skirt as she skipped from right foot to left, revealing its shiny red inner fabric. At times, her upper body hung parallel to the ground before she would rock back upright to the boom of the boula. She shimmied and shook her hips and head in quick time to the drumming. A roar went up from the audience as her slim figure twirled six times while the drumming rose to a crescendo. She suddenly leapt in the air then dropped to a crouched position in the centre of the circle, her head bowed. The drums fell silent. The spectators erupted in cheers, applause and whistles.