Arts and Crafts
Crafts in French Guiana are very different depending on the commune and ethnic group. You will have the choice between the black-brown craft, with its wood carvings and embroidery, and the Amerindian craft, especially known for its seed necklaces, its basketry and its hut skies. Hmong handicrafts are appreciated for their colourful embroidery and patchwork (see you in Cacao), while Creole handicrafts focus on wood and gold work.
Black-brown handicrafts. In Guyana's small art galleries, there are as many modern as traditional works of art. On the traditional side, Black Maroons have particularly developed woodworking. Not knowing metallurgy and having mostly abandoned weaving and pottery, they use a certain number of tools (sword, adze, plane) borrowed from European techniques. The objects are decorated with engraved or painted motifs belonging to a real symbolic graphic system. The association of the different motifs on the object constitutes a message. Most of the sculpted objects, intended for women (combs, paddles, house doors...), convey declarations of love. The art of Boni and Djuka is similar, the symbolic figurines having practically similar structures. The works of the Saramaca have a different graphic design, the interpretation of which requires a precise knowledge of their culture. Here are some of the objects, whether domestic, decorative or ritual, that can be carried in one's suitcase as a souvenir. On the furniture side, two elements should be noted: the door of a traditional house(do) is either carved (Saramaca) or painted (Djuka, Paramaca and Boni), the house representing a matrimonial gift and the door symbolizing the declaration of love of the builder to his wife; and the bench (bangi), a fundamental concept of the furniture of the Black Maroons: the bench or stool allows by its small size to be carried inside and outside the house. The ritual objects that will attract attention are first of all the drum, it is generally sculpted and the bottom is covered with stretched skins, it mediates between men and the supra-natural world; the second is the maraca(tchaka), consisting of a hollow gourd fitted with handles and containing seeds, it ritually has the same function as the drum. Finally, among the major decorative objects is the sculpted paddle(tembé pada), often small, made of red or white mahogany. It has lost its original function to become a simple decorative object, just like the carved bottle or amphora(tembé bata), also made of red mahogany, inspired by the amphoras that the Dutch brought back from their travels. Some carved animals will be very good souvenirs as well, such as the Owl(hoguifo) or theArmadillo(kapasi). Miniature objects(pike tembe) are traditionally made by children. The sculptures are part of the initiation of the youngest and sometimes represent a small bench, a small dugout canoe or a small paddle.
Amerindian craftsmanship. Resulting from a secular know-how, the Amerindian handicraft is both ornamental and intended for everyday life. During festivals, Indians wear heavy necklaces of single-coloured glass beads, crossed on the chest, wrapped around the arms, wrists and ankles. Normally, the necklaces are more fanciful, of various colours, and decorated with a pendant representing an animal or a star. In the past, these necklaces and bracelets were made from seeds, monkey teeth, peccaries or feline teeth. Today, the pearls come from Europe. Introduced by the first travellers, this glassware was then used as currency. Byweaving the pearls, the Indians made belts(panti), bracelets, aprons(weju). The decorative motifs that adorn them are similar to those that decorate basketry. It must be said that a large part of the Amerindians' activity consists in making the utensils indispensable to the daily life of the family. Some of these objects can serve as beautiful gifts. The wayana(anapami) fan, for example, is an indispensable item for women who use it to light the fire and for various kitchen-related activities. This flat, rectangular basketry is decorated with traditional motifs. The baskets(pïlasi), which are cylindrical with a square base, are used to store all sorts of household objects, while the carpet(opoto) is a flexible basketry woven from comou leaves. Like the black-brown, the Amerindians produced a wide range of objects that were once useful, but have now become rather decorative: bows and arrows (in countless variations), paddles, stools, cotton dishes, flutes, bells, drums and, of course, the famous "ciel de case". The "ciel de case"(maluana), placed just under the roof, in the center of the circular meeting box, it is intended to keep away insects and other undesirable animals as well as spirits. Cut out of the buttresses of the great cheese makers, mythical animals are then drawn on the wooden surface with the tip of a penknife and then painted.
Contemporary art. On the modern painting side, John Lie A Fo is a renowned artist. Born in 1945, this Surinamese painter of Asian origin emigrated to Guyana after his studies, where he now resides. The artist succeeds in transcribing in his works the strong bond that the Amerindian and black-brown peoples have with nature. Inspired by Picasso and cubism, he often uses bright, primary colours that he mixes with tertiary colours. The universe in which he immerses us is both enchanting and mystical, where nature and culture occupy a central place. Like his colleague Marcel Pinas, he sometimes signs his works with Afaka initials, an ode to Bushinengue culture. He sells most of his works in Europe, including painted wooden objects and pottery.
Music
We cannot speak of a single music in French Guiana, a crossroads of cultures, a crossroads of languages and traditions evolving together. Fertile in sound, like its red earth and its forest lung of the world, the country has many facets. Compilations of all kinds of music can be found fairly easily in the shops of Cayenne. Carnival music (that of the great orchestras) has for main representatives Victor Clet, Orlane, the Patrons and the Blue Stars. On the traditional music side, the typical Creole rhythms are kasé-kô and kamougué, while on the banks of the Maroni river, a sranantongo language is mixed with more modern sounds (rap and techno):aléké,awasa, or kawina are derived from this mixture. Concerning contemporary music, biguine, mazurka, zouk, calypso, soca, soukous and steel band are all familiar sounds in Guyana. It must be said that the cultural proximity with the French West Indies and the joint television programmes broadcast by Guyane Première encourage exchanges. For zouk, let's mention Fanny J, Warren and Marvin, much appreciated Guyanese artists. As for Chris Combette, he mixes zouk and Brazilian influence, but also reggae, which has been an integral part of Guyanese musical identity since its creation. His albums Plein Sud, Salambô, or La Danse de Flore are known to all generations. One of the most intense voices in contemporary Guyanese reggae is surely that of singer Jornick Joe Lick, singing in Creole, French and English. Let's also mention Jahyanaï King, Guyanese dancehall artist and his sidekick, the singer Bamby. Jahyanaï King signed with Sony/ATV Music Publishing in 2018 and was also the first Guyanese artist to win a YouTube Award that same year.
Gourmet basket
French Guiana is famous for its tasty and spicy cuisine. Tropical latitudes allow the cultivation of products that are difficult to find in mainland France, at least not at such good prices. Starting with spices and condiments, such as the famous Toco brand chilli or jam jars. They are fairly easy to find in large supermarkets selling by the unit, but also on the market stalls of Cayenne or Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni where merchants generally offer interesting offers in the form of gift baskets (Pâte de piment à la prune de Cythère, with green papaya or mango, peanut pepper and devil's mustard, banana and honey jams from Guyana, banana and Guyanese agricultural rum, or with cayenne cherries, pineapple or passion fruit jelly, etc.). Also to be considered are powdered spices such as turmeric, curry, ginger, cayenne pepper, but also honey and chocolate from French Guiana. Not forgetting, for the nostalgic, the couac
(manioc semolina cooked in the four corners of the territory), sold in sachets. All these ingredients are the basis of any recipe of Guyanese cuisine that is respected, you will need them for your preparations once you return home! On the liquid side, all the jams found on the markets are available in syrup. Let's mention here the hibiscus, mombin, vanilla or ginger syrup. Of course, we can't talk about a gourmet basket without adding rum punch macerations (planter, wood-banded, ginger, passion), but also white or old rum, whose main labels are La Belle Cabresse, Toucan and La Cayennaise. Also worth mentioning is the collection of local beers under the Jeune Gueule brand, which comes in four types of brewing. You'll finish filling your suitcase with a few herbal blends to take as an infusion, be it tea (Té Péyi), atoumou, lemon balm, moringa, combava or corossol leaves.
