INTERVIEW WITH ALAIN LECANTE
Stylistic elements of reggae and international pop music blended with traditional rhythms, musical styles and instruments: that’s the sound of Kaneka music. The name is derived from the word Kanak, which is how New Caledonia’s culturally and linguistically diverse Indigenous groups describe themselves. It was created by Kanak musicians in the 1980s as a way of advancing the independence movement in the archipelago, which belonged – and indeed still belongs – to France as an overseas territory, despite several referendums on sovereignty. As a music producer and founder of the Mangrove Productions label, Alain Lecante has been a participant in and observer of the Kaneka movement from the very start. In this interview he talks about how it all began, the music’s political roots, the challenges of digitalisation, and his own personal favourite sound.
Jan Philipp Kluck: Your label, which was founded in 1989, is regarded as a key protagonist in the development of Kaneka music. Can you tell us about the political and artistic situation back then in New Caledonia?
Alain Lecante: The label’s first release actually took place a few weeks before the assassination of the Kanak leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou and we were the first record label to start promoting Kaneka music, despite some of the songs having very political lyrics. Starting up a music label was a challenge because the local music industry was very small at the time. There weren’t that many structures for recording and promoting music. The period of unrest ended in 1988 with the Matignon Accords [a set of agreements that gave New Caledonia more autonomy and envisioned measures such as a referendum on independence; JPK]. Things really got going after that, and we played our part in this “pioneering” era: when the music of New Caledonia, especially Kaneka music, showcased so many talents and found its audience, both in the country and in the region, with artists like Pedro and Gurejele.
JPK: What role do bark rattles and their rhythm play in this style of music? Do they have a symbolic meaning?
AL: In 1986, when Kaneka music was “created”, it came about after a meeting with Jean-Marie Tjibaou and the artists of the time. The Kanak leader asked them to create their own music based on traditional rhythms, and bark rattles were the main instruments from the north of the New Caledonian mainland used during traditional dances. They were usually played alongside “pounding bamboos”, whose sub bass sound provides a good accompaniment. These bark rattles are not used on the Loyalty Islands, only in the north of the mainland.
JPK: What developments have been shaping Kaneka music since the 1980s and what changes do you expect in the future?
AL: Kaneka music actually helped to structure the whole music industry from the early 1990s onwards, as it became the most listened-to music in the country. The number of concerts and musical events increased a lot during those years, a few cultural centres were built, recording studios improved their equipment, and there was the creation of a copyright society (Sacenc) as well as an export bureau (Poemart). All these things helped the music to develop inside and outside the country. But, as with everywhere in the world, the music now has to follow technological developments. In a country where, for many years, music was bought first on cassettes and later on CDs, the artists used to get most of their income from their sales. Now, digitalisation has produced a lot of disruption across the industry, with no more record labels to produce albums and artists having to finance their projects themselves. This has drastically slowed down the production of music, as well as the quality (because of low budgets), and the future isn’t that bright for Kaneka music…
JPK: The current exhibition features New Caledonian bark clappers, which have been in the museum’s collection for over a hundred years. They came to Europe in a colonial context. What significance do these historical objects have for how the New Caledonian music scene views itself today?
AL: Well, the people in New Caledonia had no idea that there have been bark clappers in a German museum for over a hundred years! But we all know that there are numerous objects around the world, and also that a few have come back to our museum here or to the Quai Branly museum in Paris. The bark clappers are now part of the music scene in New Caledonia, as they must have been in pre-colonial times when music was only used as an accompaniment for dances.
JPK: And finally: do you personally have a favourite sound or soundscape that you would like to share with us?
AL: The instrument I mentioned earlier, the pounding bamboo, is my favourite. I love the sub bass sound. It’s usually a large bamboo which has holes drilled into its knots, and is played by being hit on the ground (there has to be thick grass). It delivers that amazing sound.
JPK: Thank you!
The interview can be read in the current issue of Weltkulturen News, which you can subscribe to here:
