These are the fundamentals of our music. It is:
1. Poly-rhythmic
2. Based on calls and responses
3. Frequent use of micro-tones by the singers
4. Syncopated
5. Dissonant
6. Percussive
7. Strongly flavored with the pentatonic scale—major or minor
8. Atonal when it comes to “Enkantasyon” or “Chants”.
9. Very repetitive except for “Enkantasyon” or “Chants”, and *monologues
10. With more than 60 beats, almost each beat comes with its own melodic development
*By monologues, we mean songs that are sung by a lead singer with no emphasis at all on the calls and responses aspect of our traditional music. One example is “Ba Kristyan Chèz Pou We.”
Je vouze mande
Si w wè Kristyan
Pase pou we
Ba li chèz chita
Jalouzi pa lapòt, anye
Ala lite Kristyan lite
Pou konbat lamizè
Ala lite Krisyan lite
Pou chase lamizè
Men jevouze mande
Si w wè Kristyan
Pase pou we
Ba li chèz chita
Jalouzi pa lapòt, anye
Those traits will be found in the “natif” concept.