Dédé Saint-Prix: “I manufactured my instruments with means at hand”

“My new artist life” (2/6). Teacher for more than ten years, the Caribbean finally opted in 1991 for music, present in his life forever.

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I am a musician -born – one Tuesday fat in addition [in February 1953]. I have always sweated the music. My artist’s life began with the resourceful, “the dedé system”: I manufactured my instruments with the means at hand. Old pots, cans, cardboard boxes, scrap metal that turned into a battery. Giraumon or papaya stems as a flute. Comb and fine paper became a trombone, a piece of watering pipe, a trumpet.

My musical education has refined thanks to the radio (I listened to all the Caribbean music). At the time, Creole and the drum were rare on Radio Martinique. I was going to 450 AM every Saturday afternoon to listen to “La Gazette Créole” by Casimir Létang and I did not miss the balls. With my grandmother Man Dèdene, we looked at the musicians through the slots of the Sugar Cane (his native commune, south-east of Martinique, on the Atlantic coast]), or School canteen, which became a Dancing for the time of the “green ball”.

As soon as there was music in my town, I was there! Haute-Taille, Ladja, Bèlè, Chouval-Bwa, Casino, orchestra rehearsal, brass band … I was not allowing anything. My first orchestra was a “Owkès’Bonm” and “Mizik Djol”, in the courtyard of my grandmother and it was I who set the tone! The BWA cabbage, a traditional merry -go -round of Martinique, gave me confidence in my capacities, because I had the blessing of the adults who accepted that I play with them. It was my first “music school”.

residences and master-class

My second orchestra was Madinina, where I was first drummer before moving on to the tumbas then to the Congas [percussion]. In the Schœlcher high school orchestra (in Fort-de-France), my nickname was “Dédé Congasolo” or “Dédé Congga”. I was then hired by the Les Trouvères group, then played with the juniors, the Maxi-Twenty of the sailor, the Selecta, Malavoi, the E +group, Pakatak and Avan-Van. My national career began with Pakatak and my international career with Avan-Van. In the early 1990s, I started residences and master class, activities that I continue to the present day in prison, hospital and school.

I spent my last year of school teacher in Paris, rue de la Réunion (20 e ). As soon as I showed my press-book to the director, she made me understand that I was taking the place of another civil servant because I led two forehead careers … as I had used all the holidays authorized by the National Education, she refused me an afternoon without remuneration that I had asked to go for a scale at Olympia … With this sentence that kills: “Mr. Saint-Prix, we need you at school , you will make your music during the school holidays. “Music and inspiration having no time or period, my freedom and my independence not negotiating, my choice was quickly made.

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