Arts and Crafts
Handicrafts in French Guiana vary greatly according to commune and ethnic group. You can choose between black and brown crafts, with their wood carvings and embroidery, and Amerindian crafts, best known for their seed necklaces, basketry and hut skies. Hmong crafts are appreciated for their colorful embroideries and patchworks (visit Cacao), while Creole crafts focus on woodwork and gold.
Black and brown crafts. In Guyana's small art galleries, you'll find both modern and traditional works. On the traditional side, the Black Maroons have particularly developed woodworking. With no knowledge of metallurgy and having largely abandoned weaving and pottery, they use a number of tools (saber, adze, plane) borrowed from European techniques. Objects are adorned with engraved or painted motifs belonging to a veritable symbolic graphic system. The combination of different motifs on the object constitutes a message. Most carved objects, intended for women (combs, paddles, house doors, etc.), convey declarations of love. The art of the Boni and Djuka peoples is similar, with symbolic figurines of virtually the same structure. The works of the Saramaca have a different graphic style, the interpretation of which requires a precise knowledge of their culture. Here are just a few of the domestic, decorative and ritual objects that can be packed away as souvenirs. The traditional house door(do) is either carved (Saramaca) or painted (Djuka, Paramaca and Boni), the house representing a matrimonial gift and the door symbolizing the builder's declaration of love to his wife; and the bench(bangi), a fundamental concept in Black Maroon furniture: the bench or stool is so compact that it can be carried inside and outside the house. The ritual objects of particular interest are the drum, generally carved and covered with stretched skins, which mediates between men and the supra-natural world; the second is the maraca(tchaka), a hollow gourd containing seeds, which has the same ritual function as the drum. Finally, among the most important decorative objects is the carved paddle(tembé pada), often small in size and made of red or white mahogany. It has lost its original function to become a simple decorative object, as has the carved bottle or amphora(tembé bata), also in red mahogany, inspired by the amphoras brought back by the Dutch from their travels. Carved animals such as the Owl(hoguifo) and the Armadillo(kapasi) also make great souvenirs. Miniature objects(pike tembe) are traditionally made by children. Sculptures are part of the initiation process for the youngest, representing a small bench, a small pirogue or a small paddle.
Amerindian crafts. Derived from centuries-old know-how, Amerindian handicrafts are both ornamental and for everyday use. During festivals, Indians wear heavy necklaces of single-colored glass beads, crossed over the chest and wrapped around the arms, wrists and ankles. In normal times, the necklaces are more fanciful, in a variety of colors, and embellished with a pendant representing an animal or a star. In the past, these necklaces and bracelets were made from seeds, monkey, peccary or feline teeth. Today, pearls come from Europe. Introduced by the first travellers, this glassware was used as a currency of exchange. Indians weave pearls into belts(panti), bracelets and aprons(weju). The decorative motifs that adorn them are similar to those found on basketry. It has to be said that a large part of Amerindian activity consists of making the utensils essential to daily family life. Some of these objects can make lovely gifts. The wayana fan(anapami), for example, is an indispensable item for women, who use it to stoke the fire and for various cooking-related activities. This flat, rectangular wickerwork is decorated with traditional motifs. Baskets(pïlasi), cylindrical in shape with a square base, are used to store all sorts of household items, while the mat(opoto) is a flexible wickerwork woven from comou leaf. Like the black-browns, the Amerindians produce a wide range of objects that were once useful, but are now more decorative: bows and arrows (in countless variations), paddles, stools, cotton dishes, flutes, bells, drums and, of course, the famous ciel de case. The canopy(maluana), placed just below the roof in the center of the circular meeting carbet, is designed to ward off insects and other undesirable animals, as well as spirits. Cut from the buttresses of large cheese trees, mythical animals are then drawn on the wooden surface with the tip of a penknife and painted.
Contemporary art. When it comes to modern painting, John Lie A Fo is a renowned artist. Born in 1945, this Surinamese painter of Asian origin emigrated to French Guiana after his studies, where he now lives. In his works, the artist captures the strong bond between the Amerindian and Black Maroon peoples and nature. Inspired by Picasso and Cubism, he often uses bright, primary colors that he mixes with tertiary ones. The universe he immerses us in is both enchanting and mystical, where nature and culture take center stage. Like his colleague Marcel Pinas, he sometimes signs his works with Afaka acronyms, an ode to Bushinengué culture. He sells most of his work in Europe, including painted wooden objects and pottery.
Music
There's no such thing as a single music in French Guiana, a crossroads of cultures, languages and traditions evolving in concert. 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 are readily available in the shops of Cayenne. Carnival music (that of the big orchestras) is mainly represented by Victor Clet, Orlane, the Mécènes and the Blue Stars. As for traditional music, the typical Creole rhythms are kasé-kô and kamougué, while on the banks of the Maroni, sranan tongo is mixed with more modern sounds (rap and techno):aléké,awasa and kawina are the result of this mix. As for contemporary music, biguine, mazurka, zouk, calypso, soca, soukous and steel band are all familiar sounds in French Guiana. It has to be said that cultural proximity with the French West Indies and the shared television programs broadcast by Guyane Première encourage exchanges. Fanny J, Warren and Marvin are popular Guyanese zouk artists. Chris Combette mixes zouk with Brazilian influences, as well as reggae, which has been an integral part of Guyana's musical identity since its inception. His albums Plein Sud, Salambô and La Danse de Flore are familiar to all generations. One of the most intense voices in contemporary Guyanese reggae is that of singer Jornick Joe Lick, who sings in Creole, French and English. Then there's Guyanese dancehall artist Jahyanaï King and his sidekick, singer Bamby. Jahyanaï King signed to 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 renowned for its tasty, spicy cuisine. The tropical latitudes allow the cultivation of products that are difficult to find in mainland France, at least not at such good prices. Start with spices and condiments, such as Toco's famous little jars of chilli or jam. You'll find them fairly easily sold individually in supermarkets, but also on the market stalls of Cayenne or Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, where merchants generally offer interesting deals in the form of gift baskets (chilli paste with Cythère plum, green papaya or mango, peanut chilli and devil mustard, banana and Guiana honey jam, banana and Guyanese agricultural rum or Cayenne cherry jam, pineapple or passion fruit jelly, etc.).). Also worth considering are powdered spices such as turmeric, curry, ginger and cayenne pepper, as well as honey and chocolate from French Guiana. Not forgetting, for the nostalgic, couac (manioc semolina cooked in the four corners of the territory), sold in sachets. All these ingredients form the basis of any self-respecting Guianese recipe, and you'll need them for your preparations when you get home!
On the liquid side, all the jams you find on the markets are available in syrup. These include hibiscus, mombin, vanilla and ginger syrups. Of course, we can't talk about a gourmet basket without including macerated rum punches (planteur, bois-bandé, ginger, passion), as well as white and aged rums, whose main labels are La Belle Cabresse, Toucan and La Cayennaise. Also worth mentioning is the Jeune Gueule collection of local beers, available in four different brews. Finally, pack your bags with a few herbal infusions, including Té Péyi tea, atoumou, lemon balm, moringa, combava and soursop leaves.
