In La Courville, a small community in eastern Saint Lucia, music drifts from a circle of singers keeping alive a tradition that predates them all. In that circle is 27-year-old Yanette Oshun James, a young chantwelle, and among the most determined to ensure that La Woz (La Rose), said to be a centuries-old flower festival, does not fade.
“I started off as a police La Woz when I was a teenager. And then I graduated to becoming a chantwelle,” James says.
La Woz, together with its sister society La Magawit (Marguerite), is one of Saint Lucia’s most enduring cultural festivals. Said to date as far back as during the transatlantic slave trade, its elaborate mock courts, music and parades satirised colonial elites while preserving African rhythm and ritual. For James, the significance runs deeper than pageantry.
During the festival, seances requiring the formation of a circle can be observed. “The circle is very significant in African tradition,” she explains. “It’s a circle of love and a circle of unity. Beyond the naked eye, people don’t even realise that continuity is part of our ancient spirituality. If somebody is sick, members would visit and sing to them. If someone needs help for the hospital, the group will assist. So, it is more than just meeting on August 30, the day reserved for the La Woz Festival. It’s a way of life.”
Etching her Own Path
James grew up in Mon Repos, an eastern village where La Woz is celebrated with uncommon intensity. Unlike many cultural practitioners, she had no direct family lineage drawing her into the tradition, nor did she have what she describes as a natural inclination for cultural preservation..
“I cannot think of anybody in my family that is like me,” she says. “But I got the support from people in the community who were similar to me–Miss Marylene Gaston, Conrad Gaston, Greta Joseph, and the late Patrick ‘Gilo’ Bernadin. They influenced how I see the culture. It’s almost like they saw something in me that maybe others didn’t, and they always gave me that encouragement.”
After relocating to La Courville, she established her own La Woz group “La Courville La Rose” in May 2024, supported by members from her Mon Repos roots. Just over a year later, the group has 50 members, ranging in age from three to 70.
Blending Tradition and Innovation
Though James is a five-time Calypso finalist, she says her heart lies in folk music. Last week, she released a folk album of original La Woz songs – recorded with support from the Cultural Development Foundation – that blends traditional rhythm with a modern sound.
“While I love the traditional La Woz, I think the only way to get young people involved is if they can see a young person actively involved,” she says. “It’s also a way to protect my intellectual property. A lot of groups have begun singing my songs. When I’m gone, I want people to remember that I composed them.”
Balancing respect for tradition with the need for adaptation is central to her philosophy. She often finds herself persuading older members that branding or social media can help elevate the festival without eroding its authenticity.
“At first they didn’t understand the importance of things like having shirts,” James says. “But I explained that for the festival to gain traction we had to sell it in a way people could relate to. We’re not changing the authenticity, but we’re presenting it so it can fit the times. Now they understand. It’s a work in progress.”
Looking Ahead
As a digital marketer currently working with the Department of Culture and Creative Industries, James has widened her impact beyond her own group, contributing to cultural programming and policy. She has also managed to get her folk music on streaming platforms like TikTok and Spotify, an achievement she views as both symbolic and strategic.
As for the future: “I would like to see more emerging chantwelles; not just singers, but people who can write songs and tell the stories,” she says. “On a national level, it would be nice if every Saint Lucian became aware of what the flower festivals are, because it’s not just a festival. It’s the one place I have never felt divided by red and yellow. It’s somewhere we learn togetherness.”
Her vision extends to government and institutional support, particularly for groups without the organisational skills or resources that hers has.
Despite the challenges and decline in the number of La Woz groups over the years, James remains convinced of La Woz’s ability to endure.
“We must recognise that when seniority and youth meet, we can create magic,” she says. “That’s the only way our country can rise to the occasion.”
