Photo: Karl Joseph.
The University of Guyana invites you to a seminar exploring the links between people and their environment. Organised by Agnès Clerc-Renaud (LEEISA), Damien Davy (LEEISA), Rosuel Lima-Pereira (MINEA) and Marianne Palisse (LEEISA), this event will be held on Thursday 20 February 2025, from 6pm to 8pm, in amphitheatre E on the Troubiran campus.
This session will be led by Marc-Alexandre Tareau (INSERM - CIC Hôpital de Cayenne) and will focus on the sound piece "From Castries to Saül". This project, conceived in 2021 by anthropologist Marc-Alexandre Tareau and sound artist Thomas Tilly, was developed by the Mélisse association as part of the Milieu(x) project. It offers an original exploration of the cultures and interactions between the peoples of French Guiana and their environment through sound.
This singular work is not limited to simple ethnographic documentation, but highlights the unique sounds of French Guiana: the languages, the grain of the voices, as well as the sounds of nature and human activities. The project focuses on the transmission of Amazonian knowledge through listening, an often underestimated yet essential medium.
The first piece in this series, "From Castries to Saül", gives a voice to the gangan, elders of the Creole community in the interior of French Guiana. It traces the history and ethnobotanical knowledge of the Saint Lucian migrants who came to French Guiana in search of economic opportunities, particularly in sugar cane plantations and gold mining. This fascinating project highlights their adaptation to the Amazon rainforest and the exchange of knowledge with the Amerindian and black-brown peoples.
Marc-Alexandre TareauD. in ethnobotany and health anthropology, has devoted his research to the mixed-race pharmacopoeias of French Guiana and to the study of the ethnomedical practices of the populations of the Guyana Plateau and the Caribbean. Now a researcher at INSERM, he explores the interrelationships between humans and nature, particularly through phytotherapy and representations of the body and illness.
Thomas Tillya sound artist and composer of experimental music, is developing a unique approach to phonography. His work, at the crossroads of biology, anthropology and acoustic measurement, offers an innovative perspective on sound environments. His creations have been presented at numerous festivals and exhibitions around the world.
This seminar is a unique opportunity to discover the rich interactions between people and their environment through an original sensory approach. Come and explore the history and culture of Guyana through sound and the voices that carry it.
Meet us on Thursday 20 February 2025 at 6pm in amphitheatre E on the Troubiran campus. for an immersive and enriching experience!
