Sesenne

Dame Marie Selipha Descartes (28 March 1914 – 11 August 2010),^[1] best known as Sesenne, was a Saint Lucian singer and cultural icon.

Biography

Marie Selipha Descartes was born in La Pointe, Micoud, Saint Lucia^[1], the youngest of five children born to a subsistence farmer and his wife. She spent most of her time as a child with her maternal aunt, known locally as "Ma Chadwick". Her aunt, also her godmother, developed a strong sense of spiritual devotion and a commitment to the Catholic faith in the young Sesenne.^{[citation needed]}

Sesenne became a locally renowned singer of traditional Saint Lucian music as a young girl. It was her father who, together with his wife holding the title "La Rose King and Queen", first introduced her to the public. He had plans to start a La Rose group in the Micoud area and needed a lead singer.^{[citation needed]}

Sesenne was around eight years old when chosen lead singer of the new group. Sesenne says of her unique voice at the time: "Everyone was envious of my voice... when I sang I could be heard in Malgretoute."^{[citation needed]} She was also an accomplished dancer of many styles, including the ring, kontwidance, konte, commette, belair and débot.^{[citation needed]}

As a young artiste, she was hired by Grace Augustin, entrepreneur of a guest house called The Hotel, and Sesenne became the lead singer of a traditional band which entertained guests with the use of such traditional instruments as the chak-chak, mandolin, quatro, banjo, violin and guitar. Not many people know that Sesenne sang for both La Rose and La Marguerite groups. This may explain one of her most profound lines in one of her well-known songs: "My mother was a rose; my father was a marguerite, I myself, I am the roots of flowers."^{[citation needed]}

She burst onto the regional scene on the stage Expo '67 in Grenada; a precursor to the Caribbean Festival of the Arts, winning the Expo '67 contest with the song "Why".^{[citation needed]}

Sesenne died in August 2010 in Mon Repos, Saint Lucia, at the age of 96.^[1]

Honours

• British Empire Medal (B.E.M.), 1972
• Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE), 2000

Family

By the age of 18, Sesenne was well known in the Micoud area. She married Tennyson Descartes, a labourer of Micoud and the couple had seven children: five boys and two girls. They made their home in Mon Repos, La Pointe. At the time of her death, Sesenne had 34 grand children and 38 great-grandchildren.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Thedeadrockstarsclub.com - accessed August 2010

External links

• Knighthood
• "Queen's Birthday Honours". St. Lucia Government House. http://www.stluciagovernmenthouse.com/birthdayhonors.hml. Retrieved August 28, 2005. 
• Saint Lucian Folk Research Center

Persondata
Name	Sesenne
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	28 March 1914
Place of birth
Date of death	11 August 2010
Place of death