Louisiana’s Creole Culture Extends Far and Wide

Language experts estimate as many as 10,000 people still speak the French-based language Louisiana Creole.

Para ahli bahasa memperkirakan sebanyak 10.000 orang masih berbicara bahasa Kreol Louisiana yang berbasis bahasa Prancis.

The celebrations include autumn's Festival Acadiens et Creoles, summer's Creole Tomato Festival, and spring's Tremé Creole Gumbo & Congo Square Rhythms Festival.

Perayaan itu meliputi Festival Acadiens et Creoles di musim gugur, Creole Tomato Festival di musim panas, dan Tremé Creole Gumbo & Congo Square Rhythms Festival di musim semi.

But for locals and visitors alike, everyday evidence shows how strong Creole culture is in Louisiana.

Namun bagi warga lokal maupun pengunjung, kehidupan sehari-hari menunjukkan betapa kuatnya budaya Kreol di Louisiana.

The state's performance spaces and airwaves are often filled with the driving, rhythmic sound of zydeco and other Creole and Cajun music.

Panggung pertunjukan dan siaran radio di negara bagian itu sering dipenuhi suara zydeco yang menghentak dan berirama serta musik Kreol dan Cajun lainnya.

Louisiana's restaurants offer dishes with rich, complex flavors including gumbo, hot sausage, red beans and rice, and shrimp étouffée.

Restoran di Louisiana menyajikan hidangan dengan cita rasa kaya dan kompleks seperti gumbo, sosis pedas, kacang merah dan nasi, serta étouffée udang.

“To celebrate Creole culture is to wake up and live in New Orleans,” said Christina Bragg.

“Merayakan budaya Kreol berarti bangun dan hidup di New Orleans,” kata Christina Bragg.

She is a member of the Mahogany Blue Babydolls, a parade group for Black and mixed-race women.

Ia adalah anggota Mahogany Blue Babydolls, kelompok parade untuk perempuan kulit hitam dan berdarah campuran.

“Celebrating Creole is celebrating our day-to-day lives.

“Merayakan Kreol berarti merayakan kehidupan kami sehari-hari.

The food we eat.

Makanan yang kami santap.

The music we dance to.

Musik yang mengiringi kami menari.

The way we gather with friends to parade during Mardi Gras," she said.

Cara kami berkumpul dengan teman-teman untuk berparade saat Mardi Gras,” katanya.

"Every day I open my eyes and breathe, it's a celebration of Creole culture, because that's who I am.”

“Setiap hari saya membuka mata dan bernapas, itu adalah perayaan budaya Kreol, karena itulah diri saya.”

So, what is Creole?

Jadi, apa itu Kreol?

“It's food, it's music, it's architecture, it's style and it's traditions,” Mona Lisa Saloy told VOA.

“Itu adalah makanan, musik, arsitektur, gaya, dan tradisi,” kata Mona Lisa Saloy kepada VOA.

“There are millions of Creole people in countries across the world…we are all so much more alike than we are different.

“Ada jutaan orang Kreol di berbagai negara di seluruh dunia… kami jauh lebih banyak kesamaannya daripada perbedaannya.

We create beautiful cultures everywhere we go, and I think that's evident here in Louisiana.”

Kami menciptakan budaya yang indah di mana pun kami berada, dan saya rasa itu terlihat jelas di Louisiana ini.”

Saloy is the writer of the poetry collection Black Creole Chronicles and served as Louisiana's poet laureate from 2021 to 2023.

Saloy adalah penulis kumpulan puisi Black Creole Chronicles dan menjabat sebagai penyair kehormatan Louisiana dari 2021 hingga 2023.

She said Creole cultures all over the world have similarities to Louisiana's.

Ia mengatakan budaya Kreol di seluruh dunia memiliki kemiripan dengan budaya Louisiana.

How the word "Creole" is defined changes from place to place and person to person.

Cara mendefinisikan kata “Kreol” berbeda dari satu tempat ke tempat lain dan dari satu orang ke orang lain.

The word “Creole” is believed to have come from the Portuguese word crioulo, which developed from the Latin word for “to create.”

Kata “Kreol” diyakini berasal dari kata Portugis crioulo, yang berkembang dari kata Latin yang berarti “menciptakan.”

The word took on different meanings in different places.

Kata itu memiliki makna berbeda di tempat yang berbeda.

Creole in much of Africa and part of the Caribbean, for example, came to mean people of mixed ethnic or racial backgrounds.

Misalnya, di sebagian besar Afrika dan sebagian Karibia, Kreol berarti orang-orang berlatar belakang etnis atau ras campuran.

In Louisiana, the definition has changed over the years.

Di Louisiana, definisinya telah berubah dari tahun ke tahun.

He is a New Orleans-based Creole and owner of a local restaurant, the Vaucresson Sausage Company.

Ia adalah seorang Kreol yang tinggal di New Orleans dan pemilik restoran lokal, Vaucresson Sausage Company.

“I prefer an inclusive definition,” he said.

“Saya lebih suka definisi yang inklusif,” katanya.

“By that definition, anyone born in Louisiana could be Creole.

“Menurut definisi itu, siapa pun yang lahir di Louisiana bisa menjadi Kreol.

Describing his definition, Vaucresson added: “…it doesn't matter.

Saat menjelaskan definisinya, Vaucresson menambahkan, “…itu tidak penting.

If you're born here and embrace the culture, you can be Creole.”

Jika Anda lahir di sini dan merangkul budayanya, Anda bisa menjadi Kreol.”

In Louisiana of the 1700s and 1800s, the more inclusive definition was possibly the most accepted.

Di Louisiana pada tahun 1700-an dan 1800-an, definisi yang lebih inklusif kemungkinan paling banyak diterima.

White people with European ancestry were just as likely to call themselves Creole as mixed-race people of African ancestry.

Orang kulit putih keturunan Eropa sama mungkinnya menyebut diri mereka Kreol seperti orang berdarah campuran keturunan Afrika.

Mixed-race Creoles, too, claimed the term because it differentiated them from enslaved people.

Kreol berdarah campuran juga memakai sebutan itu karena membedakan mereka dari orang-orang yang diperbudak.

Don Vappie is a Creole jazz musician in New Orleans.

Don Vappie adalah musisi jazz Kreol di New Orleans.

He described the idea of Creole before the Civil war as organized into three levels.

Ia menggambarkan gagasan Kreol sebelum Perang Saudara terbagi menjadi tiga tingkatan.

After the American Civil War, however, many of these differences in New Orleans disappeared.

Namun, setelah Perang Saudara Amerika, banyak perbedaan ini di New Orleans menghilang.

“Creole or not, white people had more in common with white people and Black people had more in common with Black people,” Vappie told VOA.

“Kreol atau bukan, orang kulit putih lebih banyak kesamaannya dengan orang kulit putih dan orang kulit hitam lebih banyak kesamaannya dengan orang kulit hitam,” kata Vappie kepada VOA.

Saloy believes Creole is firmly connected to African culture and should stay that way.

Saloy yakin Kreol terhubung erat dengan budaya Afrika dan harus tetap seperti itu.