Koywa Lokono

The returned people

A material exploration of rhythm, movement and Indigenous Caribbean histories

Introduction

Koywa Lokono takes its name from the Arawak language and translates as “the returned people.” The phrase speaks to histories that have often been erased or misrepresented through colonial narratives. Many Indigenous communities across the Caribbean were historically declared extinct, their presence written out of official records. Yet these cultures continue to live through descendants, traditions and shared knowledge that persist across generations.

This project begins as a small opening into those obscured histories. It reflects on how cultural memory survives despite attempts to silence or erase it. Rather than presenting a historical reconstruction, the work explores how rhythm, movement and material form can act as contemporary expressions of cultural continuity.

Through the creation of the Drum Shoe, the project considers how sound and bodily movement can become a way of reconnecting with histories that remain present, even when they have been pushed to the margins.

The Drum Shoe

The Drum Shoe is an experimental object designed to produce sound through movement. Each step activates rhythm, allowing the wearer to create percussion through contact with the ground.

In many cultures, rhythm is experienced collectively through dance and movement. Sound travels through the body as much as through the ear. The Drum Shoe draws on this relationship, transforming the act of walking into a form of rhythmic expression.

By combining footwear with percussion, the object sits between clothing, instrument and performance. The wearer becomes both participant and performer, activating the object through movement.

Process and Making

The Drum Shoe was developed through a process of material experimentation, working primarily with wood to shape the structure of the piece. To achieve the curved form of the shoe, the wood was first soaked and then steamed to soften the fibres. This allowed the material to be carefully bent into shape before being left to dry and set. The process required patience and repetition, allowing the material itself to guide the final curve of the design.

At the centre of the shoe sits a small drum mechanism that activates through movement. As the wearer walks, the structure of the shoe allows the drum to strike and produce a percussive beat. The sound emerges directly from the physical interaction between body, object and ground, turning movement into rhythm.

The concept behind the piece extends beyond the object itself. The beat produced by the Drum Shoe imagines a rhythm that could travel outward — broadcast through pirate radio stations, circulating across communities as a shared pulse. Pirate radio has historically functioned as an alternative channel of communication, particularly for communities whose voices were often excluded from mainstream platforms.

Within this context, the rhythm created by the Drum Shoe becomes symbolic of a collective beat, a sound carried through informal networks, connecting people through movement, music and shared cultural expression.

Cultural Reflection

Koywa Lokono is not intended to recreate a specific cultural artefact. Instead, it reflects on how design can open conversations about histories that have been suppressed or overlooked.

The project acknowledges the presence of Indigenous Caribbean communities, particularly the Arawak peoples, whose cultural influence continues to shape the region despite historical narratives that attempted to erase them.

Through rhythm, movement and object-making, the work considers how cultural memory can remain active carried through bodies, sound and shared practices across generations.