SHAYNA MARTINIQU ESCAPED
RELATIVELY UNSCATHED FROM
HURRICANES THIS AUTUMN, BUT IT
DI DAMAGE MANY BANANA
PLANTATIONS.
>> MANY PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND
WORK IN A BANANA PLANTATION.
SHAYNA MARTINIQUE EXPORTS
200,000 TONS OF BANANAS TO
FRANCE ALONE EVERY YEAR.
THE MOST COMMON VARIETY OF
BANANA IS THE CAVENDISH, ONE OF
MORE THAN 1000 TYPES IN ALL.
HERE IN SAINT MARIE, THE BANANA
MUSEUM ABUTS A 1 ACRE
PLANTATION.
A BANANA PLANT TAKES 9-11 MONTHS
TO PRODUCE A BUNCH, THE ONLY
BUNCH IT WILL EVER GROW.
SEVERAL PLANTATIONS ON THE
ISLAND HAVE BEEN REPURPOSED AS
MUSEUMS.
NAPOLEON'S GREAT LOVE,
JOSEPHINE, WAS BORN HERE IN
MARTINIQUE IN 1763.
THIS ESTATE IS WHERE SHE SPENT
THE FIRST 15 YEARS OF HER LIFE.
IT WAS JOSEPHINE'S FAMILY SUGAR
PLANTATION.
JOSEPHINE IS A CONTROVERSIAL
FIGU HERE.
IT IS BELIEVED SHE HELP
INFLUENCE THE OPPONENT TO
REINSTITUTE SLAVERY IN THE
FRENCH COLONIES.
ONE PLANTATION ON MARTINIQUE'S
EAST COAST HAS RECLAIMED ITS
PAST.
400 ACRE HABITATIO HAD MANY
OWNERS UNTIL SLAVERY WAS
ABOLISHED ON THE ISLAND IN 1848.
AT THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY,
A WEALTHY BLACK DOCTOR BOUGHT
THE ESTATE.
PEPSI WAS ONE OF THE FIRST ABLE
TO BUY AN ESTATE OF THIS SIZE.
HE MADE FIRST SUGAR, AND AFTER,
HE MADE RUM.
IT WAS IN THE TIME OF THE FIRST
WORLD WAR.
SHAYNA: THE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
SAYS HIS SON CHARLES BEEN
PERFECTED THE FERMENTATION
PROCESS.
AND THEIR REPUTATION GREW.
>> WE PRODUCE THE RUM WITH PURE
SUGARCANE JUICE AND IS VERY
DIFFERENT FROM INDUSTRIAL USE.
SHAYNA: SHE SAYS IT'S THE ONLY
RUM IN THE WORLD WITH AN A
LABEL FROM FRANCE.
>> THE BEST RUM IN THE WORLD
COMES FROM MARTINIQUE.
SHAYNA IT'S ALSO THE HOME TO A
SPRAWLING SCULPTURE GARDEN AND
MUSEUM.
IN QUIET SHADY CORNER OF THE
PROPERTY, A LON COFFEE PLANT
WITH A LON BACK STORY.
MARIA'S A HISTORIAN AND
RESEARCHER HERE.
>> MARTINIQUE IS THE FIRST
ISLAND IN THE CARIBBEAN TO START
THE PRODUCTION OF COFFEE AND IT
IS FRO MARTINIQUE THAT COFFEE
PRODUCTION SPREAD.
SHAYNA GABRIELLE, A FRENCH
NAVA OFFICER, MADE IT HIS
PERSONAL MISSION TO INTRODUCE
COFFEE TO MARTINIQUE, WHERE HE
HAD BEEN STATIONED.
1723, HE PACKED A FRENCH
COFFEE PLANT FOR HIS LONG
JOURNEY TO THE ISLAND.
>> WHEN THEY LEFT RANTS, THEY
HAD A BIG STORM IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE SEA.
AFTER THAT, THAT'S WHEN THEY
LEFT FRANCE.
THERE WAS A LACK OF DRINKING
WATER ON THE SHIP AND THE STORY
IS HE HAD TO SHARE HIS OWN
RATION OF WATER WITH THE COFFEE
PLANT TO KEEP IT ALIVE.
SHAYNA: HE MADE T MARTINIQUE,
COFFEE PLANT ALIVE AND WELL.
THE END OF THE 18TH CENTURY,
THERE WERE ABOUT 1000 COFFEE
PLANTATIONS ON THE ISLAND.
SHAYNA: BY THE 19 CENTURY,
DISEASE CLAIMED MANY CROPS.
>> TODAY THERE IS NO LARGE-SCALE
COFFEE PRODUCTION MARTINIQUE,
BUT THE GOVERNMENT REALLY WANTS
TO DEVELOP THIS ACTIVITY IN THE
FUTURE.
SHAYNA AMONG THE ISLAND'S
HISTORY MAKERS, TWO WRITERS AND
INTELLECTUALS, THE POET AND
POLITICIAN, AND THE PHILOSOPHER
AND PSYCHIATRIST.
HIS FORMER CITY HALL TURNED
MUSEUM AND THEATER IS NAMED
AFTER CESARE.
HE DIED IN 20 AT 84.
ELIZABETH IS A CITY
COUNCILWOMAN.
>> HE WAS THE FIRST BLACK PERSON
WHO IN THE 1930'S SAID THAT
BEING BLACK WAS ABOUT BEING
PROUD.
HE WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE PEOPLE
OF MARTINIQUE, SO IS A LITTLE
BIT LIKE OUR FATHER.
SHAYNA ONE AUTHOR WROTE
GROUNDBREAKING BOO SET
REVOLUTIONIZED IDEAS FOR
COLONIALISM.
>> H IS A PROFESSIONAL PSYCH --
HIS PROFESSION AS A PSYCHIATRIST
HELPED HIM UNDERSTAND HOW
COLONIALISM COULD DESTROY
SOMEBODY'S SOUL.
HE REALLY WORKED BASICALLY
HELP PEOPLE RECOVER THEIR
DIGNITY.
SHAYNA: THEY HAD GREAT RESPECT
FOR EACH OTHER.
>> THEY BOTH WERE AT THE BLACK
WRITER'S CONGRESS IN PARIS AND
DEDICATED A POINT TO HIM.
-- A POEM TO HIM.
ANTHON INTERESTING FOOD
HISTORY AS WELL.
I DID NOT REALIZE THERE ARE 1000
VARIETIES OF BANANAS.
SHAYNA SOME OF THEM ARE
DECORATIVE, LIKE THE PURPLE ONE
WE SAW.
BUT THE MUSEUM IS GOING TO START
A NEW RESTAURANT WHERE THEY WILL
HAVE A VARIE OF BANANA DISHES
FOR PEOPLE TO TRY.
AND BACK TO CLEMENT RUM, THEY
ARE SOLD OUT OF 100 DIFFERENT
COUNTRIES, INCLUDING THE UNITED
STATES.
ANTHON SO YOU ENJOYED
YOURSELF.