Caribbean Arts & Popular Culture in the Region & Diaspora Flashcards
Caribbean Art Forms
As with many features of the Caribbean and its societal institutions, hybridisation, syncretism and creolisation have played a large part in the creation of rich and diverse cultural forms that are unique to the region. In more recent times, computer technologies and the mass media have contributed to the growth, acceptance and appreciation of Caribbean music, cuisine and festivals across international borders.
Music
The music of the Caribbean has helped to define the region as a whole and ha placed it on the world map. Most kinds of music on the region can be traced back to its migratory history, with different peoples importing their traditional forms that then went through a process of syncretism to produce many of the forms of today. Whether it is Reggae, Soca, Punta, Zouk, Caribbean music gives Caribbean people their identity, whether they reside at home or are part of the diaspora.
Reggae
Reggae is the most internationally famous style of Caribbean music. It has its origins in Jamaica in the late 1960s. It is widely identified as the music of Jamaica and its diaspora and has gained international prominence, for example in the United State of America, Africa, Japan and Germany.
Reggae was popularized in the 1970s by Bob Marley with this Rasta lifestyle. The music has become popular among young people because of the message it carries- a message of peace and love that they identify with. It is also an outlet for documenting social and political criticism.
Calypso
Calypso had its origins in Western African music and singing and resistance by the lower socioeconomic classes to the colonial powers. It was a means to poke fin at important people and institutions, such as the Roman Catholoc Church, and today this music form provides a social and political commentary of events, mainly in Trinidad and Tobago.
Apart from entertianing, Calypsonians such as The Mighty Sparrow act as voices for their people, expressing their views and protesting government actions. However, Calypso had not gained as large an international audience as Reggae. Calypso has a special connection to Carnival, and Calypso competitions have been held at Carnival since shortly after emancipation in the British Caribbean in the 1830s.
Steel Band (Steel Pan)
The steel band is the only musical instrument to have been invented in the 20th century. It has origins in Trinidadian Carnival musical traditions and developed in the middle of the century out of experimentation with readily available materials and objects that could be used and tuned for percussion. Today the steel band is mass produced and referred to as an ‘orchestra’.
The steel pan was associated with grassroots people such as those from poor communities on the outskirts of Port-of-Spain.
Other Examples of Caribbean Music Forms
Over time, various forms of music have evolved to cater to the tastes of the younger generations, as in the case of the development of Punta Rock out if traditional Punta forms. Other examples of this development include Soca. Reggae Soca, Ragamuffin and Chutney.
Soca Music is the music that is in most demand at Carnival. Its international popularity is growing and iTunes has its own Soca category.
Culinary Practices
- Some culinary practices and foods inherited from the indigenous peoples are: corn beer, the art of cooking wild meat and pepper pot and the making of bread from cassava.
-A staple item in the diet across the Caribbean is salt fish. It was imported by the British to feed the slaves. Used today to make fishcakes, saltfish & dumpling and saltfish & ackee.
-Dishes such as peas and rice, salted meat, smoked herring, black pudding and souse all have long regional heritage
-The Chinese brought their ever popular Chinese-style fry rice, fry chicken and vegetables.
Festivals
The influence of early settlers on the economic, cultural and social life in the Caribbean is very evident in the festivals of the region. These reflect the region’s history, connecting present day society to the past and, at the same time, including contemporary elements. Caribbean festivals are distinctive in their use of costumes, the importance of the music and dance and a high level of audience interaction. Caribbean society is culturally diverse and the festivals in the various islands bring all ethnic groups together.
Secular Festivals
Carnival:
-The has contributed to the growth and development of the Caribbean and is the single festival, combining steel band music, dance and costumes:
-Brings all classes or people together
- Brings in foreign exchange
Cropover:
-This festival has it origin in the 1780s when Barbados was the world’s largest producer of sugar. The festival lasts for five weeks and highlights the history, art and culture of Barbados.
Junkanoo:
-usually celebrated at Christmas-time and started during slavery as a day when the slaves were allowed to leave the plantation and celebrate with their community; with dance, music and costume.
Religious Festivals
Christian festivals were brought to the region by the European colonisers and imposed upon both the Amerindian and later African populations, while Muslim and Hindu festivals arrived with the East Indian indentures. Carnival has its origins in a Christian festival that became creolised and transformed into a uniquely Caribbean celebration.
List of Religious Festivals
Muslim Festivals:
- Eid al-Fitr- a religious celebration that marks the end of the period of Ramadan fasting for Muslims
Hindu:
-Diwali- connects the East Indians to Mother India and is the festival of light over darkness.
Christian:
-Easter- the Christian festival symbolic of the death and resurrection of Christ, celebrated with an Easter Parade
-Christmas- represents the birth of Christ. It is celebrated by all nationalities and is highly commercialised and to some extent has lost its religious significance.
How the Arts have Contributed to Caribbean Human and Cultural Development
Human Development:
They:
- empower and unite the people
- increase people’s productivity
- create greater equality in society
Empowerment:
- allow people the stage to develop and display their talents and allow them to develop their human potential
- provide people with an important means of creative self-expression and intellectual growth and act as therapy
Productivity- creates opportunities for people to be gainfully employed and they also create a multiplier effect, increasing the overall level of employment in the economy
Cont’d
Greater Equity in Society- arts and popular culture represent a valuable aspect of Caribbean heritage. They are the tool used to express both the Caribbean people’s struggles for justice against oppression, by various force both within and outside the region, and a celebration of their culture.
Sustainability- people are agents through which development can take place and be sustained. It is through the Arts that language, customs, dress and way of life can pass from one generation to another. Human capital can therefore be developed through the arts.
Cultural Development
Art forms in their widest sense contribute to the formation of culture and society. The arts can provide a mean of socialisation as, through them, people learn about their culture’s values, beliefs and identity. This acquisition of knowledge and an understanding of the basis of one’s society enable its continued growth, evolution and development. Many government and non-government agencies support the Arts because they promote and help define cultural pride and identity.
Contributions made by Individuals to Caribbean Development
Rex Nettleford (1933-2010)
-was a Jamaican scholar, historian, social critic, choreographer and poet
-Was a co-author of a seminal study of the Rastafarian movement in 1961
Louise Bennett (1919-2006)
-was a Jamaican educator, poet, writer and folklorist
-travelled through the world publicising areas of Jamaican culture (through performances, lectures etc)
Paule Marshall (1929-)
-an American author who has her roots in Barbados
-her writings are an attempt for black Americans to reclaim their African heritage
-her work features strong, black, working-class women
