Music of the Caribbean Presented by: Molly Farmer

History The Caribbean territories encompass a cultural mix of people from West Africa, Europe, and Asia who have, over generations, became Caribbean nationals The Caribbean includes Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Martinique, and Aruba

Influences The Caribbean began as a colonial territory that saw the influence of language and religion forced upon the population through violence and slavery Dutch, English, French and Spanish brought their own lifestyles to the Caribbean Religions such as Catholicism and Protestant beliefs, Hinduism, Judaism, as well as many others are practiced These forced histories can be seen in the instruments and musical styles of the Caribbean

Instruments and Musical Styles Influences from European music include the accordion and piano and dances such as the waltz and quadrille Quadrille has been historically performed by couples arranged in a square formation and follows set dances. This has been adapted and changed over the years to become a typical dance in the Caribbean African influences such as the goatskin drum and rhythmic styles, such as a “call-and-response” structure are prevalent in the music

Rake n’ scrape The “rake n’ scrape” is a typical form of musical expression played in the Bahamas Usually played on an accordion but also can be played by shakers, squashes, and washboards Forms of rake n’ scrape can be found throughout the Caribbean Local music such as the rake n’ scrape blends with influences from outside of the region

Themes Bahamians hold a strong tradition and history of telling stories through their music Identity is a common theme by which musical style reveals communal struggles with identity Colonialism left British culture at the forefront, however Bahamians pushed back through music Musicians brought customs, food, language, and musical traditions back into the public eye Junkaroo is a carnival-like festival that became an icon of Bahamian identity

Themes cont’d Travel and tourism are also patterns that play out in Caribbean music Global popularity of reggae, Rastafarianism, and Bob Marley all originated from the Caribbean

Themes cont’d Class and cultural politics play a large role in the musical choices of the artists in the Caribbean Junkaroo blurs the lines between classes—everyone participates in the two-day festival Cultural politics issues can be seen in Trinidad where East Indians and Afro-Creoles are mixing cultures to represent the nation East Indians hold the political power while the Afro- Creoles hold the cultural center Music trends have become hybridized, however the politics are still putting a strain on the region

Conclusion Musical traditions from all over the world have shaped the Caribbean population This has brought many different influences into the region, however, the people of this region hold their own culture and have made a way of life post- colonialism