Versatility within the English-speaking colonies of the Caribbean
Get link
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
Versatility is a common theme that is seen again and again throughout the musical history of the Caribbean. In this instance, we will be looking for it amidst the past of a few English-speaking Caribbean nations.
1) When talking about Barbados, I don't believe that there is any name that fits the theme of versatility more than Roger Gittens. According to Tour de Force: A Musical Journey of The Caribbean, "He composes in a variety of styles, from calypso and jazz to gospel and choral music." (37) If all of this was not enough, he also has a profound impact on music education in Barbados as a teacher.
This promotional image gives but a taste of the number of skills that this artist has acquired over his lifetime.
Here is a video of Roger Gittens in church playing the keyboard. I chose this video because it shows not only Roger but people within his circle. You can really get a grasp of their passion for music as the first gentleman thanks God for it in his prayer. Even though he only plays one instrument throughout this video, you can see how he easily switches his tempo as the song requires. From fast, upbeat, and lively to slow and somber, he can perfectly emulate the sound and atmosphere required for the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otvL02xeO20
2) Roger Gittens was a good example to start this off, but Barbados is far from the only island that has blessed the Caribbean music scene with a talented composer. Even a smaller island like St. Vincent has given rise to an artist brimming with skills, even if it was only indirectly. According to the authors of Tour de Force: A Musical Journey of The Caribbean, Rowland Sutherland "takes advantage of the many musical opportunities offered him in the United kingdom-he is a composer and arranger, a bandleader, a solo as well as an ensemble performer, and a music educator-while retaining aspects of the distant Caribbean homeland in many of his compositions." Rowland Sutherland was born and raised in the United Kingdom, but it is undeniable that his roots largely influence his work. Though this is an excellent example of creolization, what I would like to focus on is how versatile he is when it comes to the style of music. I believe that growing up in the United Kingdom but having parents from St. Vincent has given him more exposure than the average musician.
This is a video of Rowland Sutherland performing the song "Missing You" with a band. The reason I chose this video is that it highlights three things in particular that I think are worth mentioning. Firstly, in the beginning, we get to hear how he sounds performing in a duet, Sutherland playing the flute and Fayyaz Virji on the trombone. Secondly, we get to hear him play with the full accompaniment of the band, this time changing the tempo. Lastly, we can see him directing the band as the song is coming to an end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUJ3BZd6jTU&t=2s
3) Versatility has really sewn itself throughout the English-speaking Caribbean in a major way. So far, I have shown you two gifted artists that are able to keep up with second and third jobs, carrying a far more diverse portfolio than what many musicians that make it big seem to lack nowadays. These men are clear examples of versatility in people, but what about in food? In the Bahamas, there are many popular foods that are local delicacies, but what I would like to focus on is guava. This food is so versatile because it can be used in so many different ways, on so many different things. If you want dessert, how about guava duff or guava cake. Do you just want something to slide on your toast, then guava jam or guava jelly can do the job. If you're tired of regular wings and want to spice things up, guava barbecue sauce can make all the difference. A big plate of guava pancakes sounds pretty great with some tea in the morning! Guava can be incorporated into any mealtime, from breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
In this video, we learn from Ms. Remelda how to make a delicious helping of guava pancakes. I chose this video because it goes over how it is usually prepared in the Bahamas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY713sT2iZo&t=1s
References
“Event.” What's On In Barbados, 14 June 2019, https://whatsoninbarbados.com/whatsoninbarbados_eventdetail/?eventKey=22611.
Gangelhoff, Christine, and Cathleen Legrand. Tour De Force: A Musical Journey of the Caribbean. Sound Caribbean, 2019.
Having any discussion on Chapter 2 of Tour De Force is hardly complete without mentioning the versatility of these Francophone Caribbean nations. Let's look at a few examples of versatility from the book and an extra example from an external source. 1) When looking for examples of versatility in the French-speaking Caribbean, Negritude is the first thing that pops out at me. According to Gangelhoff and LeGrand, "Negritude was a literary movement of African- and Caribbean-French writers and intellectuals that arose in the 1930s, inspired in some part by the Harlem Renaissance in the United States during the culturally rich 'roaring 20s.'" ( Tour De Force ) I consider this to be a very versatile movement because it accomplishes a variety of things. For starters, in Tour De Force it mentions, "the goals of the Negritude movement was to affirm pride in shared African heritage and retention of African cultural traditions in the diaspora." This encourageme
Looking at chapter 3 of Tour de Force, we discover a variety of things about the dutch -speaking Caribbean. Today, we will focus on the aspects of versatility that can be found in these six islands. The first example of versatility in the Dutch-speaking Caribbean are string bands. String bands are a perfect example of creolization seeing as they are the "merging of the melodies and instruments of Europe with the rhythms and playing styles of the Caribbean region." (Ganglehoff and LeGrand, ). Even still, there are few examples of versatility within them. For one, these bands play at a variety of occasions. A photo depicting the members of the 'Tanny and the Boys' band. Below is a song from a well-known string band from St. Maarten, 'Tanny and the Boys'. Secondly, another prominent example of versatility in the Dutch Caribbean is Desiree Rollocks. Desiree is most commonly known by her stage name, Daisy Dee. Below is a video of Daisy Dee performing her hit song
Comments
Post a Comment