Music In El Caribe

Throughout the years various African Americans have been saluted and honored, at York College as well as nationally, for their exceptional work in areas such as literature, fashion and politics. However, in the month of June we celebrate African Americans for their music. These achievements have not only ameliorated American society but they have also benefitted African American culture as well. However, there are many subcultures within the African American community including those who consider themselves native to the Caribbean. So what contributions have the people from the Caribbean made on society?

According to the Caribbean Sea Ecosystem Assessment (CARSEA) there are 22 countries that are no more than 100 miles away from each other and one of the most astounding traits about them is their diversity. From food to fashion and from dance to art, each aspect plays a key role in all of the cultures. Above all many people believe that the music produced in the Caribbean make the culture unique.

York College’s Culture Diversity Professor Danny Shaw believes music in the Caribbean is our weapon.

“Music is our weapon and if it wasn’t for Bob Marley and the whole Roots Reggae movement ,which gave a voice to a commoner or the sufferer In Jamaica,who outside of the community would have known.” Said the Professor Shaw “so this gives an international platform.”

            With rhythms, beats, lyrics and vocals, music in the Caribbean has taken a path of its own and yet it still differs from country to country. Hispaniola, known today as Haiti and the Dominican Republic, are neighboring countries that share the same land.  Despite this connection they each have two totally different kinds music. While Haiti, the first country to receive its independence in the western hemisphere, has “Roots,” which is an African-based music; the Dominican Republic has the “Meringue.”

In the spirit of Black Music Month York College’s student body and faculty members, many of whom are from the Caribbean themselves, spoke up and gave their opinions on the different music in the Caribbean.

            Math major and Dominica descendant, Curwin Laurent, loves all types of Caribbean music but Kompa, Bouyon and Calypso are his top three.

            “I like the feel of the music better and the instruments they play in Kompa and Bouyon. There’s more live music than the drum machine that plays in others. I like [to hear] real talent other than the computerized stuff,” said the sophomore. “My favorite groups genre wise would be T-Vice for Kompa and from my country, Bouyon would be WCK.”

            While many students like Laurent love Kompa, Jamaican and Barbadian sophomore, Marlon Devonish, has his own preference that differs from Laurent’s.

            “Reggae is mellow, relaxing [and] can never put you in a bad mood. I prefer artists from the 1990’s because reggae was at its peak,” said the Psychology major. “[Least favorite music is] Kompa because I do not know what it is.”

            Kompa is a genre of caribbean music that talks about love, heartbreak and problems that an average person would deal with on a day to day basis. With smooth, rhythmic beats, Kompa is popular in certain islands in the Caribbean, such as, Haiti, Dominica, and Martini. Famous Kompa music groups are T-Vice, Carimi and Sweet Mickey who is now running as a candidate to be Haiti’s President.

            With the myriad of music genres in the Caribbean can be due in part to the history of the different countries. The reason that these nations are so distinct from one another traces all the way back to the period between the 16^th and 19^th centuries with the Trans- Atlantic Slave Trade.

            According to Doctor Holgar Henke, the Assistant Provost at York, revealed that the Trans-Atlantic Trade happened after Christopher Columbus’ discovery.

“It was after the so-called discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus, that has been settled by people that went there voluntarily and that means mostly as discoverers and colonizers,” said Doctor Henke. “…Those who got there involuntarily, mainly who were brought there against their will from Africa as slaves, that worked in the mines as well [as] in the cane field.”

As reported by Slavevoyages.org, at this time in world history the Caribbean was one of two major regional markets for slaves from Africa. Europe was the catalyst of the 350 year-long trans-Atlantic slave voyages. Europeans dominated the slave-trade region that was between West Africa and the Caribbean. The most prominent colonizing countries in the Caribbean were Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, The Netherlands, North America, France and Denmark.

Doctor Henke suspects that one reason the music of each island is unique is due to the people’s recreation and blending of African rhythms and European melodies.

            “They [slaves] expressed themselves through those cultural memories they brought with them. They recreated forms of musical expression in the Caribbean and they also adopted some of the musical instruments that others brought with them, particularly the Europeans,” said Doctor Henke “When you think of Cuba you have an inflow of mandolins, lutes as well as guitar and they were all integrated.”

            Famous Caribbean artists varies from Bob marley, Vybz Kartel, Anthony Santos, Aventura to NU-Look and Carimi.

            With the Caribbean islands having been colonized by different European countries Professor Marc Schuller, Assistant Professor of Social Sciences at York, believes that the economic and political status of the Caribbean played a vital role in shaping it’s music. 

            “You can’t separate political and economic stuff, especially in the Caribbean which is built on slavery. Is slavery a political institution or economical institution? As well as Colonialism, is it a political institution or economical? ” said Professor Schuller.

“With that being said, like reggae, which is a transnational experience where it’s a cultural revolution where people are valuing their African roots, African heritage and African culture.”

            York students like 20 year-old Alfred Parsard, enjoys Caribbean music because he feels that it is relatable and he likes what it stands for.

            “I like reggae music because it goes back to my roots, especially with my dad being born in Jamaica, which is [the] reggae capital of the world,” said the Brooklyn resident. “The Wailers and Bob Marley in particular stands out because their music related to me and he knows how to get political in his music, just as much as a rapper could. Also reggae relaxes me with the smooth island melodies.”

            Politics and economics played a vital role in the Caribbean early on. The year that each country gained its independence from the colonizer country should also be taken into account said Professor Schuller, whose favorite Caribbean music is Roots.

            “Jamaica just got its independence 45 years ago, where as Haiti, whose been independent for 200 years retain more of it’s African heritage. So you have a roots culture in the music that’s based on the traditional religion Voo Doo,” said Professor Schuller. “When you go to Jamaica Reggae is very political. It’s their traditional identity and so is Salsa in Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic.”

            While politics and economics did play a significant role in shaping the music, the colonization of the islands themselves played an equally important role as well said Professor Schuller

            “Well the Caribbean is like three major colonizers French, English and Spanish and each of them has a different approach [on] how to colonize,” said Professor Schuller.  “You’ve got the English, who are very fundamental and very culture superior, have a different strategy of how to colonize. The French are in between the Spanish and the English, so the Caribbean has its political history.”

            Music in the Caribbean has played a vital role for all the islands. The main influence and foundation of music in the Caribbean ultimately goes back to Africa and its African roots.  According to Professor Danny Shaw, this fact gives each country one common ground.

            “When you’re talking about the Caribbean, you’re talking about 38 different nations of people and there’s a common history of struggle. There’s a common history of resistance and a history of Afro-Caribbean identity and struggle,” said the cultural diversity professor. “Some of the major points of musical trends that come out of Jamaica, Haiti, so many other countries are intimately tied to that Afro-Caribbean identity and struggle.”

            Ultimately, music changes as often as the weather, however it is important to understand and eventually embrace its meaning and significance.  One song has the ability to represent the history of an entire people.  For these people the past is always strapped to their backs and like music they do not have to see it, but they can and do feel it.