Caribbean art forms

GOAL

For students to evaluate the ways in which the arts and popular culture impact Caribbean society.

OBJECTIVE

1. Assess the ways in which Caribbean art forms are retained in the diaspora.

Major cities in the North Atlantic (USA, Canada, England) are heavily populated with Caribbean nationals. Caribbean nationals and their ‘offprints’ make up a considerable segment of the population of England, Canada and the United States of America, hence, forming what is known as the Caribbean diaspora. The Diasporic Caribbean refers to a group of people who reside in another geographical location, for instance, people of Caribbean ancestry who share an emotional connection to their homeland.

Festivals in the Caribbean diaspora play an integral role in the lives of the migrants, since this is a time when they get to experience authentic Caribbean cuisines, music, fashion and the general culture. At these carnivals in England, Canada and the USA, the parade is made up of bands, revellers dressed in costumes depicting a common theme, along with participants jumping to the music while competing for ‘Band of the Year’ title. Along with the parade is the calypso monarch competition (best calypso performer). There is also a junior carnival competition – (inculcation of carnival traditions so it won’t die). Popular diasporic festivals include the Brooklyn Labour Day parade in USA, Notting Hill Carnival in England, and Caribana in Canada.

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL

The event originated in 1964 as a way for Afro-Caribbean communities in the UK to celebrate their cultures and traditions, similar to the Caribbean carnivals of the early 19th century. These types of carnivals were hugely popular in Trinidad and were generally a celebration of the abolition of slavery. During the period of slavery, festivals were forbidden, so the residents took full advantage of their new-found freedom.

The first-ever Notting Hill Carnival was arranged as a showcase for popular steel band musicians who played in Earl’s Court every weekend. The festival music drew residents out on to the streets, reminding many of the Caribbean homes they had left behind. The well-known tradition of elaborate costumes began as an element of parody, mimicking the European fashions of their former masters. Today, this tradition has evolved into 15,000 handmade costumes every year, requiring one million hours to create and decorate them all!

CARIBANA

The Toronto Caribana Festival began in 1967 as one of the first Caribbean festivals held outside of the region. Originally known as the Canadian Centennial festivals, Caribana was meant to share West Indian and black Canadian culture and traditions with the community, and to help fund the building of a West Indian cultural centre. Since then, every summer Toronto, Canada, comes alive to the pulsating rhythm of calypso steel pan music. The atmosphere is also enlivened with elaborate masquerade costumes. This two-week festival attracts over a million participants and tourist annually. The festival today includes the music, dance, food and costumes of Jamaica, The Bahamas, Brazil and other cultures present in Toronto.

BROOKLYN LABOUR DAY PARADE/ WEST INDIAN DAY PARADE

The West Indian Day Parade is held every Labour Day and runs down Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. It is part of the West IndianAmerican Carnival celebrations which take place during and before Labor Day weekend. It includes concerts, contests, children’s pageants and private parties in addition to the main event, the parade. Brooklyn’s carnival initially came out of Trinidad’s carnival tradition and, as such, steel bands are one of the most commonly heard sounds at the parade. Over time, other Caribbean traditions and music have been added, including reggae from Jamaica, spouge from Barbados, cadence from Dominica, and merengue from Haiti. Many food vendors set up in the streets surrounding the parade, offering curried chicken, oxtail, patties, roti, fried plantains, ginger beer and coconut juice, to name some of the many refreshments available. Other kinds of vendors also set up stalls at the parade, selling many different goods, including crafts from the Caribbean, African sculptures and beadwork.