Creolization in Caribbean Music - "English-speaking"

 

Portfolio Chapter One

 A number of examples of creolization can be found in Chapter 1 of Tour de Force. In this section, I will provide two examples.


  1. Among the musical genres of the Bahamas is Goombay. In reference to the tour de Force, Goombay can be defined as a genre of Bahamian music that is characterized by a style called goombay as well as a specific drum called goombay. It Features strong rhythms, melodies, and an acoustic instrumental sound.  It is common for Goombay songs to have lyrics that speak to current events and social issues, similar to calypso. hence, making it a local version of calypso

The following website describes this creolized music a bit more  "https://www.bahamasentertainers.com/copy-2-of-background" 

From that webpage, we can learn the following about Goombay music :

  • Goombay music is similar to Trinidadian calypso music and has simple chord progressions.
  • Goombay drumming patterns are highly rhythmic and similar to jazz improvisations.
  • There is a lot of historical content in the songs.
  • Goombay is the offical dance music of the Bahamas.

In this style, here are some instruments, artists, and performances:


 
                                                               Photo taken from:https://bahamas574.wordpress.com/global-contributions/     


                              
            Photo taken from: https://kananacaribbean.com/exploring-the-different-bahamas-culture/

The photos above show the various instrumetns used within the Goombay genre, which are the trumpets, trombone, Goombay drum, guitar.


Blind Blake is a famous Bahamian Goombay artist 

Photo taken from: https://www.bahamasentertainers.com/copy-of-featured-artists

Check out the video below to see a famous Goombay artist in action, he is none other than Blind Blake

Video taken from: https://youtu.be/ebR3Yur1KjY

This video was chosen because to me I felt as though it represented the Goombay genre perfect. The reason I say this is becasue it features the artist Blind Blake, as the Royal Victoria Hotel Calypos. In addition, it included the guitar, the banjo, maracas, and the double bass.  The song, also has various styltic features, you can hear the calyspo within the song, as it includes a maraca, as wel as a guitar, butyou can also hear the Goombay part of the song through the lyrics. The lyrics in this song talks about an historical event which was King Edward leaving his throne for love.  



       2.  Within the Greater Antilles there is a country called Jamaica, this is our destination for the next musical genre. According to the Tour de Force, Mento is considered to be the common ancestor to most musical Jamaican musical styles. This musical genre features instruments such as the guitar, banjo, hand drums, and the rumba box (which is a large thumb piano). continuing, the lyrics are commonly topical, and bawdy, and normally not political. 

The following website article more about the Mento Genre "https://jamaicansmusic.com/learn/origins/mento" 

Some points to take away from the web article are:
  • Mento is often confused with Calypso
  • Mento is recognisable by its acoustic sounds.
  • A type of Jamaican folk music called mento originated before Ska and Reggae music and has had a significant influence on those genres.
  • Music and rhythms of mento reflect centuries of creolization through historical styles and traditions from Africa and Europe.

                              In this style, here are some instruments, artists, and performances:

                                    Photo taken from: https://www.about-jamaica.com/mento-in-jamaica/

In the photo above we you can see the a mento group, that has the mento instrumetns, which includes from the left the Maraca, the banjo, the rumba box, and the guitar. 



One of my favorite artist in this genre is none other than Louise Bennett aka "Miss Lou".

Photo taken from: https://www.louisebennettheritage.com/



The video below is one of my favorite songs called Day Dah Light by Louise Bennett

 Video taken from:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KffCy8iFU8Q


I chose this song, becasue it features the rumba box, and the lyrics, which makes great mento lyrics as the song is topical meaning, meaning it talked about the topic of working, so much, that you become exhausted. furthermore, I the song only featured acoustics, and percussion, along with vocals. In addition, the song, also possesses.



Wait! it gets better! A variety of cultural aspects are subject to creolization. The one I am going with is Language. According to "https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-languages-are-spoken-in-saint-lucia.html." patois or Patwa is known as the Saint Lucian Creole French. Almost 95% of the local population speak this language. In addition, a creolized description can be found at 

some points from the webpage about this creolized language are:
  • French-based creole called Saint Lucian Creole is used in Saint Lucia.
  • Grenadian Creole French, or Kwéyl, is another name for Saint Lucian Creole.

Below is an image of the Saint Lucian creole language, alphabet, and pronunciation.


The video below talks about what Saint Lucian creole is.
                                           Video taken from: https://youtu.be/IbOdiSONkOg

The reason I chose this video is because, a native of Saint Lucia where he talks about, how English and French is incorporated into the language. 
  


References:



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