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The Caribbean: "A Lot More Than You Think!".

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The Caribbean: "A Lot More Than You Think!".

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The Caribbean has given the world many things throughout history. There is a very strong debate that music is in fact the most notable export. There are plenty of great foods, a scintillating attitude to life and of course rum is a huge favorite among a lot of people but when it comes to putting a smile on people’s faces and ensuring they draw their attention to the dance floor, Caribbean music is really second to none. It is probably fair to say that most people’s awareness of Caribbean music through the extension of Bob Marley and reggae, which is a great way to start, however there is a lot more to Caribbean music than these prominent focal points. There is a lot to be said for calypso music, which drew on European and African influences, which has helped this style of music transfer exponentially around the world, as there are elements that people naturally associate with. While there are many different styles of calypso music, the most common if not the most popular are the more upbeat and happy tunes. These capture the essence of life in the Caribbean, but they are also simple, giving initiative to many people who enjoy them. Calypso music is found and created across the Caribbean, although it dates back to slavery times in the West Indies, and it is a style of music that has greatly been colonized in the country of Trinidad and Tobago. While Soca developed out of the calypso music, there is an argument to say that this is now an even immense cultural phenomenon. At Caribbean style carnivals all over the world, it is the sound of Soca that encourages the dancing and revelry that is found. While there is some dispute over the origins of Soca, it is generally attributed to the early 1970's, with many people citing Garfield Blackman from Trinidad as being the originator of this style of music.

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The mass media has served to expedite the promotion of various forms of culture, both within and outside the region.  Technology has helped to extend the reach of information with, for example, the internet allowing local  cultural events, such as Carnival to be advertised and broadcast around the region and Beyond. Media coverage has also served as a platform for artists and art forms, which helps to boost cultural industries such as music, dance, art and drama.

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The mass media is also a means to showcase the diasporic Caribbean culture with the promotion of Carnivals held by emigrant communities. Within the region, exposure to different forms of culture helps foster and accept diversity, which in turn can help the integration process. However, this is a two-way process and influences from outside the region, traditional Caribbean culture and society come to bear in for example; fashion, music, dance, religion and social attitudes.

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The Caribbean Festival of Arts, CARIFESTA, has simulated a place among the factors that give a voice to the singularity of our Caribbean reality. Like other significant institutions, the festival reinforces our unity in the midst of our splendid diversity. CARIFESTA, which has been hailed as "the inspirational exchange of creative flows", has its underpinnings in the staging of the first Caribbean festival of arts, that took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1952. The event spurred some excitement in the region for celebrating the excellence of Caribbean artistry.

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The Caribbean has given the world the musical genres of Calypso, Soca, Reggae and Dancehall. The tradition of toasting over the music in Reggae is credited with regulating the involvement of Hip Hop. Other perhaps fewer known genres include Zouk, Salsa and Bachata from the non-English speaking islands.

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How has Reggae Music Influence the World?

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How has Reggae Music Influence the World?

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Reggae music came as a cultural shock, not only to Jamaica, but the whole world. It’s slow, yet bouncy rhythm, as well as its militant and spiritual lyrics, along with the rebellious dress code of its artists, have altered the musical genres, cultures and societies, particularly in Africa. Music critics have even said the reggae music still contributes to the development of new counter-culture movements and getting people to understand the Rastafarian movement, black consciousness and pride.  At a time when Africa was still struggling with the need for self-determination, people had to turn to reggae. Romanticism had no place at the time and so were other genres that failed to inspire. Songs that involved lyrics about love and sex began to change in focus. The songs started to include political, social, and spiritual notions in the lyrics.

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We can all acknowledge that perhaps the most colossal contributor to Reggae music is the much-revered Bob Marley. Bob, alongside Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, took reggae music to greater heights, from the island of Jamaica and around the globe. In the country of Trinidad & Tobago, where Calypso is the main genre, none can discord the legendary status of kaisonians like The Lord Kitchener and living legends like the Mighty Sparrow and Calypso Rose.

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Legends in The Caribbean Music Industry.

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Legends in The Caribbean Music Industry.

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Those who are identified as Caribbean music legends, are celebrated musicians who have colonized and paved the way for many art forms. We now recognize these artists and the enduring impressions they have made on the world. Most of all, they are the entertainers whom we love and embrace because they have touched our lives forever.

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Conceivably, one of the greatest contributors to the music industry is that of Ras. Shorty. I, the creator of soca. Shorty’s legacy lives on in the music by the newer and modern-day artists such as; Machel Montano and Bunji Garlin. Another contributor to Caribbean Music is that of the singer/songwriter and granddaughter of the late Ras. Shorty. I, Nailah Blackman. Nailah is one that pays homage to the endowment of her grandfather, while making her own mark and adding her own flare to the genre, with a mission to create music that excites and engages younger generations in the culture.

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Reggae Music as Part of  Modern Society.

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Reggae Music as Part of  Modern Society.

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In some parts of Pumula, it is said that reggae lovers meet regularly to discuss songs and meditate on the message from the musicians. Some may argue that reggae music is foreign and has no place in settings outside of the Caribbean, but let’s not forget that music is universal and the impact of reggae is all over. There are even Zimbabwean musicians that were inspired by reggae. Also, when Marley sang “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery/none but ourselves can free our minds” in Redemption Song. He urged his black brothers and sisters to break the chains of mental slavery. More than any other type of music, reggae was and still is a symbol of physical and spiritual emancipation of the black people in Jamaica and elsewhere.

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The Influence of Soca and Calypso Music on a Global Scale.

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The Influence of Soca and Calypso Music on a Global Scale.

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Caribbean Carnival may have once been a seasonal event, but one can now enjoy the festivities throughout the entire year, acknowledging the celebrations around the globe. It seems as though whenever and wherever you find more than two island folks, a Carnival celebration would not be far behind. But we can be assured that not all international Carnival events are comparable.
1) First held in 1966 by the local Caribbean community, the Notting Hill Carnival has become one of the largest street festivals in the world. Notting Hill Carnival is held every August in London, in the prominent Notting Hill neighborhood, which was once a stronghold immigrant community.
2) While in The Peeks of Toronto’s Carnival, more commonly and fondly known as Caribana, lights up Toronto in a sea of color every summer. Founded in 1967, the carnival was first organized by the local Caribbean immigrant community to share their culture with their fellow Canadians and raise funds for a cultural center.
3) There are other Known festivals celebrate such as; The West Indian Day Parade in New York and even Zomercarnaval in the Netherlands. Through these celebrations, they all share the common interests of dancing, singing and indulging in the enjoyment of Soca and Calypso music, which have revolutionized the musical genres worldwide.

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The Global  Impacts on Caribbean People.

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The Global  Impacts on Caribbean People.

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Those who have traveled from the Caribbean risk losing or diluting their identity, as they struggle to settle in a foreign land.  The local media, especially in areas with a large population of Caribbean people, can help ease this process by providing Caribbean focused content such as; music, Cuisine, etc. The dominance of the U.S. mass media with its display of western music in the Caribbean, especially cable TV programming, has been viewed as a form of cultural imperialism. The view is that U.S. programming and musical genres such as; Rap, Hip Hop, Pop and rock etc, have all heavily influenced the Caribbean population with changing one’s attitude, perspective, value, culture and also their beliefs at the expense of the traditional Caribbean people. This also affects the language, religion, family structure and relations. Despite this, the shadow of cultural imperialism still makes it imperative for some kind of movement to help.

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With the influence and enjoyment of Caribbean music, it can assist in promoting human development by improving one's well-being through relaxation and stress relief.  Additionally, educating through entertainment and other different art forms can be an effective way of communicating important messages, for example; about health, lifestyle, environment, social behavior and the economy, along with entertaining in a much more relevant way. Through these particular means, the musical movements in society can now exert a positive influence in the human development for individuals by providing an equitable information Source, open to all, which empowers them to make choices and enhance their productivity.

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What Can Be Done to Encourage The Caribbean Identity?

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What Can Be Done to Encourage The Caribbean Identity?

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In order to help reduce this cultural imperialism when it comes to the effects of foreign media, arts and music, there are several solutions that can assist in this.
1) The increase generation of indigenous high-quality programming can be shown on local televisions to compete with U.S. imports.
2) Also, an increase in General awareness and how it can shape the attitudes and perceptions of the younger generation.
3) As well as the establishment of a coordinated Regional policy on the media that focuses on both National and Regional development in order to counter the influx of foreign influences.

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With the vastly differing sounds and melodies of the Caribbean, they are as varied as the islands themselves; from the ringing of the steel pan drums that immediately puts you in a tropical, fragmented trance in your frame of mind, to the reggae beats that tell the story of the hardships encompassed within the islands , which they have endured. Music has always played an important part of life in the Caribbean, providing its islanders with a meaningful art form, a method of departure, and of course a means of entertainment.