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https://www.dropbox.com/s/l4c2wvppzqy70gz/Caribbean%20Civilisation%20Portfolio%20Entry%201.mp4?dl=0

NOTE: Video was too large to upload directly to Padlet

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Dated Entry#4: 2017-04-18              Reflective Piece: Clothing

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Dated Entry#4: 2017-04-18              Reflective Piece: Clothing

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In giving an honest reflection, at the beginning of the semester I was under the impression that Caribbean Civilization would be tedious and the least liked course. Within my faculty of Science and Technology, I considered myself a fully Science based student, however throughout the semester I was proven to be exceedingly wrong. With no hesitation, the course taught me that my previous knowledge about the Caribbean and its terminology were to a great extent, incorrect and this immediately stimulated my interests. The tutorial sessions were quite informative and interactive, where a comfortable relationship was established between the students and tutor. All questions were appropriately addressed in a speedy and pleasant manner. Placing a little emphasis on clothing, it was learned that different native styles present throughout the region were brought by the slaves, labourers and even the colonialists. Individuals wore what they were accustomed to with respect to their culture, ethnicity, race and religion as well as because of the resources that were available. Today, the different types of native clothing are mainly worn during the respective holidays in acknowledgments of the ancestors and in celebration. For example, a shalwar or sari is considered Indian wear worn during Divali, however not only persons of Indian decent wear them. The course was well taught and helped me grasp a better and more intimate concept on the society in which I live and how it came to existence along with the differing struggles of identity that are prominent. It answered the questions of "How?" and "Why?". I now have a well-rounded understanding of what is Caribbean Civilization.

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Dated Entry #3: 2017-04-17        Understanding of the social/geographical environment: Food

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Dated Entry #3: 2017-04-17        Understanding of the social/geographical environment: Food

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The wide variety of foods present in the Caribbean were brought by the migrants of all the different countries, hundreds of years ago. Regardless their reasons for entering the Caribbean, wherever the went, so did their cultural styles of cooking. This was because their preference was what were they were accustom to as compared to the unknown delicacies. As time passed, the Africans, Chinese, Indians and even Europeans continued disperse across the region which aided in the spread of their food styles. Within my country, Trinidad, multiple food establishments can be seen throughout that are typically based on the owner's culture, race and ethnicity. For example the Indians manage Roti shops which are famous for their curry delicacies like chickpeas (Channa), split peas (dhal) and curry spices, not forgetting the famous "doubles". Creole food restaurants (pelau), multiple Chinese and Asian restaurants, African foods (callaloo) and European cuisine (pasta) are quite prominent in the country which portrays that Caribbean identity is preserved even through foods. To a smaller extent, from my social interactions amongst my family, friends and classmates, I observed that persons of a particular ethnicity and race were more appreciative of foods apart from their custom, and thus preferred to indulge in differing cuisine. When asked the question "Why?" within my social groups, the main response obtained apart from their liking to the flavours or spice, was that because those foods were less likely to be cooked in their household and they enjoy the occasional change. Individuals throughout the region as well as internationally, are willingly to travel to the Caribbean just to experience the burst of flavours from the variety of cuisines and partake in the culture, for example the famous Crab and Dumpling in Tobago.

GUARDIAN: May 13, 2012

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Dated Entry #2: 2017-04-15                                     A current problem of regional importance: Instrument (Steelpan)

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Dated Entry #2: 2017-04-15                                     A current problem of regional importance: Instrument (Steelpan)

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When an individual sees a steel pan, they should immediately be reminded of what the Caribbean has to offer and associate the instrument with Caribbean identity. It was invented in my homeland, Trinidad and Tobago was regarded as the only major musical instrument to be invented in the 20th century. Also referred to as 'pan' by the nationals and even the regionals, is quite flexible to wide range of sounds it holds. The greatest influence of the steel pan came from the French creole and African traditions of the slaves, since they pursued their love for rhythm and song. From its origin till present day, it is identified with street parades, 'The Greatest Show on Earth' more commonly known as Carnival and has been an object of identity ever since. Slaves used them as a way to passively resist the colonialists and retain their cultural traditions through chants and songs. Today, the steel pan faces the issue of technological advancements which affects its originality and significance to Caribbean people. To avoid this instrument becoming obsolete and the loss of its historical story behind its origin, us individuals, belonging to the Caribbean must speak out against any transformations as well as we must not indulge in any of its advancements. The steel pan should not only be utilized for one season a year, but instead should be incorporated throughout and it would be a constant reminder of the peaceful people who emerged from oppression with music and songs all while disregarding a violent approach.

NEWSDAY: April 19, 2017

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Dated Entry #1: 2017-03-28                         Issue of Importance to Caribbean Civilisation : Music

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Dated Entry #1: 2017-03-28                         Issue of Importance to Caribbean Civilisation : Music

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The musical genre of Reggae revolutionized Jamaican music through its origin in the late 1960s, out of its musical predecessors; ska and rocksteady. This mellow rhythm and spiritual lyrics incorporating issues of crime and poverty came as a cultural bombshell not only to Jamaica but the entire world. Bob Marley himself, the man who popularized this music style, claimed that reggae derived from a Spanish term for ‘the king’s music’, which relays their influence from the Spaniards. Reggae music was viewed as way for the oppressed persons to voice their experiences through song. Various Caribbean people, absorb differing genres of music, Reggae being one that stemmed as far to international regions as foreign artistes commonly collaborate with Jamaican reggae artistes or they incorporate the beat or lyrics into their songs which shares the Caribbean culture. A well-known Canadian multi-time Grammy winner hip-hop artiste, Drake, collaborated with Jamaican born Beenie Man in his song ‘Controlla’ in 2016’s 'Views from the 6' album. Dancehall music, another genre also goes ‘hand in hand’ with reggae and this sparks controversy in many countries, as performances have been cancelled. Contrasting to the spiritual lyrics known, this type of music has evolved to portray vulgarity and negativity, where it seemingly promotes the uses of marijuana and guns. An article in the Jamaican Gleaner dated June 22, 2015 states the Islamic Council of Jamaica warns that dancehall evokes evil spirits and corrupts the listener’s mind. However, the dancehall artistes and producers choose to greatly disagree as they claim the songs are from personal experiences and that evil spirits occurred long before the existence of dancehall/reggae music. Persons are given a choice to their musical preference as well as they should be able to control the type of influences they allow to be present around them, which again leads back to ‘A sense of Identity’. With that being said, Reggae and Dancehall artistes should not be discriminated for their choice.

JAMAICAN GLEANER: June 22, 2015

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There is no single way to accurately define the Caribbean. As such, Caribbean Identity is not given by birth nor can it simply be defined by components such as race, gender, ethnicity, geographical origin, politics, language and the list continues. There is distinct line differentiating between ‘The fact of identity’ and ‘A sense of identity’, which most persons are unfamiliar with. The fact of identity relates to a situation where the characteristics focused on are objective attributes which are shared and concerned with the behavior of individuals whereas a sense of identity involves subjective matters relating to how one views the world or how one experiences selfhood. Identity cannot be fixed but instead is considered fluid as it is influenced by an individual’s personal choices as well as  the society which they belong. The concept of Caribbean Identity is heightened by the varying contributions of the multicultural entities co-existing within the Caribbean region. Therefore, the issue of Caribbean identity peaked my interest for study. The aim of the portfolio is to present the application of learning and critical analysis of the course with respect to current and ongoing issues in Caribbean music, instrument, food and clothing (native dress wear).