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Sukhu, Parmanand. "“THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PHAGWAH”." Online posting. .kaieteurnewsonline. N.p., 8 Mar. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.

guyanesegirlsrock. "Happy Holi (Phagwah) Guyana! - Guyanese Girls Rock!" Guyanese Girls Rock! N.p., 2015. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.

"Barbados' Crop Over Festival." Barbados' Crop Over Festival Information! All the Bands, Events and More for Crop Over | FunBarbados.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.

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This portfolio consist of a critical thinking piece and geographical piece both based on Cultural expression in the Caribbean. It also addresses a pressing issue in the Caribbean currently "Skin Bleaching" . This portfolio also contains my self evaluation based on the course so far.

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It has been a problem in the Caribbean for years now but become more predominant in 2011 in the Caribbean where persons drastically lighten their skin tone and promote skin lightening. This phenomena occurs throughout the Caribbean but it is most prominent and noticeable in Jamaica as it being promotes through music and other popular figures in the country. Many documentaries, articles and laws were pass to stop skin lightening throughout the region but I am of the opinion that the current problem at hand lies deeper than the change in skin color.

Many persons in the Caribbean today still classify light skin color with a high status, with beauty, with more opportunities and privileges and with power. When to some it is a known fact that it is not so. The root of this problem stems all the way back to colonial sugar Cain, slave and master days. Where the lighter skinned complexion men were the rulers, the power, more so the masters and us the persons with darker complexion are the slave, that mentality still sites with many today  hence one of the reason I think many today bleach, to mentally convince oneself that they are a master now. Also during colonial days many light skinned individuals were granted privileges and freed faster than the black enslaves. Another reason why many today would want to lighten their complexion, because mentally they do belief this still happens in society today. That lighter skin tone is the passport out of whatever situation they might be in or lighter skin tone equals easy life.

But why is skin bleaching more prominent in Jamaica than any other part of the Caribbean? Why is it only in Jamaica are popular figures are openly support and condone such practices and even brag about skin bleaching? Again, back to the plantation. Jamaica had many large sugar plantations, some of the largest throughout the Caribbean. This resulted in a large amount of enslaves being present on the island hence  it would be hard to break a mental brain wash on persons as they are still surrounded by and still heavily influenced by the colonialism as many stories an ideologies are still prominent today in their community today consciously or unconsciously.

It is indeed sad that Caribbean persons today still have such a mentality about ones skin complexion. But the physiological effects are already done. What might fix this psychological disaster in Jamaica? Education, may be, but no one really knows as our education system and history are already altered in favor of those who once held power.

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The issue at hand: Skin bleaching in the Caribbean

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The issue at hand: Skin bleaching in the Caribbean

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It has been a problem in the Caribbean for years now but become more predominant in 2011 in the Caribbean where persons drastically lighten their skin tone and promote skin lightening. This phenomena occurs throughout the Caribbean but it is most prominent and noticeable in Jamaica as it being promotes through music and other popular figures in the country. Many documentaries, articles and laws were pass to stop skin lightening throughout the region but I am of the opinion that the current problem at hand lies deeper than the change in skin color.

Many persons in the Caribbean today still classify light skin color with a high status, with beauty, with more opportunities and privileges and with power. When to some it is a known fact that it is not so. The root of this problem stems all the way back to colonial sugar Cain, slave and master days. Where the lighter skinned complexion men were the rulers, the power, more so the masters and us the persons with darker complexion are the slave, that mentality still sites with many today  hence one of the reason I think many today bleach, to mentally convince oneself that they are a master now. Also during colonial days many light skinned individuals were granted privileges and freed faster than the black enslaves. Another reason why many today would want to lighten their complexion, because mentally they do belief this still happens in society today. That lighter skin tone is the passport out of whatever situation they might be in or lighter skin tone equals easy life.

But why is skin bleaching more prominent in Jamaica than any other part of the Caribbean? Why is it only in Jamaica are popular figures are openly support and condone such practices and even brag about skin bleaching? Again, back to the planation. Jamaica had many large sugar plantations, some of the largest throughout the Caribbean. This resulted in a large amount of enslaves being present on the island hence  it would be hard to break a mental brain wash on persons as they are still surrounded by and still heavily influenced by the colonialism as many stories an ideologies are still prominent today in their community today consciously or unconsciously.

It is indeed sad that Caribbean persons today still have such a mentality about ones skin complexion. But the physiological effects are already done. What might fix this psychological disaster in Jamaica? Education, may be, but no one really knows as our education system and history are already altered in favor of those who once held power.

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Popular dance hall artist Vybz Kartel color transformation. "From black to Browning"
Photo credited: http://urbanislandz.com/2011/01/22/vybz-kartel-bleaching-the-subject-of-extensive-media-bashing/

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photo credited: http://thesocalyst.com/post/113074829452/happy-holi-phagwah-to-the-hindu-community

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Guyana’s  Phagwah is a Hindu celebration brought to Guyana from Indian in 1838, by Indian Indentured Immigrants. Phagwah Indicates the New Year for Hindus. This festival started at a time when India was facing a serious drought, affecting the various crops. However, the rain eventually came pouring down to the satisfaction of the farmers who came out in the fields, playing with the water and throwing as they throw it on each other. Soon after, they start reaping their bountiful harvest Guyanese celebrate this festival by dressing in all white and the spraying colored powder and water on one another. The colorful powders and dyes during Phagwah represents the unique floral beauty of spring and the vanishing of hatred feelings, jealousy and enmity, and bringing into the community a feeling of togetherness. During  Phagwah special songs called Chowtaals are sung as persons dance and enjoy the festivities.

Photo credited: http://guyanesegirlsrock.com/happy-holi-phagwah-guyana/

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Festiites Festivites: Barbados Crop Over

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Festiites Festivites: Barbados Crop Over

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Barbados crop over could be traced back to the end 1780's, a time when Barbados was the world's largest producer of sugar. At the end of the sugar season, there was always a large celebration to mark the culmination of another successful sugar cane harvest hence the “Crop Over”. As the sugar industry in Barbados declined, so too did the Crop Over festival and in the 1940's the festival was terminated. However, the festival was revived in 1974 and other elements of Barbadian culture were infused in it creating the crop over festival today. The traditional festivities included dancing and singing accompanied by anything that could produce a desirable song which includes empty bottles, shak shak, bones, fiddle, triangle and the guitar. Also various competitions such as climbing a greased pole and eating and drinking competition.

Today crop over is slightly different as it is infused with different Barbadian cultures. Crop over begins in June and ends on the first Monday in August. It begins with a thanksgiving Service followed by the "Crop Over Opening Gala & the Ceremonial Delivery of the last Canes" parade through the streets of Barbados which signals the beginning of crop over celebrations. Other activities include the cohobblopot, Pic-O-De-Crop Monarch and the grand finale Kadooment.

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Grand kadooment celebrations indicating the end of crop over.
Photo credited: http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/05/travel/barbados-festival/

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Barbados ceremonial parade " the last cane " signaling the beginning of crop over!
Photo credited: http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/46732/crop-officially-kicks

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Happiest man alive or H.M.A is Soca song  Performed by Machel mantano of Trinidad and Tobago, written by Gamal “ Skinny fabulous” Doyle and  Alex Barnwell of St Vincent and the Grenadine alongside Machel Montano and produced by Alex “"Kubayashi" Barnwell. Machel Mantano is a Grammy award winning soca artiste producing hits soca songs since the tender age of seven. Happiest man alive was released in November 2013 to celebrate the 2014 Trinidad and Tobago carnival festivities.

Machel’s happiest man alive started off with the quotes “happiness is the measure of success” and a very up tempo beat. This beat of the song had me going from introduction to end as I mentally dancing and physical shake my head to beat. The beat comprised of a very heavy base set, whistles, drums and a very strong rhythm or ion sections which my minds automatically connected to dance. A way in which persons here in the Caribbean express there likeliness of a song and enjoys one self. During the song there were moments of little to no vocals along with reduced based at a slower pace and a predominant period of the iron or rhythm section can be heard. Rhythm or iron sections in the Caribbean is a means of music passed on from our ancestors which comprised rhythm section which comprise of parts of old metallic objects that can produced a desirable song. Sometimes includes the triangle base, empty bottles and other scrap pieces of metals such as old tire parts, cow bells and graters. During this part of the song one felt completely free and compelled to dance!

The artist also sang his song in first person- narrative using “ah” which means “I” and other personal reference such as “me”  causing one to make a mental and personal connection truly believing “I’m the happiest man alive” or “I don’t got no time for no stressing” when one recites or sing along with the song. The writer also used relatable scenarios to its listeners such “always happy once money in meh hand” and other carnival scenarios that includes rum, mass and dancing causing the listener to connect more with the song. the song also mentally transports it’s listeners to carnival  where one can mentally “ play ah mass and live me life” and attend the festivities.

Machele Manton’s song entitled “HMA” indeed had his listeners felling like they are the happiest men alive during its 3 minutes and 47 seconds of his song. His upbeat tempo and powerful rhythm section moved his listeners. The relatable lyrics and uses for” I “& “me” caused the listeners to make personal connections to the song. The song can also cause the one to fall out of reality and into carnival mode where one is compelled to dance. Overall this rendition places his listeners in a festive “Happy” mood.

Video credited: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTS_yBr5odE

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Trinidad Carnival | MachelMontanoMusic Kerwin Du Bois

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Precision Productions & Alex Barnwell Mastered

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Machel Montano - HMA (Happiest Man Alive) | Soca 2014 | Trinidad Carnival | MachelMontanoMusic

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BRAND NEW RELEASE 2014 MACHEL MONTANO - HMA (Happiest Man Alive) Written by Gamal "Skinny Fabulous" Doyle, Machel Montano & Alex Barnwell Produced by Alex "Kubiyashi" Barnwell Guitars by Zan George Background Vocals by Christian Kalpee Mixing by Precision Productions & Alex Barnwell Mastered by Mike Wells, CA.