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Identity can be defined as the individual characteristics, style and manner that is fundamental to the uniqueness of a person or thing in that which it is recognized. Identity imparts a sense of belonging derived from membership in a community.
Caribbean identity can be defined as the cultures, beliefs and qualities of the Caribbean region, a collection of settled nations that has been shaped by waves of migration and indentureship that have combined to form a unique blend of traditional, artistic, musical, literary, culinary, political and social elements that are representative of our multi-cultural society. Each island has a unique cultural identity shaped by European colonist, the African heritage of slaves and the enduring legacies of the native Indian tribes.
This page focuses mainly on the history and concepts of Caribbean Identity.

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Caribbean identity traces back to the arrival of the French and English settlers as well as the Spanish. The indigenous people, who were the first set of people which initially inhabited the Caribbean islands also played a critical part in the development of the European colonies in the Caribbean, from the role in assisting exploration, the development of the sugar trade and inter-European power struggles to the formation of the afro-Caribbean people. As a result of the inhabitation of Caribbean islands by the European colonies, farming, trades and slavery became important in the development of the Caribbean.
With the arrival of the European colonies to the Caribbean, their intentions with the land were for agricultural purposes and thus the formation of the sugar plantation. The cultivation of sugar however requires a large workforce of manual labourers and thus the Europeans enslaved the indigenous people and forced them to work on these plantations. However, the indigenous people had a high death rate due to European diseases. As a result, Africans were forcibly brought to British colonies from the Atlantic slave trade to the Caribbean to work on plantations. They were ill-treated by their owners, beaten, deprived of food and clothing. They were given no freedom and were treated like property of their owners as they were bought and sold as commodities. Their harsh and inhumane treatment were justified by the idea that they were of a lower class and inferior race, due to white supremacy. In attempt to obtain their freedom from these harsh conditions under which they worked, some of the slaves revolted against the planters and some ran away, but their efforts were futile.
Slavery was abolished on August 1st 1834, however, they were still under the apprenticeship system which was the name given to the plan implemented during the time period between slavery and emancipation to prepare the slaves to assume duties as free men as they continued to work for low wages under their old masters. However, this system failed in 1838 as a result that former slaves did not benefit anything more now than they had during their enslavement. Nothing had really changed. They were still worked extremely hard with little to no comforts or rights and corporal punishment was still widely practiced by their owners.
Colonisation and migration influenced present-day developments in society. Colonialism altered the ethnic composition of the Caribbean population which forced people of difference races, cultures and ethnic groups to co-exist with each other.

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The Caribbean’s culture has been historically influenced by that of African, Amerindian, European and Indian traditions.“The confluence of various cultures created new and unique cultural systems” – Kamau Brathwaite.

Caribbean culture has been preserved more by authentic voices of artist, farmers, traders and merchants who may be educationally deprived but quite knowledgeable of the cultural heritage of the island nations and are the regions best oral historians and cultural preservationists. The Caribbean is undoubtedly a product of its tropical settings, music and flavourful foods. Cultures of the Caribbean countries are a blend of colonial mainstays and persuasive influences by the major ethnic groups of the region. For example, Barbados retains enough British traditions to be called “Little England”, Jamaica relies heavily on pre-colonial heritage and is passionately self-sufficient, Aruba, once a Dutch possession, only retains slight Dutch influence today, Guadeloupe remains a French possession where French customs, culture and language prevails. Old African heritage also influences much of the religious worships, expression of arts and music, food and even they ways of thinking in the Caribbean. For example, spiritual practices such as obeah in the Bahamas, Rastafari in Jamaica, voodun in Haiti as well as reggae music and jerk cooking are all African influenced movements in the Caribbean.

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Music can be used as an instrument not only for self-expression but also nationalistic expression. It not only serves as to express and maintain pre-existing identities but also provides resources for contesting and constructing new ones. Music of the Caribbean are as varied as the islands themselves. From the sweet tinkling of the steelpan drums, to the reggae beats that tells the story of the hardships that the islands have endured, music has always been an important part of Caribbean culture. Music in the Caribbean absorbs different cultures so that Caribbean music becomes a new mode.

STYLES OF MUSIC INCLUDE:

CALYPSO – Its rhythms are traced back to African kaiso and the French planters and their slaves. It is style of afro-Caribbean music that originated as slave songs, sung by plantation workers in Trinidad and Tobago during the early mid-20th century and spread to the rest of the Caribbean Antilles. https://youtu.be/SbYOHqXinbc

REGGAE – originated in Jamaica, incorporates some of the musical elements of rhythm and blues, jazz, mento, calypso, African and Latin American music. The island’s youths needed an outlet to vent their frustration and found it in music. These young Rastafarians creates music rooted n the soul genre and as a result they created what other parts of the world know as the music of the islands as it reflects the hardships in which they went through.
https://youtu.be/TayoKc0hAxw

CHUTNEY – Born out of East Indian influence in Trinidad and derives from both traditional Indian music and popular soca music.
https://youtu.be/tf4hIzKLojg

SOCA – Dance music which is a mix of Trinidad’s calypso and Indian music and rhythms, especially chutney music it combines calypso with Indian rhythms.
https://youtu.be/bXXq4RBKhtc

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The Caribbean is known for its delicious, mouth watering and flavourful dishes. The Caribbean cuisine reflects the cultures that have influenced the region such as the Indigenous people, Africans, French, Spanish, Indians, Asians and Europeans. One common dish to many of the Caribbean countries is pelau, a mixture of saltfish, beef, rice, peas and other vegetables. Other popular foods of the Caribbean include:
Flying fish and cou cou – the national dish of Barbados.
Jerk – the fiery flavour of Jamaica.
Pepperpot – a tempting and heart stew.
Bake and shark – famous in Trinidad as well as doubles.

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The language in which we speak in the Caribbean is English-based creole language which is a patois language, developed as a result of the simplifying and mixing of different languages. Creole English is subject to inferiority and is considered to be a language of the poor, lower class and uneducated people and thus people refrained of speaking it and prevented their children from speaking it as well however the historical importance and linguistic appeal of this language is significant in our local culture.

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Carnival is the most influential single, cultural factor in Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad is the birthplace of carnival in the Caribbean and is the greatest show on earth and it was brought by the French settlers from Martinique in the late 18th century. The celebration was originally confined to the elite and the African slaves were banned from the masquerade balls of the French so they would stage their own mini carnivals in their backyards using their own rituals and folklore as well as imitating and mocking their master’s behaviours.
J’ouvert occurs during the first few hours of carnival Monday morning from about 4AM till sunrise. Costumes and masked by the darkness, the wealthy and allowed to mix anonymously with the poor. The daytime of carnival Monday and Tuesday are dominated by costumed masqueraders and this is called mas.
Besides J’ouvert and mas, there are a lot of other events and competitions which accompany the celebration of carnival such as stick fighting, Calypso Monarch, Soca Monarch, Chutney Soca Monarch, King and Queen of the bands, Road March just to name a few.
By the beginning of the 18th century there were already many free blacks in Trinidad mixed with French immigrants, earlier Spanish settlers and British nationals. This resulted in Carnival’s transformation from an implanted European celebration to a heterogenous cultural froth that included the traditions of all ethnic groups in the Caribbean. The abolition of slavery resulted in carnival being spread to the free population where they outwardly celebrated their native culture and their emancipation through dress, music and dance which are three elements that remain central to carnival celebrations.
From Trinidad, carnival spread to many other islands where the traditions fused with their unique local cultures such as salsa showcases in Antigua and Calypso in Dominica. People from all over the world visit the Caribbean to partake in Carnival and experience what the Caribbean has to offer and this is where culture attracts tourism.

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Tourism and culture enjoy a highly symbolic and mutually beneficial relationship. Culture in its many forms and expressions functions as tourist sites and attractions and thus tourism in turn has proven to add value by serving as one of the main driving forces to preserve and strengthening indigenous cultural identity, while at the same time making a positive contribution to social and economic development. Although carnival has become the main attraction, the Caribbean is known for its warm climate, fine scenery, beaches and diverse topography including coral reefs, tropical forests, coral reefs, waterfalls and volcanoes. Tourism is one of the Caribbean’s major economic sectors and Caribbean islands now depend on tourism for their economy.

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Sports is the universal language that connects people regardless of their origin, background, religion, race, culture or economic position. Sports unites people by allowing them to see past their racial lines to bond over shared interests and common passion. Cricket in the West Indies is a binding social force and a means of self-affirmation, which gives the Caribbean peoples a sense of purpose, belonging and a common identity in our segmented society. Two main sports played in the Caribbean are Cricket and Football.

Cricket is traditionally the most popular sport played in the Caribbean. “The West Indies” is a multi-national men’s cricket team made up of mainly 15 English speaking Caribbean countries and territories which mainly formed the British West Indies. Cricket was first introduced to the Caribbean by the British military and was used as an instrument of colonization. Its popularity spread to the black population in which they learnt the art of the sport and eventually understood its importance in the context of the social development of the societies of which they were a part of.

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In conclusion, Caribbean culture is made up of a various blend of customs and traditions from different ethnic groups brought together by European colonist. These different cultures which once divided us has been combined resulting in the beautiful Caribbean culture we have today which makes the Caribbean unique. Identities are not fixed; they are fluid and continues to be influenced by the things that we do. Although our customs, traditions, beliefs and practices were once confined to our individual beings and groups, our Caribbean history has taken each of these unique characteristics and combined them into what we are proud to call our Caribbean culture today. We all celebrate and take part in different celebrations and festivals such as, Christmas, Eid and Diwali and indeed, “All ah we is one”.

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“An Introduction to the Caribbean, Empire and Slavery.” The British Library, The British Library, 7 Aug. 2017, www.bl.uk/west-india-regiment/articles/an-introduction-to-the-caribbean-empire-and-slavery.
“Carnival: When Culture Attracts Tourism.” ACS, www.acs-aec.org/index.php?q=sustainable-tourism/carnival-when-culture-attracts-tourism.
“Creole Language.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Apr. 2020, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creole_language.
“Cricket in the West Indies.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Jan. 2020, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_in_the_West_Indies.
“Culture of the Caribbean.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Jan. 2020, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_the_Caribbean.
Iiwinc. “The Culture of the Caribbean.” Caribbean Culture | Caribya!, caribya.com/caribbean/culture/.
“Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Mar. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad_and_Tobago_Carnival.
https://youtu.be/SbYOHqXinbc
https://youtu.be/TayoKc0hAxw
https://youtu.be/tf4hIzKLojg
https://youtu.be/bXXq4RBKhtc