CARIBBEAN FOLK MUSICWWW.STEFANWALCOTT.COM

CARIBBEAN COMPOSERS’ HANDBOOK – AMAZON.COM

BARBADOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE CARIBBEAN MUSIC

CULTURAL NARRATIVES

Caribbean Folk music is seen to be produced by a meeting of cultures.

Creolisation

Creolisation Equation says different European music culture + different African music Cultures = Different Caribbean genre

PLACES AND TYPES OF CARIBBEAN FOLK MUSIC

Curacao – Tambú

Barbados – Tuk

Trinidad – Lavway/Calenda

Cuba – Rhumba

Carriacou – Big Drum

Jamaica – Jonkanoo

Puerto Rico – Bomba y Plena

MUSICAL AND LYRICAL MAKE-UP

Caribbean folk music is seen as acoustic

Instrumental, vocal (solo and choral), percussion.

Songs are sung in dialect

Most are taken post-emancipation and pre-colonial independence, therefore topics refer to events of those times.

Some are work songs.

Usual instruments found: guitars, percussion, voice.

HEARD TODAY

Caribbean music is mostly heard today at national events.

It is seen as being part of a people’s identity.