DONE BY: SANGEETA AND SUNETA SAMUEL

The impact of Festivals and music of the Caribbean, upon the festivals, music

pageants and street parades of the countries of

north America, Europe, Africa and of Japan

THE IMPACT OF OUR NATIONAL FESTIVALS

Carnival- is a festival season which occurs immediately before ‘lent’ season. This occurs during February or March. It is typically involves a public celebration or parade combination some elements of a circus and public street party. People often dress up or masquerade during the celebrations.

The Trinidad and Tobago carnival, became a part of the way of life of the people of England, through the Notting hill Carnival. Nonetheless, it has continued and grown, and become a tradition in the area, as has happened with the Caribana festival in Toronto, and the Brooklyn Labour Day celebrations. There were elements in society that resisted the Caribbean cultural impact, but the huge economic activities that accompany these celebrations have forced the authorities in these countries to recognised the greater benefits to be gained by the tolerance of the annual infusion of the Caribbean culture. However, partly because they have contributed to the economies of these countries, and partly because the West Indian communities have fought for their inclusion, pointing out, for example, the Caribana has earned millions of dollars from metro Toronto, Carnival has started to take root in these countries, and become part of their cultural practice. Indeed the Notting Hill carnival has now become one of Europe’s largest street festivals.

THE IMPACT OF CARIBBEAN FESTIVALS (COUNTRIES OF NORTH AMERICA)

When migrants leave the Caribbean to live abroad it carries with them their cultural practices. Today these have evolved into popular festivals. For instance , nothing hill carnival in the united kingdom, labour day celebrations in Brooklyn, carnival in Miami and Caribana in Toronto/Canada. These traditional carnival celebrations have become major tourist attractions where thousands of people attend them each year. As a result, local economies are boosted yearly through hotel booking, taxes or entertainment, services the food industry and provide work in producing costumes etc.

Caribbean migrants have helped to develop the economics of metropolitan countries . Where immigrants leaving for the USA and or Canada had to be professionally trained and educated which led to brain drain of Caribbean countries. Where our educated people , often trained at the expense of the state left to benefit the economies of the already developed countries.

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL

This carnival is staged in Notting Hill, London on the last weekend in august(since 1956). It began with the black immigrants from the west indies especially Trinidad and Tobago. It served as a form of uniting the immigrants who were facing racism, unemployment, poor housing and general oppression which led to the suppression of their self esteem. Steel band was invited so as to appeal to the vast number of West Indians who felt alienated in the community. Soon calypso was joined by reggae making it a Caribbean blend. Notting Hill festival reflected a blend of old and new.

CARIBANA

Every summer, Toronto(Canada) blazes with the excitement of calypso, steel pan and elaborate masqueraders costumes during the annual Caribbean Festival. Carnival is the largest Caribbean Festival in North America. Presented by the Caribbean Cultural Committee, the two-week Festival attracts over a million participants annually, including hundreds of thousands of American tourists. Among the highlights is the Caribbean Parade, one of the largest in North America. Thousands of brilliantly costumed masqueraders and dozens of trucks carrying live soca, calypso, steel pan, reggae and salsa artist jam. Caribana was created in 1967 based on Trinidad and Tobago carnival, the festival exhibits costumes of Jamaica, Guyana and the Bahamas.

LABOUR DAY IN BROOKLYN(USA)

Carnival is the biggest parade in New York with 3 million participants each year. The parade depicts elaborately designed costumes, illustrating beauty and pageantry. There are many masqueraders and huge sound trucks with live performers. The service roads have stand of vendors lined up selling food, books, clothing, art, jewerly, and much more. Labour Day Carnival Parade has grown over the years from thousands of participants and tourist to over 3.5 million people in attendance since the mid 1990’s. The influx of tourist from all over the world has benefited New York City on an economic level, most recognizably with large corporations, small businesses and the tourist/service industry.

THE IMPACT OF CARIBBEAN MUSIC

Reggae and soca music are now regularly played and performed all over the world. Some of you may have mentioned the steelband. The tuning and playing of the steelpan have become popular in some schools and colleges abroad. Every year in Trinidad and Tobago many of the top steelbands preparing for the annual Panorama Competition take on a few players from the metropolis who are for the most part studying the art form

Reggae, to a greater extent than calypso or soca, has developed a following among non- Caribbean people. It is said that this interest began with the protest music of Bob Marley’s early recordings and it was adopted, particularly by the youth of the world. His music also had strong themes of peace, love and brotherhood, again relevant to the concerns not only of the youth but mankind. His Rastafarian image is also important in explaining world acclaim of reggae.

Reggae Sumfest has made a significant impact on international audiences who visit Jamaica annually for this festival. So too, have the Jazz festivals, in many Caribbean islands. These have a relatively large international following and are covered by the international media.

There are many types of Caribbean music which, although quite popular in the Caribbean, have had limited impact on the world scene. For example, zouk, punta, cadence and Afro- Cuban rhythms ( such as the rumba) are types of music which are enjoyed abroad by Caribbean people and their friends. Dissemination to a foreign audience usually occurs on an informal basis, for example through their friends and local live performances.

In Japan, for instance, a well known female vocalist Sayoko has cut a reworking of the Japanese pop classic Ue O Muite Aruko (Sukiyaki) as an extended CD single that includes both the Japanese and English versions of the song, set to a reggae beat. Furthermore, reggae is also being incorporated into other forms- one pop rock group in the USA, for instance, now produces a kind of crossover reggae they called Jah rock.

Definitions

Punta- the best known traditional dance in Honduras and it is called ‘banguity’ (new life). Punta can be sung at wakes and at the end of ceremonies.

Calypso- a style of Afro Caribbean music which originated in Trinidad and Tobago at about the start of the 20th century

Zouk- a style of rhythmic music originating from the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique . ‘Zouk’ means 'party’ in the local Creole of French with English and African influence all three of which contributes to the sound

Salsa- is essentially Cuban in stylistic origin through it is also a hybrid of Puerto Rico and other Latin styles mixed with pop jazz, rock and R n B.

Reggae- is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960’s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denoted a particular music style that originated following on the development of ‘ska’ and ‘rocksteady’. Reggae is often associated with the Rastafarian movement.

Thank You for your time and

attention!Hope this

presentation was educational and

helpful to you