Caribbean Music Essay

What is meant by Caribbean music in a new mode? What emphasis, in this chapter, seems to justify a departure from traditional presentations of music and culture of the Caribbean? Caribbean music in a new mode it’s meant that it probes the African antecedents retained in the region’s religious rituals. The chapter further contends that in the African-derived context, no distinction is made between sacred and secular, and that popular festivals like carnival, rara, junkannu, or gumbay are rooted in an Afro-religious mode. In this respect, one finds commonality of themes, the major ones being: cultural affirmation; aspirations to freedom; and resistance to oppression as expressed in rituals such as Vodou, Santeria, Candomble, Kumina, or Shango; popular dance-hall styles like â€Å"rasin† in Haiti, reggae in Jamaica, samba-reggae in Brazil; and carnival musics like calypso and soca in Trinidad & Tobago. The mix of culture seems to justify a departure from traditional presentation of music and culture of the Caribbean. Caribbean music was influenced by the triple cultural: Amerindian, African and European. Caribbean music styles can be classified into folk, classical, or commercial popular categories.Caribbean Music contain the traditional music and the features of other countries and area. It creates its own unique style. Caribbean Music absorbed African music Percussion Music. The Caribbean can make good use of drums and other strong beat instruments. Samba,Rumba, Merengue, Reggae,Calypso, and Soca are also relate to the African dancing. Therefore, vigorous music is one of important Caribbean Music Characteristics. Because of the the effect on the west side, Caribbean Music always has a strong Latin style, which makes Caribbean Music more charming. In the past, the Carnival was resisted by the upper class. However, it becomes the world biggest showcase for all over the world. Nowadays, Caribbean music combine some international elements and keep their music original style which leads Caribbean music and its dancing to become more famous and popular. The music of the Caribbean illustrates the soundscape of Africa and Europe, and this may be observed in the rhythms of Candomble, Santerà ­a, Vodou, Kumina, and Shango, as well as the popular dance-hall styles of rumba, samba, merengue, reggae, calypso and soca.