World Music Caribbean
Geographic location and population
The Caribbean islands lie in a chain from the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south. In between this chain are the largest islands of Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Most of the current Caribbean populations are descendants of West African slaves and settlers from Europe, India and China. The music of the Caribbean differs from island to island, but each kind has its origins in a mixture of African and European influences (Worldatlas.com 2015; Wikipedia 2015).
The Caribbean islands lie in a chain from the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south. In between this chain are the largest islands of Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Most of the current Caribbean populations are descendants of West African slaves and settlers from Europe, India and China. The music of the Caribbean differs from island to island, but each kind has its origins in a mixture of African and European influences (Worldatlas.com 2015; Wikipedia 2015).
Historic and Cultural Contexts of Caribbean Music
Currently, there are over one hundred styles of Caribbean music. Most of these have stemmed from earlier local genres. Since the 16th century, the Caribbean has been a melting pot of influences mainly from the Americas, India, Africa and Europe (Manuel, Bilby, & Largey 2006). One of the first music styles to originate in the Caribbean was a percussion style of music performed by the Taino people (indigenous people of the Caribbean). Their music involved wooden instruments such as maracas and mayohuaca'n (see right). They would use their music for a range of purposes from recounting history to curing illnesses (Ekweume 1974; TainoAge n.d.).
http://www.tainoage.com/music/track1.MP3 (TainoAge n.d.)
Currently, there are over one hundred styles of Caribbean music. Most of these have stemmed from earlier local genres. Since the 16th century, the Caribbean has been a melting pot of influences mainly from the Americas, India, Africa and Europe (Manuel, Bilby, & Largey 2006). One of the first music styles to originate in the Caribbean was a percussion style of music performed by the Taino people (indigenous people of the Caribbean). Their music involved wooden instruments such as maracas and mayohuaca'n (see right). They would use their music for a range of purposes from recounting history to curing illnesses (Ekweume 1974; TainoAge n.d.).
http://www.tainoage.com/music/track1.MP3 (TainoAge n.d.)
Trinidadian calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the 17th century. It uses a 4/4 time with syncopation
accompanied by vocals. The songs usually contain humour and sexual
innuendo. Calypso style songs were first used to mock slave masters on
sugar plantations. This allowed people to connect and protest without
being punished as slave masters didn't understand Creole. Trinidadian calypso music peaked in popularity in the
early 20th century. It’s authoritarian challenging lyrics sparked
outrage with many colonial powers but resonated within those who
supported the messages (Wikipedia 2015; Hill 2006).
Harry Belafonte’s album, Calypso, was released in 1956. Ironically the songs on the album were in the mento genre, which is a style of Jamaican folk music (Brown 1970). This album sold over one million copies and therefore created a lot of interest in this genre. However, people were unaware that Belafonte’s album was more mento style than Trinidadian calypso. Many Caribbean musicians quickly realised the riches that could be made by selling ‘calypso’ music to consumers. In Jamaica, musicians simply changed the label of their style from mento to calypso. Making it more appealing to the consumers at the time (1950s and 60s). As Lord Flea in 1957 stated, “If the tourists want 'calypso', that's what we sell them." Mento music these days is also referred to as Jamaican calypso. The main differences between Trinidadian calypso and Jamaican calypso are the instruments and lyrics used in the songs (Hill 2006; Romer 2015; Gittens 2010).
My main focus in this assignment was on mento style music. Jamaican calypso uses 'folk instruments' e.g. a guitar, a banjo, a gourd shaker and a 'rumba box'. The lyrics are usually political and about day-to-day life just like Harry Belafonte's 'Banana Boat song', which I go into more detail later (Romer 2015). Originally, I wanted to do a ska or reggae style performance. However, it seemed more interesting to attempt a mento style song because it predates the more well-known styles of ska and reggae. Bob Marley made reggae popular around the world but I wonder if mento could have been as successful in the same era. In the 1950s, it was difficult to market music to a global audience. I think it's a shame we don't hear more Caribbean music styles in the west. However, the great thing about the internet is that one can research and listen to earlier pieces of Caribbean music.
Harry Belafonte’s album, Calypso, was released in 1956. Ironically the songs on the album were in the mento genre, which is a style of Jamaican folk music (Brown 1970). This album sold over one million copies and therefore created a lot of interest in this genre. However, people were unaware that Belafonte’s album was more mento style than Trinidadian calypso. Many Caribbean musicians quickly realised the riches that could be made by selling ‘calypso’ music to consumers. In Jamaica, musicians simply changed the label of their style from mento to calypso. Making it more appealing to the consumers at the time (1950s and 60s). As Lord Flea in 1957 stated, “If the tourists want 'calypso', that's what we sell them." Mento music these days is also referred to as Jamaican calypso. The main differences between Trinidadian calypso and Jamaican calypso are the instruments and lyrics used in the songs (Hill 2006; Romer 2015; Gittens 2010).
My main focus in this assignment was on mento style music. Jamaican calypso uses 'folk instruments' e.g. a guitar, a banjo, a gourd shaker and a 'rumba box'. The lyrics are usually political and about day-to-day life just like Harry Belafonte's 'Banana Boat song', which I go into more detail later (Romer 2015). Originally, I wanted to do a ska or reggae style performance. However, it seemed more interesting to attempt a mento style song because it predates the more well-known styles of ska and reggae. Bob Marley made reggae popular around the world but I wonder if mento could have been as successful in the same era. In the 1950s, it was difficult to market music to a global audience. I think it's a shame we don't hear more Caribbean music styles in the west. However, the great thing about the internet is that one can research and listen to earlier pieces of Caribbean music.
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Trinidadian calypso
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Jamaican calypso (mento)
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Performing 'The Banana Boat Song'
This is a traditional Jamaican song that was sung by dock workers who worked throughout the night loading bananas onto ships. It's daylight, and they look forward to the arrival of the 'tallyman' so they can go home (Songfacts 2015).
The purpose of Harry Belafonte's 'Banana Boat Song' in the performance piece was to show the loneliness of the character. The song's verses and chorus can be sung solo which fitted in with the storyline of the performance. A lonely Jamaican man is singing and playing his Caribbean drum when a young woman notices his talent and wants him to join her new band. It also uses a strophic (chorus-repeating) form, which could be used for others to participate in (BBC 2014). This song could be ideal in a classroom because everyone can be involved. The song is suitable for use in primary schools across Australia. Below are some ideas to achieve the standards set for Victorian (AusVELS) and Australian (ACARA) primary schools.
Creating and Making
A part of the creating and making standards in AusVELS is for students in level 1 and 2 to identify, describe and discuss characteristics of their own and others’ arts works. 'The Banana Boat Song' falls under the others' arts works and would be ideal for teachers of levels 1 and 2 to use. The 4/4 time and strophic allows students to identify and describe the instruments and some of the vocals. Students could use their own percussion instruments, including body percussion, to play along with the song or even without the backing track. The content descriptor, combine sounds made by a range of noise making toys with body percussion to accompany a learned song supports this (AusVELS 2015).
The lyrics could also be made more relevant to the students and helps students develop literacy and numerical skills. For example, the chorus line 'Daylight come and me wan' go home' is incorrect Australian Standard English and could be altered. So, students could count the syllables (8) by clapping and change the chorus to something like, 'Daylight's here, now I can go home'.
Similarly, in the Australian Curriculum, students from foundation to year 2 are expected to sing and play instruments to improvise, practise a repertoire of chants, songs and rhymes, including songs used by cultural groups in the community (ACAMUM081) (ACARA 2015). Students could use a variety of percussion instruments to improvise on the song, including instruments like marimbas, drums and maracas to perform this piece. The repetitive nature of the song, as mentioned previously, should make it easier for students to remember as well.
Exploring and Responding
There is no exploring and responding component in the standards for levels 1 and 2 in AusVELS but there is for levels 3 and 4 (AusVELS 2015).
In the Australian Curriculum, exploring and responding is a part of the achievement standard for Foundation to year 2 students .
One standard for levels 3 and 4 in exploring and responding is identify and describe key features of arts works from their own and other cultures (AusVELS 2015). To do this students could be set a task to think of and share what the song's meaning is. This can help with literary skills and create a cultural interest in the Caribbean region. The teacher can pose questions like, 'What do you think a 'tallyman' is?' For numerical understanding, the teacher could also ask, 'How long is a 6 foot bunch of bananas in cm?' The key features of the art work could be explored by identifying and researching the instruments used in the piece. It would also be important to explore the different elements of music in the song.
Students could also try and think of what the song's meaning is and this can help with literary skills and create a cultural interest in the Caribbean region.
In the Australian Curriculum, students in years Foundation to 2 develop aural skills by exploring and imitating sounds, pitch and rhythm patterns using voice, movement and body percussion (ACAMUM080) (ACARA 2015). Students could imitate the rhythm of song by clapping and moving to the music. After learning some of the lyrics, the students could then model the pitch of Belafonte's voice with some guidance from the teacher.
This is a traditional Jamaican song that was sung by dock workers who worked throughout the night loading bananas onto ships. It's daylight, and they look forward to the arrival of the 'tallyman' so they can go home (Songfacts 2015).
The purpose of Harry Belafonte's 'Banana Boat Song' in the performance piece was to show the loneliness of the character. The song's verses and chorus can be sung solo which fitted in with the storyline of the performance. A lonely Jamaican man is singing and playing his Caribbean drum when a young woman notices his talent and wants him to join her new band. It also uses a strophic (chorus-repeating) form, which could be used for others to participate in (BBC 2014). This song could be ideal in a classroom because everyone can be involved. The song is suitable for use in primary schools across Australia. Below are some ideas to achieve the standards set for Victorian (AusVELS) and Australian (ACARA) primary schools.
Creating and Making
A part of the creating and making standards in AusVELS is for students in level 1 and 2 to identify, describe and discuss characteristics of their own and others’ arts works. 'The Banana Boat Song' falls under the others' arts works and would be ideal for teachers of levels 1 and 2 to use. The 4/4 time and strophic allows students to identify and describe the instruments and some of the vocals. Students could use their own percussion instruments, including body percussion, to play along with the song or even without the backing track. The content descriptor, combine sounds made by a range of noise making toys with body percussion to accompany a learned song supports this (AusVELS 2015).
The lyrics could also be made more relevant to the students and helps students develop literacy and numerical skills. For example, the chorus line 'Daylight come and me wan' go home' is incorrect Australian Standard English and could be altered. So, students could count the syllables (8) by clapping and change the chorus to something like, 'Daylight's here, now I can go home'.
Similarly, in the Australian Curriculum, students from foundation to year 2 are expected to sing and play instruments to improvise, practise a repertoire of chants, songs and rhymes, including songs used by cultural groups in the community (ACAMUM081) (ACARA 2015). Students could use a variety of percussion instruments to improvise on the song, including instruments like marimbas, drums and maracas to perform this piece. The repetitive nature of the song, as mentioned previously, should make it easier for students to remember as well.
Exploring and Responding
There is no exploring and responding component in the standards for levels 1 and 2 in AusVELS but there is for levels 3 and 4 (AusVELS 2015).
In the Australian Curriculum, exploring and responding is a part of the achievement standard for Foundation to year 2 students .
One standard for levels 3 and 4 in exploring and responding is identify and describe key features of arts works from their own and other cultures (AusVELS 2015). To do this students could be set a task to think of and share what the song's meaning is. This can help with literary skills and create a cultural interest in the Caribbean region. The teacher can pose questions like, 'What do you think a 'tallyman' is?' For numerical understanding, the teacher could also ask, 'How long is a 6 foot bunch of bananas in cm?' The key features of the art work could be explored by identifying and researching the instruments used in the piece. It would also be important to explore the different elements of music in the song.
Students could also try and think of what the song's meaning is and this can help with literary skills and create a cultural interest in the Caribbean region.
In the Australian Curriculum, students in years Foundation to 2 develop aural skills by exploring and imitating sounds, pitch and rhythm patterns using voice, movement and body percussion (ACAMUM080) (ACARA 2015). Students could imitate the rhythm of song by clapping and moving to the music. After learning some of the lyrics, the students could then model the pitch of Belafonte's voice with some guidance from the teacher.
References
ACARA. (2015). Curriculum. Retrieved from: http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/english/curriculum/f-10?layout=1#levelF.
AusVELS. (2015). The Arts. Retrieved from: http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/The-Arts/Curriculum.
BBC. (2014). Music of the Caribbean. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/world_music/music_carribean5.shtml.
Ekweume, L. E. N. (1974). African-music retentions in the new world. The black perspective in music, 2(2), 128-144, doi:
10.2307/1214230.
Hill, D. R. (2006). Calypso Calaloo: Early carnival music in Trinidad (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
Gittens, S. (2010). The origin of calypso. Nation Newspaper. Retrieved from: http://www.nationnews.com/index.php/articles/view/the-origin-of-calypso.
Manuel, P., Bilby, K., & Largey, M. (2006). Caribbean Currents: Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
Romer, M. (2015). Jamaican mento music 101. Retrieved from: http://worldmusic.about.com/od/genres/p/Mento.htm.
Songfacts. (2015). The banana boat song (day-o) by Harry Belafonte. Retrieved from : http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=8010.
TainoAge. (n.d.). Taino music and musical instruments. Retrieved from: http://www.tainoage.com/taino_music.html.
Wikipedia. (2015). Calypso Music. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calypso_music.
Wikipedia. (2015). Caribbean. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean.
Worldatlas.com. (2015). Caribbean. Retrieved from: http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/carib.htm.
YouTube. (2015). Maestro - 'Mr Trinidad'. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZnKHe3BL1E
YouTube. (2015). Harry Belafonte - "Banana boat song (day-o)" - 1956. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=harry+belafonte+banana+boat+song.
YouTube. (2015). The Jolly Boys - Take me back to Jamaica. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYMceYsIhTQ.
ACARA. (2015). Curriculum. Retrieved from: http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/english/curriculum/f-10?layout=1#levelF.
AusVELS. (2015). The Arts. Retrieved from: http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/The-Arts/Curriculum.
BBC. (2014). Music of the Caribbean. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/world_music/music_carribean5.shtml.
Ekweume, L. E. N. (1974). African-music retentions in the new world. The black perspective in music, 2(2), 128-144, doi:
10.2307/1214230.
Hill, D. R. (2006). Calypso Calaloo: Early carnival music in Trinidad (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
Gittens, S. (2010). The origin of calypso. Nation Newspaper. Retrieved from: http://www.nationnews.com/index.php/articles/view/the-origin-of-calypso.
Manuel, P., Bilby, K., & Largey, M. (2006). Caribbean Currents: Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
Romer, M. (2015). Jamaican mento music 101. Retrieved from: http://worldmusic.about.com/od/genres/p/Mento.htm.
Songfacts. (2015). The banana boat song (day-o) by Harry Belafonte. Retrieved from : http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=8010.
TainoAge. (n.d.). Taino music and musical instruments. Retrieved from: http://www.tainoage.com/taino_music.html.
Wikipedia. (2015). Calypso Music. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calypso_music.
Wikipedia. (2015). Caribbean. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean.
Worldatlas.com. (2015). Caribbean. Retrieved from: http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/carib.htm.
YouTube. (2015). Maestro - 'Mr Trinidad'. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZnKHe3BL1E
YouTube. (2015). Harry Belafonte - "Banana boat song (day-o)" - 1956. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=harry+belafonte+banana+boat+song.
YouTube. (2015). The Jolly Boys - Take me back to Jamaica. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYMceYsIhTQ.