Caribbean Music and Festivals

Caribbean Music and Festivals Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Caribbean Music and Festivals Throughout history, music has shown that it is capable of shaping the objectives and goals of individuals and communities towards a cultural nationalism, collective identity, and political independence. Music also transmits political demands and ideologies to activists and adherents of social, cultural, and political movements. Such effect played out dramatically in the rise of the Caribbean nationalism. Nationalism in the Caribbean revolves around sustaining a common identity that is rooted in a common culture and history. Music influenced the sense of community in these Caribbean communities and formed an identity based on their common ideas as the people of the Caribbean. Musicians and dancers evoked in the people of the Caribbean an awareness of their social-cultural realities, prospects, and cultural traditions, while in turn, the people of Caribbean imbibed the dance music and rhythms in their everyday lives. The Caribbean nationalism materialized in several ways, but more essentially, music was at the center of ideological and emotional cohesion, and also fueled the sustainability and excitement of national identification. This effect is exemplified in various Caribbean countries, leading to the emergence of various music genres such as Cuban Son, Rumba and Salsa, Dominican Bachata and Merengue, Puerto Rican Aguinaldo, Bomba, Seis, and Plena. These genres of music, as this paper demonstrates, led to the rise of nationalism and awareness in Caribbean nations. Son and Rumba The son and rumba are secular Cuban music that originated in the late nineteenth century. The son originated from the highlands of eastern Cuba, while rumba originated from Southern Cuba. Nonetheless, both types incorporate elements from African and Spanish origin. African slaves transported from African nations to work in Cuban plantations played the music in their communities as a form of entertainment. The popularity of these genres led to their acceptance in the Spanish communities as singers were allowed to perform in parties and events. The son and rumba music played by the slaves signified their cultural traditions and practices. By singing the music, the slaves were able to share their culture and identities with their offspring, since most of the music was played as a form of prayer to their African gods. Similar to the nineteenth century, the son and rumba are played mainly to signify cultural identity. Despite recent developments, some of the instruments used today to play the rumba and son were used in earlier times. For instance, the Cajon represents the boxes used by the slaves to transport sugarcane and play a specific pattern, whereas the claves are used to produce a sharp piercing tone and play the same rhythm throughout the piece. Therefore, the instruments together with the rhythms played in son and rumba signify the traditions of the African slaves in Cuba. Bomba The bomba is a percussion-driven musical tradition that originated from Puerto Rico. The genre dates back to early European colonial periods during which slaves from Africa were brought into the country in the seventeenth century. Similar to rumba and son, bomba music was sung to express identity. The music was a source of spiritual and political expression by the African slaves. Through such music, the musicians were able to express their anger and sadness about their slavery, and eventually, the songs motivated the slaves to rebel. However, most importantly, bomba music was used to celebrate identity. The music reminded the slaves of their true culture and practices. Eventually, the contact between the slave populations in various Caribbean states led to the evolvement of bomba music. Nonetheless, bomba music is a representation of the cultural heritage of the Afro-Puerto Rican communities. Plena The plena was developed from bomba music in southern Puerto Rico, at the beginning of the twentieth century. The genre of music is more narrative compared to bomba, since it describes events and stories, offers satirical commentaries, comments on political protest movements, and tackles topical themes. The plena was uniquely portrayed as the people’s newspaper since musicians sang about the real-life events affecting the people of Puerto Rico. The tradition of plena is deeply rooted in the history of the African and Puerto-Rican music culture. The genre encapsulates the struggles of the commoner in the Puerto-Rican community, amid the drastic and fast socio-political changes experienced in the society. The messages conveyed through the music eventually led to the uprising and rebellion against oppression and injustices. Therefore, plena not only serves as a reminder to the people of Puerto Rico of their heritage and culture but also acts as a catalyst for the social and progressive changes experienced in the country to date. The plena was contributed by a diversity of cultures who used and continue to use the genre as a medium for informing the continually progressive and dynamic Puerto Rican culture. Plena and bomba serve as important genres for communicating specific social themes and messages Aguinaldo The aguinaldos are traditional Christmas songs commonly sang in churches by the Puerto Ricans. The music developed in rural areas as a means of singing religious poems during the season of Christmas. In Puerto Rico, the Aguinaldo has changed to forms of villancicos or decimas, and the instruments originally used were the tiple, bordonua, and the cuatro. The music was commonly performed during the holidays as a form of giving back to the people of Puerto Rico. Based on their culture, Puerto Ricans believed in sharing and offering gifts during th...