The Caribbean music is a new mode of investigating the African musical backgrounds that are part of Africa’s religious customs. The chapter illustrates that in the African musical setting, there is no difference between the sacred and secular songs and that most of the known festivals are based on the Afro-religious style. Similar music subjects such as cultural assertion, need for liberty, and the fight against persecution characterize the music rituals, which include Vodou, Santeria, and Kumina, are similar (Rinaudo 3). As such, a combination of philosophies affirms the loss of the old forms of music and culture of the Caribbean. Notably, the Caribbean music is established among three continental cultures, which include the Amerindian, African, and European.
The Caribbean music system can be categorized into three forms: folk, classical, and commercial. The system entails the traditional songs and components derived from other nations, which make it unique. Additionally, the Caribbean songs have significantly engrossed the African mode of music because currently, it incorporates different equipment, such as drums and other strong beat apparatuses (Balaji & Sigler 11). As such, vigorousness is one of the critical aspects of the Caribbean tunes.
Due to the impact created by the Western countries on the Caribbean music, it has incorporated Latin, thereby enhancing its attractiveness to its audience. Notably, the Caribbean music involves features of the international music but maintains its original system and dancing thus enabling it to be among the popular music globally (Connect for Education 8). The Caribbean music also defines the soundscape of Africa and Europe in which it is mainly encompassed in the rhythms of Santeria, Shango, Kumina, and dance-hall styles such as reggae.
Works Cited
Balaji, Murali, and Thomas Sigler. “Glocal riddim: cultural production and territorial identity in Caribbean music videos.” Visual Communication 17.1 (2018): 91-111. Retrieved from: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1470357217727675
Connect for Education. “On Music of The World”. 2nd ed., 2010, pp. 1-100, Accessed 24 June 2018.
Rinaudo, Christian. “Mestizaje and African heritage in Afro-Caribbean music, Veracruz, Mexico.” Ethnomusicology Review 20 (2015).Retrieved from: https://www.ethnomusicologyreview.ucla.edu/journal/volume/20/piece/875