Music & Arts

Music & the Arts 

Music Of The First Peoples In The Caribbean

Musical behavior is always embedded in a particular context within the annual cycle of religious rituals. The types of music making and singing were determined by the agricultural cycle of the rainy season (when the dead is down and the harvest is brought in ) and the dry season ( when the earth is tended and plowed). The season also determined the kinds of musical instruments, melodies and dances that should be performed.

Some instruments played were:
Julajulas Panpipes-It is played in pairs whose male member had four stopped pipes and the female has three. The pipes of both instruments are tuned in sequential perfect fourths with the exception of one major 3rd. The seven tones produced by them form a descending anhemitonic pentatonic scale.

( D B A G E ) Each ensemble had 16 players or 8 pairs. The oldest pipes were played by the oldest musicians in the village.

Notched Flutes aka Kena-These are half stopped end blown flutes of various sizes with an infused pitch against which breath is directed. Ensemble consists of 12 to 24 instruments.

Vessel Flutes aka Waugu-Made of clay or the hull of a tropical fruit. It is played together with the Panpipes ensemble.

Natural Trumpets and Reeds aka Pututu and Wagra Pututu-These are animal horns that serve as signaling instruments and are used in the Panpipes ensemble.

Buleador-Made out of wood and animal skin.

Guiro-A gourd, a hollow, dried shell of a fruit carved with ridges. Usually played with a stick that is stroked up and down the carved side.

Places and palitos-Short pieces of wood struck to produce a clicking rhythm.

Cajones-Boxes used to sit on and create rhythms . They used various objects and surfaces that can be found in the household that was available.

Parang Music-This is popular at Christmas time in Trinidad and Tobago. It is a hybrid of Spanish and Amerindian musical styles. It was then therefore called Parang. Parang is derived from the Spanish word “Parranda”. It usually consists of the Cuatro, Guitar, Violin, Mandolin,Bandolin, Box bass.

First Peoples Dance

Amerindian dances had distinct ritualized movements and features. Traditional dances tend to involve stamping or moving the legs and arms to a fairly regular rhythm with the rest of the trunk and head fairly straight and rigid. Dances in circles and lines were common usually with the genders separated; dancing in couples was extremely rare, if found at all. In Amerindian based religion dance was the open to communication with spirits and this the dance tradition is closely connected to religious ritual. Amerindian dances typically reflected aspects of nature and involved instruments such as whips, rods and shields. The steps were centered around walking, bending, hopping and stretching.
The sun dance (Native American) can be considered one of the rituals which incarnate practically all the major aspects of Amerindian spirituality. The sun dance expresses and celebrates the vital link of the human being with the Great Mystery and the spiritual powers. It incorporates a number of native symbols such as the circle, the medicine wheel, the tree of life, the sacred pipe and the four directions.
The Taino communities had the behiques, also called bohutis, religious functionaries who presided at ceremonial gatherings and provided therapeutic services to individuals in times of sickness. Their characteristic mode of operation was shamanistic in nature; that is, they served their communities and individuals by mediating contacts with the supernatural realm and providing healing. Apparently, some caciques possessed spiritual gifts that allowed them to double as behiques. Along with the caciques, behiques officiated at community ceremonies, including marriages, funerals, and preparation for, or celebration of, battles. The most important ceremony was the arieto, a dance celebration that featured a retelling or reenactment of the myths that undergirded the Tainos sense of themselves. During the arieto, the zemis and ancestors were venerated and propitiated. An arieto usually began with fasting and a purification rite in which a spatula was used to induce vomiting.
They lived closed to the forces of nature and used dance to conciliate those forces. Dance for them was apart of their religion, ritual dances were their assurance against the natural enemies of their lives. Their patterns of movement were geometrical in structure, upright torsos, restricted body movements, light but swift footwork, with all motions directed to the appeasement of their Gods. They were fond of dancing; their songs were called arietos and their musical instruments consisted of rattles, gourds, chac chacs, the flute and the reed.

Art & Craft

Indigenous Caribbean art illustrates the region’s illustrious history in various ways, from the creations of the indigenous Taino people to the many influences that originated from the varied civilizations and wonderful geographical aspects of the Caribbean. The inhabitants of the Caribbean believed that their ancestors and other gods inhabited the area’s terrain in the form of stones, trees, and other elements (Samson, 2017). The heavenly environmental power that the Tainos referred to as Zemi was an essential notion in their rituals and works of art. The term “zemi” is regarded as an Indigenous expression because it is associated with the Taino people who originally inhabited the Caribbean.

The Taino people were the first residents of the Caribbean, and the zemi is a symbol of the Taino way of life as well as their cultural history. The indigenous art of the Caribbean reflects the many different civilizations that have left their mark on the area. Individuals who were indigenous to the Caribbean, those who colonized the area, members of the African diaspora, and people from other areas are all considered to be part of these cultures. The art of the Caribbean has been significantly influenced by the indigenous people that originally inhabited the area. The indigenous inhabitants of the Caribbean are known for their vibrant color palettes and their strong connection to the natural world in their works of art. On the other hand, the art that the colonists created is marked by its use of more subdued colors and its concentration on human beings (Samson, 2017). Most people that colonized the Caribbean came from Europe, and this European influence can be seen in the art they created.

The African diaspora has significantly influenced the culture of the Caribbean in important ways. The migration of individuals from Africa to other regions of the globe, primarily the Americas, is referred to as the African diaspora. The African exodus brought a plethora of different cultures, each of which has left its mark on the aesthetics of the Caribbean. Last but not least, the arts of the Caribbean have been influenced by the cultures of people who have moved there from other areas of the globe. These people come from all over the world, encompassing the civilizations of Asia and Europe as well as Latin America. The art of the Caribbean, a fusion of styles influenced by various civilizations, reflects the impact of each of these cultures to varying degrees (Samson, 2017). In conclusion, Indigenous Caribbean art is a result of the different civilizations that have affected the area. These cultures include African, European, and Native American.

Contributors

Sacred substances like cohoba were activated on anthropomorphic platforms during critical rites. These stands served as platforms on which practitioners performed their rituals. The Zemi is an excellent illustration that exemplifies indigenous Caribbean art, particularly that of the Tainos. The sculpture is distinguished by eyes that are weeping, eyes that are enlarged, a grimacing face, and an emaciated form as a consequence of fasting. There are a great number of people that have contributed to Indigenous Caribbean Art. The Taino people were among the first to contribute to Indigenous Caribbean Art. Taino art may be seen across the Caribbean. They lived in the Caribbean before the advent of Europeans and were the region’s original inhabitants. Petroglyphs are a one-of-a-kind kind of art that the Taino people developed. Images that have been etched into rocks or stones are called petroglyphs. Petroglyphs were the primary means of communication for the Taino people.

Another indigenous people group that made significant contributions to the art of the Caribbean that is still around today was the Maroons (Samson, 2017). An extremely large number of individuals have made important contributions to indigenous art in the Caribbean. The Taino people are credited with making some of the first contributions to indigenous art in the Caribbean. There are examples of Taino art all around the Caribbean. They were the first people to reside in the Caribbean and were considered the area’s indigenous people before the arrival of Europeans. The Taino people are responsible for creating a one-of-a-kind kind of art known as petroglyphs. Petroglyphs are a kind of rock art that consists of images carved into rocks or stones. The Taino people relied heavily on petroglyphs as their main method of written communication. Rastafarian art was a means through which Afro-Caribbean people conveyed their religious and cultural ideas to others (Samson, 2017).

The Chinese and the Indians are two other groups of people who have made important contributions to the indigenous art of the Caribbean. As soon as they arrived in the Caribbean, people of Chinese and Indian descent were immediately put to work as indentured enslaved people. The Chinese and the Indians came up with distinctive approaches to expressing themselves creatively via art. The Chinese developed a kind of art that is known as jadeware. Jadeware is specific pottery that is often adorned with various designs and motifs. The name of this art is batik, and the Indians developed it. Fabrics may be made in the style of batik by decorating them with wax and dye. The Taino, the Maroons, the Afro-Caribbeans, the Chinese, and the Indians are just some of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean who have made significant contributions to the development of the distinctive art form known as Indigenous Caribbean Art (Samson, 2017). The indigenous art in the Caribbean synthesizes these many cultures and traditions. The Caribbean inhabitants can express themselves and their identities via the indigenous art of the Caribbean.

Symbols

Objects bearing emblems in the shape of winged animals, such as birds or bats, provide information on the significance of winged creatures to the identities of heads of state or the ruling families. As a means of conveying the spiritual significance of the power of flight, artisans from all over the Caribbean have, for untold generations, fashioned winged creatures out of a variety of precious stones. These animals are meant to transmit the power of flight. On the other hand, native Caribbean artists often draw inspiration from various natural subjects, including flora, fauna, and celestial bodies such as the sun, moon, and stars (Samson, 2017). The people who use these symbols give them special importance, allowing them to stand for a range of aspects of their history and beliefs. This is because the people who use these symbols are imbued with a particular significance. In a broader sense, animals are often used as symbols to represent qualities like power, strength, and fertility.

On the other hand, plants and other natural components may represent expansion, regeneration, and the circle of life. The progression of time, the altering of the seasons, and the pattern of birth, death, and rebirth may all be symbolized by the sun, the moon, and the stars, respectively.

Other symbols that may be found in Indigenous Caribbean Art include various colors, patterns, and geometric forms (Samson, 2017). Depending on the society that employs them, these symbols may stand for a wide range of various things at any one time. Indigenous artwork from the Caribbean frequently uses many symbols to convey several facets of the history, culture, and beliefs of the people who produce the artwork. Messages, teachings, and the recording of history may all be accomplished via the use of these symbols. They may also be used only for decoration, to make the art more attractive, or to allow the artist’s ingenuity to shine through.