Week 8
The Caribbean
To wrap up Unit 2, we explore music of the Caribbean and surrounding areas such as the Bahamas (which is technically part of North America, but has music styles closer to Caribbean nations).
The Lesson
Click each title to link to material, click each drop-down arrow for a description.
Please choose at least 4 resources from the lesson to explore.
Topics:
Instrument & artist
Dance
Music genres & festival
Music genres
Event
Many topics (explore the website)
Origin of a song
- Trinidad and Tobago: Steel Pan, Calypso Rose (video & Audio)
Steel pans (aka steel drums) are probably the best-known instrument from the Caribbean. Learn about them below.
One big steel pan competition is Panorama, which happens each year during Carnival. Click here to see a clip of the winners of Panorama 2020, Desperadoes Steel Orchestra. They are playing the tune “More Sokah.”
In addition to instruments, Trinidad is home to some incredible musicians. Calypso Rose is one of the best-known, nicknamed “Calypso Queen.” She has reigned the calypso music scene for over 40 years; you could easily do a full mission log just on her story. Here is one of her songs, “Calypso Queen.” This was released when she was 70 years old!
2. Trinidad & Tobago: Limbo (23-min podcast)
This episode of the podcast Every Little Thing covers the origins of the limbo dance. There is a lot more to the limbo story than we may know...
I haven’t found a good text alternative to this podcast episode, but the closest written version I've found is the limbo Wikipedia page. If anyone finds a better resource to share as an audio-alternative feel free to DM me. Limbo history is interesting and surprising enough that I'd love to share it in two forms.
Limbo: The Haunting Backstory of Getting Low | Every Little Thing
Wikipedia page: Limbo (dance)
Here is the Spotify playlist from the Every Little Thing episode.
The MUSC 3101 e-reader contains quite a bit of information about calypso, soca, and Carnival. Click the link above to explore.
4. Jamaica: Reggae & Reggaeton (videos - 17 min. total)
First, a BBC clip is a sort of video tour of important places from Jamaica’s reggae history. The next video gives a very brief explanation of how reggae got its rhythm. Finally, a breakdown of roots of reggaeton rhythm. This is a very short introduction; you should absolutely research more in-depth if reggae and/or reggaeton (two different music styles - reggaeton came from reggae) are something you’re interested in learning about.
THE BBC TRAVELS TO JAMAICA TO SEE THE HISTORY OF JAMAICAN MUSIC
The Beat That Changed Pop Music | AJ+ (notice that there are links to other sources in the description for this video, if you want to learn more)
A former CUNY professor, ethnomusicologist Dr. Peter Manuel, has written extensively about music in the Caribbean. Here is one of his articles from the journal Popular Music on the concept of "riddim" in music in Jamaica. You'll need to use your CUNY login to access this.
***Remember: You are never expected (nor should you) read an academic article like this word for word. Read the abstract, read the introduction, then read each heading and skim sections, spending more time on sections that are more interesting/relevant. After you've skimmed through, read the conclusion.***
The abstract states:
The Jamaican system of recording and performance, from the 1950s to the present, constitutes a distinctive approach to notions of composition, originality and ownership. Emerging from a tradition of live performance practice mediated by (and informing) sound recordings, the relative autonomy of riddims and voicings in the Jamaican system challenges conventional ideas about the integrity of a song and the degree to which international copyright law applies to local conceptions, as enshrined in decades of practice, of musical materials as public domain. With the spread of the ‘riddim method’ to the sites of Jamaican mass migration, as evidenced by similar approaches in hip hop, reggaeton, drum'n'bass and bhangra, reggae's aesthetic system has found adherents among artists and audiences outside of Jamaica. This paper maps out, through historical description, ethnographic data, and musical analysis, the Jamaican system as a unique and increasingly influential approach to music-making in the digital age.
5. Brooklyn: J’Ouvert/West Indian Day Parade (article or podcast)
Brooklyn, NY has a thriving Caribbean community, and J’Ouvert (aka Jouvay) and the West Indian Day Parade are big events for expressing cultural heritage. I've included an article and a podcast; choose the one you prefer. In both cases, even just reading or listening to one section will give you a good idea of what J'Ouvert is like.
Article: J'Ouvert in Brooklyn Carnival (Feel free to read this whole article, written by Brooklyn College's very own Ray Allen, but if you're short for time, just focus on one section. Any section will provide decent information about this important Caribbean tradition in Brooklyn)
Podcast: Check out this episode of This American Life to learn more about J’Ouvert in Brooklyn.
Afropop is an incredible treasure trove of music resources from many countries, including tons on Caribbean music. Click the link above and use the search bar to find information on music from any of regions related to this week's lesson theme. The link above will take you to search results from Barbados, but feel free to search other countries as well.
7. Bahamas: Who Let The Dogs Out? (7-min video)
The Baha Men are arguably the best-known music group from the Bahamas, but do we know the full story of their best-known song? ***Note: The Bahamas are not part of the Caribbean, but often are mistaken as being Caribbean islands. Note that they are a separate region near the Caribbean.***
(unrelated to music) In 2019 the Bahamas were devastated by Hurricane Dorian. To get a sense of the hurricane response work happening there, check out my blog from volunteering last year. Here’s Part I. You can click the arrow at the bottom to access parts 2-5.
TASKS THIS WEEK:
Weekly list for your reference
Week 8 expedition & quest due Sunday, 11:59 PM
Unit 2 teach & explore task: Submit one of each any time before the end of the unit (which ends this Sunday). Submissions must relate to Unit 2 topics.
If you're working on a semester-long project and got permission, remember to email your first draft to me by this Sunday (if you were approved for 40 points). If you haven't gotten permission, email me by Sunday for project approval (to be approved for 30 points). Remember that I don't tend to check school email on the weekends.
Check your points from Week 7 after Wednesday evening and email me if there is an error.
Extra things:
It's time for our 2nd checkpoint! Checkpoints are mandatory. Share what you learned in the unit and offer feedback on the course.
Go to Blackboard and click "Checkpoints" to find Checkpoint 2.
Complete Checkpoint 2 by Sunday, 11:59 PM. If you complete this one on time and also completed the first on time, you'll earn a +5 bonus.
***You must complete four checkpoints to pass MUSC 3101. You can submit late, but you won't earn the +5 bonus***
***CHECKPOINT 2 DUE This Sunday @ 11:59 PM ON BLACKBOARD***
Week 8 Quest: How To Travel Cheaply
When we get to the Caribbean lesson each semester, I usually mention that I volunteered in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian, so I figured this might be a good week to explore ways to travel without spending a ton of $$. One common thing people tend to regret in life is that they didn't travel when they were young. If this is something you've always wanted to do, I wrote a blog post for you!
Because I work online, I often travel while teaching. One year ago right now, I was helping to restore a brewery in Belgium in exchange for food and lodging in a "small castle" nearby. That's right...casually living in a small castle for the small price of helping to restore one of the oldest breweries in the country. I've been traveling this way for over a decade and never plan to stop; I find it so much more rewarding than staying in hotels and doing touristy things. It also feels safer; someone is always waiting for me, so if I get in a bad situation there is a local person waiting for me to arrive. I've had hosts pick me up and let me stay extra day when a flight home got cancelled, when it rained too much on a cycling trip, when I got lost in Vietnam, etc. This doesn't work if I'm in a hotel by myself and have to figure everything out solo. I hope you find something from my blog that might be useful to open up doors for travel for you too.
Instructions: Read my blog post "How To Travel Cheaply: Lodging" linked here and click one of the resources mentioned to learn more about it. Then when you fill out the usual weekly Google Form, feel free to include a question about travel if something sparked your curiosity. I'll make a little Q&A of all your questions afterward. I often spend a total of $0 on housing when I travel places...happy to share tips on how you can too.