Cultural Retention in the Caribbean

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at three instances of cultural retention in the modern-day Caribbean. It discusses the region's cuisine, its faithful adherence to non-Christian religions and its vigorous local music tradition. The paper then outlines how each culture may be understood as a form of resistance to both European imperialism and to the homogenizing forces of globalization.

From the Paper:

"Music is the third and final item on our agenda and, like the two preceding it, a review of music offers some valuable insight into how the oppressed peoples of the Caribbean/West Indies were able to retain at least some of their cultural traditions in the face of European hostility. First of all, "mento" music emerged as a distinct kind of Jamaican folk music in the early part of the 1900s, although its actual roots - like so much Caribbean music - are founded in African rhythms, Latin rhythms and Anglo folksongs. From roughly the midway point of the twentieth century onward, Mento was muscled aside by Rocksteady and by Reggae (Romer, 2007). Nonetheless, what is important about this music is that, even while slaves might have been compelled prior to independence to sing Christian church hymns, there was always time - albeit perhaps not much of it, and perhaps the singing itself was done in secret - to sing indigenous songs that recalled a long-ago African world."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Barrett, Giles A. (1999). Overcoming the obstacles? Access to bank finance for Afro-Caribbean enterprise. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 25(2): 303+. Retrieved July 15, 2007 from <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5001269993>
• Carrier, James. (2006). Home cooking in the global village: Caribbean food from buccaneers to ecotourists. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 12(4): 996+. Retrieved July 14, 2007 from Questia.com <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5018613933>
• Desmangles, Leslie G., Glazer, Stephen D., and Murphy, Joseph M. (2003). Religion in the Caribbean. In Richard S. Hillman & Thomas J. D'Agostino (eds.), Understanding the Contemporary Caribbean (pp.263-304). Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner.
• Fleurant, Gerdes. (1996). Dancing spirits: Rhythms and rituals of Haitian Vodun, the Rada Rite. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
• Harris, Joanne. (1993). A new perspective on Caribbean cooking. American Visions, 8(3): 40+. Retrieved July 14, 2007 from <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5001665868>

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