St. Vincent: Location, Culture, Religion, Music - Case Study Example

December 20, St. Vincent: Location, Culture, Religion, Music Continent Location St. Vincent is a small (11 miles by 18miles) tropical, volcanic island in the Caribbean Sea, part of 32 islands known as St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located off Central America, between North and South American continents, 100 miles west of Barbados (Wikipedia b). It is a place where disparate elements are creatively blended. (Graphic Maps) 2. Country There were two phases in the development of the current community on St. Vincent. The first phase was the integration of escaped African slaves into the Island Carib communities (1517-1676). The second (1676-1796) was when the Africans, rebelling against the oppressive Carib, moved to the mountains and made raids that reduced Carib population and power (Foster 76). Britain and France both laid claim to the island, but were mostly chased off. Then Britain gained rule over St. Vincent in 1763 and struggled with the Carib (who were egged on by the British) for over 30 years. Finally Britain deported most of the African-looking people and let the Amerindian-looking people stay. The capital is Kingstown. The population of St. Vincent is 120,000 people, comprised of the descendants of African slaves (66%), Carib Amerindians (2%), indentured servants from East India (6%), Portuguese, French, and British colonists (4%), and a lot of mixed blood (20% officially) (Central Intelligence Agency). There is a 96% literacy rate. Life expectancy averages 74 years of age (Central Intelligence Agency). 3. Culture Friendship is of central importance in the culture. Letter-writing is extensively practiced, as a way to stay in touch with treasured people outside one’s village (Abrahams 296). Friendship is also reflected in the strong emphasis on conversation and the registering of minute details of each other’s lives. In fact, gossip is an art form in St. Vincent (Gullick 88), and talking is truly a cultural focus (Abrahams and Bauman 762). Conversation, especially with demonstrations of fluency and style, is the part of the wider focus on decorum and spotless behavior (Abrahams and Bauman 763). Vincentians distinguish between sense (proper speech with courtesy, fluency and logic) and nonsense (rude speech, illogical, ignorant, scandalous, and poorly spoken) (Abrahams and Bauman 764). Scandalous speech or song can, if done really fluently, be elevated to the higher status, however (Abrahams and Bauman 765). Oratory is revered (Abrahams and Bauman 769). Tea meetings are a good example of how oratory is honored, grounded in religious tradition. Tea meeting tradition comes out of 19th century testimonial meetings, in which alternated choir music and religious speeches. In the St. Vincent version of this tradition, the scriptural speech portion has evolved into oratorical contests among the community’s highest status proper speechmakers (Chairmen), apprentices (Scholars) and most rude performers (Pit Boys). The chairmen (on stage) and the scholars and the pit boys (seated in the audience) engage in conflicting oratory, with the scholars trying to demonstrate superior knowledge to unseat the chairmen, the pit boys making rude arguments to grab control from the chairmen, and the giggling girls trying to embarrass the scholars (Abrahams and Bauman 769-770). 4. Religion There are Catholics in St. Vincent (13%) (Wikipedia b). Most of the remaining Garifuna are Catholic, although their religious practice also involves shamanism, spirits and magic (Wikipedia). There are also Protestants (10% Methodist, 47% Anglican, a few Seventh Day Adventist), and a few Hindus (Wikipedia b), but the Shakers are perhaps the most interesting. The Shakers are also known as Spiritual Baptists. In most villages, Shaker services are held more than once per week, sometimes outdoors, and more often at full moon (Gullick 89). As the members arrive, they shake hands with all others at the service. Their worship services begin with Methodist and Anglican prayers and hymn singing which they take turns leading. After about an hour, some believers may begin to shake and fall into trance, sometimes speaking in a spirit language (glossalalia is the official term) (Gullick 89). The Shaker believers are referred to as “converted” and are the subject of much observation and commentary (Gullick 89). Common topics include the authenticity and community conformity of member religious experience, for example, trance behavior and reports about mourning. Mourning is a ritual in which believers engage in a private retreat, involving sensory and food/drink deprivation, for the purpose of having a spiritual experience (Gullick 89). Medical beliefs attribute illness to poisoning, spells, spirits, and the wrath of God. Poisoning, spells and spirits generally call for home remedies and local healers first; if this approach fails, then allopathic resources are sought, sometimes preceded by a visit to a Roman Catholic priest. Accidents caused by the wrath of God, however, necessitate allopathic medicine immediately (Gullick 91). When allopathic medicine proves unsuccessful, the obvious remedy for the unconverted is to join the Shakers (Gullick 91). 5. Music and Musical Instruments Spiritual Baptist music is often assumed to be Protestant music sung to African rhythms (Glazier 45). Actually, it is much more complex than that. The melodies integrate Catholic and Protestant religious music, Rada and Shango music, French Creole, Portuguese, Chinese, East Indian, and Syrian music with lots of creative improvisation (Glazier 45). St. Vincent has a radio station which is shared with St. Lucia and Grenada, and which the government helps to support (Abrahams 297). When, throughout the day, they play the hit recordings, everyone stops what they are doing and listens or sings along. They especially listen for whose names are mentioned in the dedications (Abrahams 297). It is an honor to hear your name mentioned, with best wishes or a declaration of love. These dedications and the ensuing conversations about them nurture the friendship network of the community (Abrahams 297). In St. Vincent, calypso, a fusion of African and French music, provides a way to say something without taking direct responsibility for the words (Gullick 88). Calypso musicians who use their music for political and social rebellion (Manning 169) express commonly held negative stereotypes about the alleged lack of morals among Shakers (Gullick 87). During the 1976 Carnival, King Brooklyn’s Calypso King contest entry had the following lyrics: Ah converted girl she making fame. Went down by the plain and spoil she name. Went and look for work, she get ah man, Surprise everybody – ah married man, Now the belly big he leave and gone, All about she hunting only for man. (Chorus) Largo Height is way dem busy, Largo Height is way dem busy, Largo Height is way dem busy, Rich Ruby come see way Biggie day. (Gullick 87) Popular music in Saint Vincent includes Calypso (just discussed), Soca, Big Drum, Steelpan, and Reggae, string band, Quadrille and Bele music (Wikipedia). Soca is basically calypso/percussion/local chutney hybrid dance music. Big Drum uses drums made from tree trunks or rum kegs. The drums accompany a female singer, doing satire or socially aware lyrics, and female dancers in colorful costumes and headdresses. Steelpan is an ideophone instrument, traditionally made from 55 gallon oil drums, is chromatically pitched and struck by rubber-tipped sticks. Reggae is a more recent musical addition, but is connected to African and Latin music and often uses a call and response theme in the lyrics and in the composition itself (Wikipedia c). This call and response theme is also in Bele music, and is in common with Spiritual Baptist hymn singing (Glazier 47), so it is no wonder that it is a popular form. Caribbean string bands make good use of banjo, guitar, bamboo flute, mandolin, cuatro, maracas, triangle, guiro (metal scraper), baha (bass pipe) and lots of bottles and spoons (Lee). Quadrille (a square dance) and Bele music involves dance accompanied by fiddle, accordion, banjo and drums (Carver). 6. Conclusion Although St. Vincent is a small island between two continents, a poor country settled by indentured servants and slaves with a history of violence, discrimination, displacement and colonization, it presents a culture in which the national pastime is gossip and leaders are judged by how well they speak; a culture in which even the mainstream religions include magical and shamanic elements of practice, and accidents are caused by the wrath of God; a culture in which friendship and its expressions are sweet, the island country has a wealth of musical heritage with which to engage. The similarities between religious and musical practice are striking. Out of such a damaged history has come passionate celebration of life, in its variety and fullness. The instruments, like the people, have traditional roots with international influence, blended superbly. Works Cited Abrahams, Roger D. and Richard Bauman. "Sense and Nonsense in St. Vincent: Speech Behavior and Decorum in a Caribbean Community." American Anthropologist (1971): 73 (3) 762-772. Print. Abrahams, Roger D. "West Indian Music on Records."The Journal of American Folklore (1969): 82 (325) 295-298. Print. Carver, Noelle. "History of Bele Folk Dance." 2009. eHow. Web. 20 December 2011 . Central Intelligence Agency. "Central America and Caribbean: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines." 10 November 2011. The World Fact Book. Web. 20 December 2011 . Foster, Byron. "Celebrating Autonomy: The Development of Garifuna Ritual on St. Vincent." Caribbean Quarterly (1987): 33 (3/4) 75-83. Print. Glazier, Stephen D. "Embedded Truths: Creativity and Context in Spiritual Baptist Music." Latin American Music Review/Revista de Musica Latinoamericana (1997): 18 (1) 44-56. Print. Graphic Maps. "St. Vincent and the Grenadines." 2011. WorldAtlas. Web. 20 December 2011 . Gullick, C. "The Shakers of St. Vincent: A Symbolic Focus for Discourses." Clarke, Peter Bernard. New Trends and Developments in African Religions. 1998. 87-99. Print. Lee, Simon. "Nothing So Sweet as String Band." Caribbean Beat (2011) Issue 111. Web. 20 December 2011 http://www.caribbean-beat.com/issue-111/nothing-so-sweet-string-band. Manning, Frank E. "Challenging Authority: Calypso and Politics in the Caribbean." Aronoff, Myron Joel. The Frailty of Authority (Political Anthropology, Book 5). New Brunswick: Transaction Books, 1986. 167-175. Print. Wikipedia. "Garifuna People." 30 September 2011. Wikipedia. Web. 20 December 2011 . —. "St. Vincent (island)." 21 November 2011. Wikipedia. Web. 20 December 2011. —. "The Music of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines." 1 November 2011. Wikipedia. Web. 20 December 2011. Read More