Creolization In Caribbean Music

     When you hear the word "Creole" you probably think of the language, which is a mix of different languages. Creolization on the other hand is a process in which elements of various cultures come together and create a new and unique culture. Creolization can present itself in the form of languages, food, religion, dance, and music. Once the Europeans discovered the Caribbean islands, they brought with them slaves from Africa, a continent that has numerous cultures, to work on the plantations. Not only did African slaves come, but so did workers from India and China. With the presence of the diaspora, the Caribbean was introduced to many new cultural practices such as music styles and in the book Tour de Force: A Musical Journey of the Caribbean by Christine Gangelhoff and Cathleen LeGrand, there is one style called Chutney that is a blend of "Caribbean and East Indian cultures" (Gangelhoff and LeGrand, 20). Creolization can be thought of as inclusive and in my opinion, innovative. Each Caribbean country brings something new to the table based on the European power that colonized it as well as the influence from its workers. Because of this, countries may have cultures that are so similar yet so different.

    One artist that is famous for his Chutney music is Adesh Samaroo, pictured below.

Photo taken from https://chutneymusic.com/drunk-man-doh-lie-adesh-samaroo/
  
  Here is one of his famous songs, "Rum Till I Die"



  
  Alongside music, creolization can be found in dancing. A very popular example is merengue. This is not only a music style but a dance. According to Caribbean Music & Dance, merengue is the national dance of the Dominican Republic and has origins in Europe and Africa as it is a combination of two dances, the African and French Minuet. Merengue is a lively dance where couples hold hands and sway their hips and once you hear the music that accompanies it, it is easy to see why!
    
    Pictured below is a photo of a couple dancing at the Merengue Festival in the Dominican Republic.

Photo taken from https://danceask.net/merengue-dance-dominican-republic/

   
 Here is a video tutorial of how to dance the merengue.







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