"We Music": Trinidad's music lies at the core of our national spirit

Image via Wikipedia

Trinis are a talented lot, with a strong exhibitionist streak, so you’ll never be at a loss for musical entertainment in Trinidad. And it always goes hand in hand with celebration, festivities, or just relaxing.

Among the array of musical creativity on offer you’re bound to find something that grabs your fancy — from calypso, steelband and jazz concerts to casinos and Latin dancing. Our local concerts, theatre performances and comedy acts do more than inspire knee-jerk laughter and applause; they’re also cultural journeys that reveal the extraordinary zest and creativity of Trinidadians.

There’s a national pastime that consists of simply hanging out (or “liming”, as it’s known in these parts), as you’ll gather from the brisk attendance at bars and restaurants and the round-the-clock activity in places like the St James strip just outside Port of Spain. A recently established strip on Woodbrook’s Ariapita Avenue is home to numerous restaurants and casinos. A new multiplex cinema and shopping complex has upped the stakes somewhat, though the more traditional cinemas are still very much alive — several movie houses outside Port of Spain also specialise in Bollywood films.

But it is our music which lies at the core of our national spirit and culture. As with many other aspects of Trinidad’s culture, our multicultural heritage gives our music an intriguing eclecticism, and a range of rhythms and styles that’s guaranteed to please.
 

Calypso

The signature music of Carnival, calypso dates back to pre-Emancipation times, when slaves created songs as a form of praise or derisive social commentary. Today, the art form tends to focus more on generating dance vibes than reflective lyrics. This modern, uptempo offshoot is called Soca. Some well-known calypsonians/soca artists include the Mighty Sparrow, David Rudder, Machel Montano, Denyse Plummer and the younger generation’s favourite, Bunji Garlin. An outing to a calypso “tent” during Carnival season is a must: Calypso Revue, Spektakula, Kaiso House, Kaiso Karavan and Maljo Kaiso are a some of the popular ones.

Chutney

This music style derives from the Hindi folk songs brought to Trinidad by Indian immigrants, and features instruments like the sitar and dholak drums. The fusion of chutney with soca has led to the introduction of the National Chutney Soca Monarch competition, held during the Carnival season.

Parang

Trinidad’s traditional Christmas music. Accompanied by instruments like the cuatro, box bass and maracas, with lyrics sung in Spanish, parang was traditionally sung by roving bands of serenaders called paranderos. Today, parang groups are well organised and much in demand on the Christmas party circuit. The parang season begins in October with the launch of a national competition, and groups perform at various nightspots and shopping malls. The tradition of house-to-house serenading has survived mostly in rural areas.

Rapso

Drawing on the African oral tradition, rapso is a lyric-oriented, drum-driven form that begs comparison with American rap. The lyrical content of rapso often highlights present-day issues, with heavy drumming and chanting.

Tassa

A drum-driven music form that is central to the Muslim festival of Hosay. The goatskin-covered drums are heated over fires at the roadside in order to achieve the right pitch.

Steelband

Also known as pan (from “steelpan”), this Trinbagonian invention is the only non-electronic musical instrument created in the 20th century. Pan is most popular at Carnival, when panyards (practice arenas) are abuzz with activity as steel orchestras prepare calypso selections for the Panorama competition, a major highlight of the season. The instrument’s versatility is showcased at other times of the year in festivals  at which the orchestras interpret classical and jazz numbers.