History of folk music in Barbados

The Barbadian tradition and music are a combination of European and African elements with minimal influence from the indigenous peoples of the island. The important numbers of Asians, specifically the Chinese and Japanese have moved to Barbabos, but their music is unstudied and has had little impact on Barbadian music.

source of picture: www.nationnews.com

The reference to Afro-Barbadian music may come from a description of a slave rebellion, in which the rebels were inspired to fight by music played on the skin drum, conch trumpets and animal horns. The slavery continued and the colonial and slave owning authorities eventually outlawed musical instrument among slaves. 

At the end of the 17^th century, there was an emergence of a distinct Barbadian tradition culture that is formed based around influences and instruments from Africa, Britain and other Caribbean islands.

The early Barbadian traditional music was a main part of the life among the island’s slave population even under the legal restrictions. For the slaves, the music was important for recreation and dancing and a part of the life cycle of communication and religious meaning.  The African musicians also made music for the white landowners’ private parties and slaves performed for their own party music, which culminates the crop over festival that began in 1966. The earliest crop over featured dancing and call- and-response singing accompanied by shak-shak, banjo, bones and bottles which contain different amount of water.