History of music in Trinidad and Tobago

The calypso music, steelpan and soca music is what Trinidad and Tobago is best recognized for, comprising the internationally during in the 50s through musicians such as Mighty Sparrow and Lord Kitchener; the art type was very promoted during in the period of Harry Belafonte. Along with the traditional chants and African and Indian-based classical types, cross-cultural connections have produced other local types of music which include rapso, soca, chutney and other derivative and combination patterns. There are also indigenous communities which practice and experiment with international classical and pop music, which is frequently combining with the indigenous steelplan instruments.

source of picture: tonyguppy.com

The Cedula of populace of 1783 laid the introduction and growth of the populace of Trinidad. The Spanish who were in possession of the island, supported little towards the improvements, with El Dorado the motive, Trinidad was perfect due to its geographical position, French planters with tgheri slaves, free coloreds and mulattos from the neighbouring countries of saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Grenade, and Martinique came to the Trinidad during in the French Revolt. The Spanish also gave many motivations to lure immigrants to the island, which include the exemption from taxes for ten years and land properties in accordance to the term and condition that is set out in the Cedula. This introduction was inspired due to the French Revolt. These new settlers create indigenous communities of Champs Fleurs, Laventile, Blanchisseuse, and Cascade. Trinidad’s populace increased to over 15,000 by the end of the 178, from just fewer than 1,400 in 1777.

The French Revolt in the 1789 had an influnce on Trinidad’s tradition, as it affected in the migration of Martinican planters and the French pidgin slaves to Trinidad where they created an agriculture-based economy such as cocoa and sugar for the island. Also carnival came with the French, indentured workers and the slaves, who could not take role in the carnival, make their own parallel celebration known as Canboulay. Canboulay (from the French cannes brulees, which refers as burnt cane) is a forerunner to Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, and has played an important part in the establishment of the music if Trinidad and Tobago. The festival is also where the calypso music through chant wells had taken its origins. In the 1797, Trinidad became a British crown society, with a French-speaking populace.

Calypso music was established in Trinidad during in the 17^th century based on the music introduced by the African slaves imported to that Caribbean island to work on sugar plantations. The calypso has strong African origins, its rhythms is traced back from the west African Kaiso and the advent of enslaved African in the West Indies in the 1600s.

These slaves, introduced to work on sugar plantations, were stripped of all link to their native land and relations and not permit to talk each other. They utilized calypso to fake the slave masters and to talk with each other. Many early calypsos were chanted in French Pidgin by an individual known as griot. As calypso established, the part of the griot became known as chantuelle and finally, calypsonian.

Stick fighting and African drumming music were restricted in 1881, in reaction to the Canboulay Revolts. They were substituted by bamboo sticks beaten together, which were they restricted in turn. In the year 1937 they returned, change as a group of frying pans, oil drum, dustbin lids. These steelplans or pans are now a major role of the Trinidadian music scene and are a renowned part of the Canboulay music competitions. In the year 1941, the United States Navy advent in the Trinidad, and the penman, who were related with the lawlessness and violence, assisted to promote steel plan music among soldiers, which started its international promotion.

In the beginning of 1845, major influxes of indentured migrates from India and other parts of the world dramatically evolved the ethnic work of the islands. These indentured servants introduced their own traditional music, mainly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, to the creole combination, resulting in chutney music. In addition to the Indians, Portuguese, African, Syrians and Chinese came to the islands in waves between 1845 and 1917, and even after.