Music of Dominica
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Template:BritishCaribbeanmusic In modern Dominica, calypso, zouk and reggae are popular, along with imported soca and rock and roll, and the indigenous jing ping sound. A combination of these pop forms called bouyon has achieved some popularity, especially the group WCK (Windward Caribbean Kulture). Native musicians in various forms, like reggae (Nasio Fontaine, Brother Matthew Luke), soca (Derick St. Rose-De Hunter, Young Bull), zouk (Ophelia Marie, Exile One) and calypso (Lazo, The Wizzard) have also become stars at home and abroad.
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Folk music
Dominican folk music includes, most influentially, the jing pink style of dance music, as well as bele and heel-and-toe polka. Traditional Carnival music includes chante mas and lapo kabwit. Folk music on Dominica has historically been a part of everyday life, including work songs, religious music and secular, recreational music [1] (http://www.divisionofculture.org/traditionalinstruments.htm).
Jing ping
Main article: jing ping
Jing ping is a kind of Dominican dance music, as well as the ensembles that play it (also known as accordion bands). These ensembles typically include the banjo and accordion with bass and percussion instruments like the chac-chac, boom pipe and tamboo [2] (http://www.mustrad.org.uk/reviews/dominica.htm). Jing ping is often used to accompany a style of African-influenced Dominican quadrilles [3] (http://www.divisionofculture.org/quadrilles.htm).
Traditional instruments
The most important instrument in Dominican music is the drum, which was as a method of communication in the slave era, and was used to coordinate revolts until it was banned by colonial authorities. Drum styles include the tambou bele and tambal, a frame drum used in jing ping.
The bamboo flute is also important, used as a solo instrument or accompanied by drums. It is also sometimes used in jing ping bands. The accordion is also an important part of Dominican music, especially in jing ping bands. in which the accordionist plays the melody and improvises extensively on it. Another instrument is the gwaj, as well as the boom boom [4] (http://www.divisionofculture.org/traditionalinstruments.htm).
Popular music
The first internationally known bands from Dominica were 1970s groups like Exile One and Grammacks. These bands were the stars of the cadence-lypso scene, which was the first style of Dominican music to become popular across the Caribbean. By the 1980s, however, Martinican zouk and other styles were more popular. In 1988, WCK formed, playing an experimental fusion of cadence-lypso with the island's jing ping sound. The result became known as bouyon, and has re-established Dominica in the field of popular music [5] (http://www.avirtualdominica.com/music/bouyon.htm).
Early popular music
Dominican popular music history can be traced back to the 1940s and 50s, when dance bands like the Casimir Brothers and later, The Swinging Stars, became famous across the island. Their music was a dance-oriented version of many kinds of Caribbean and Latin popular music, such as Cuban bolero, Brazilian samba, the merengue of the Dominican Republic and Trinidadian calypso and funk. By the beginning of the 1960s, calypso and Trinidadian steelpan became the most popular styles of music on Dominica, replacing traditional Carnival music like chante mas and lapo kabwit. Early recording stars from this era included Swinging Busters, Gaylords, De Boys an Dem and Los Caballeros. These musicians were aided by the spread of radio broadcasting, beginning with WIDBS and later Radio Dominica [6] (http://www.divisionofculture.org/contemporarymusic.htm).
Of these early popular musicians, a few pioneering the use of native influences. The Gaylords' hits, like "Ti Mako", "Pray for the Blackman", "Lovely Dominica" and "Douvan Jo", were either English or the native Creole, kwéyòl. By the end of the 1960s and beginning of the 1970s, American rock and roll, soul and funk had reached Dominica and left lasting influences. Funky rock-based bands like Voltage Four, Woodenstool and Every Mother's Child became popular [7] (http://www.divisionofculture.org/contemporarymusic.htm).
Cadence-lypso
Main article: cadence-lypso
Cadence-lypso developed in the 1970s, and was the first style of Dominican music to find international acclaim, eventually becoming a part of styles like zouk. The most influential band in the development of cadence-lypso was Exile One who combined calypso with compas and cadence, styles derived from Haitian music. Aside from Exile One, other bands included the Grammacks, Black Roots, Black Machine, Naked Feet, Belles Combo, Mantra, Black Affairs, Liquid Ice, Belles Combo, Wafrikai, Midnight Groovers and Milestone, while the most famous singers included Bill Thomas, Chubby Marc, Gordon Henderson, Linford John, Janet Azouz, Sinky Rabess, Tony Valmond, Jeff Joseph, Mike Moreau and Anthony Gussie.
Cadence-lypso was influenced by nationalist movement that espoused Rastafari and Black Power. Many groups performed songs with intensely ideological positions, and much of the repertoire was in the vernacular kwéyòl language [8] (http://www.divisionofculture.org/contemporarymusic.htm).
Calypso and steelpan
Main article: Dominican calypso and steelpan
Calypso has been popular in Dominica since the 1950s; the first Calypso King was crowned in 1959. Popular calypso in Dominica has always been closely associated with steelpan music.
The first wave of Dominican steelpan includes bands like Esso, Shell and Regent, Vauxhall and Old Oak.
80s
During the 1980s, cadence-lypso's popularity declined greatly. Some Dominican performers remained famous, such as Ophelia, a very renowned singer of the period. Popular music during this time was mostly zouk, a style pioneered by the Martinican band Kassav, who used styles of folk music of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Soca, a kind of Trinidadian music, was also popular at the time, producing bands like RSB, Windward Caribbean Kulture and First Serenade. The 80s also saw a rise in popular for jazz and the formation of several jazz bands, while groups like Exile One began exploring tradition rhythms from jing ping and lapo kabwit [9] (http://www.divisionofculture.org/contemporarymusic.htm).
Bouyon
Main article: bouyon
Bouyon is a fusion of jing ping, cadence-lypso and other styles of Caribbean music, developed by a band called Windward Caribbean Kulture (later WCK). WCK was among the most prominent of 80s Dominican soca bands. They began using native lapo kabwit, a rhythm, and jing ping, as well as ragga-style vocals. Bouyon is popular across the Caribbean, and is known as jump up music in Guadeloupe and Martinique. A modern offshoot of bouyon, bouyon-muffin, uses more prominent elements of Jamaican raggamuffin music. Modern bouyon bands include Rough and Ready, Wassin Warriors and Seramix [10] (http://www.divisionofculture.org/contemporarymusic.htm).
Others 90s trends
Religious music, influenced by American gospel, has become an important part of Dominican popular music. Performers include Cegid, Exeters, Agnes Aaron, Leon Esprit, Jerry Lloyd and End Time Singers.
Calypso has also retained much popularity in Dominica, as has jazz. The band Impact has fused jazz with Caribbean music. Other styles include steelpan, which has declined popularity despite the efforts of groups like Phase Five, and dancehall, which includes performers like Puppa Tino, Miekey Moreau, Cecil Moses and Skinny Banton [11] (http://www.divisionofculture.org/contemporarymusic.htm).
Music instititions and festivals
The World Creole Music Festival takes place on the island of Dominica, in Festival City, Roseau, which is run by the governmental Dominica Festivals Commission [12] (http://www.dominica.dm/festivals.htm).
Mas Domnik is the Carnival celebration on Dominica.
References
- [13] (http://www.avirtualdominica.com/music/bouyon.htm)
- [14] (http://www.dominica.dm/festivals.htm)
- [15] (http://www.mustrad.org.uk/reviews/dominica.htm)
- [16] (http://www.divisionofculture.org/contemporarymusic.htm)
- [17] (http://www.divisionofculture.org/quadrilles.htm)
- [18] (http://www.divisionofculture.org/traditionalinstruments.htm)