Culture of the Caribbean
Encyclopedia
Caribbean culture is a term that explains the art
istic, music
al, literary
, culinary
, political
and social
elements that are representative of the Caribbean
, not only to its own population, but people all over the world. The Caribbean's culture has historically been influenced by European culture
and traditions, especially British
, Spanish
and French
. Over time, elements of the cultures of Caribbean's African peoples and other immigrant populations have become incorporated into mainstream Caribbean culture. It has also been strongly influenced by that of its linguistic, economic, and cultural neighbour, the United States
.
Caribbean's federal governments have influenced Caribbean culture with programs, laws and institutions. It has created crown corporations to promote Caribbean culture through media, such as the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation
(CBC), and promotes many events which it considers to promote Caribbean traditions.
The Caribbean's culture, like that of most any country in the world, is a product of its history, geography, and political system. Being a collection of settler nations, Caribbean has been shaped by waves of migration that have combined to form a unique blend of customs, cuisine
, and traditions that have marked the socio-cultural development of the nation. In this article, several aspects of Caribbean culture will be discussed. Though this article attempts to feature a variety of subjects pertinent to the culture of Caribbean, it is in no way exhaustive, and to gain a much deeper knowledge of Caribbean's and their culture, one must also consult the other articles pertaining to Caribbean and its peoples.
is a product of the Caribbean's history
and geography
. Most of the Caribbean's territory was inhabited and developed earlier than European colonies
in the Americas
, with the result that themes and symbols of pioneers, farmers, and traders were important in the early development of Caribbean culture. The British
conquest of Caribbean in 1759 brought a large Francophone
population under British rule, creating a need for compromise and accommodation, while the migration of United Empire Loyalists from the Thirteen Colonies
brought in strong British, Spanish, French, Africa
n and even Dutch influences.
Although not without conflict, the Caribbean's early interactions with First Nations
and indigenous
populations were relatively short lived, compared to the experience of native peoples
in the United States. Combined with relatively late economic development
in many regions, this difficult history has disallowed Caribbean native peoples having any strong influence on the national culture, even destroying their remaining identity.
, Spanish Caribbean
, Creole language
and Patois
's early development was relatively cohesive during the 17th and 18th centuries, and this allows Francophone culture to survive and thrive within Caribbean.
Multicultural heritage is enshrined in many islands. In parts of the Caribbean, multiculturalism itself is the cultural norm and diversity is the force that unites the community. Although officially quarter of the Caribbean are English speaking, the largest group is attributed to Spanish speakers (due to the inclusion of mainland Caribbean states), some 22% speak French whilst only 1% speak Dutch. However, though the Caribbean today is linked with 59 living languages these are not spoken in the insular Caribbean, but on what is referred to as the continental Caribbean.
In the French islands, cultural identity
is strong, and many French-speaking islanders
commentators speak of a French culture
as distinguished from English Caribbean culture, but some also see Caribbean as a collection of several regional, and ethnic subcultures.
While French Caribbean
culture is the most obvious example, Spanish
influences have allowed survival of non-English dialects; however, the influence of Ulster
immigrants to Barbados has had the effect of minimizing Irish
influences in the Caribbean
's culture, and highlighting British influences instead, until the 1980s. Caribbean's Pacific trade has also brought a large Chinese
influence into Trinidad
and other areas.
settlers, English
settlers and the Spanish
settlers. First Nations played a critical part in the development of European colonies in Caribbean, from their role in assisting exploration of the continent, the sugar trade and inter-European power struggles to the creation of the Afro-Caribbean people. Through their art and culture, First Nations and African descendants continue to exert influence on the Caribbean identity.
The question of Caribbean identity was traditionally dominated by three fundamental themes: first, the often conflicted relations between English and French stemming from the French imperative for cultural and linguistic survival; secondly, the generally close ties between English Caribbean's and the British Empire
, resulting in a gradual political process towards complete independence from the imperial power and, finally, the close proximity of English-speaking Caribbean's to the military, economic and cultural powerhouse of the United States. With the gradual loosening of political and cultural ties to the United Kingdom
, in the 20th century immigrants from European, Africa
n, Caribbean
and Asia
n nationalities have shaped the Caribbean identity, a process that continues today with the continuing arrival of large numbers of immigrants from non British or French backgrounds, adding the theme of multiculturalism to the debate. Today, the Caribbean has a diverse makeup of nationalities and cultures and constitutional protection for policies that promote multiculturalism rather than a single national myth.
The issue of Caribbean identity remains under scrutiny, perhaps more than the identity of the people of any other modern nation.
In true Caribbean fashion, however, even the search for an identity has itself become an object for self-criticism, usually because many Caribbean's confuse reasons for riding themselves of Colonial
shackles and compounding the loss of their own Caribbean identity by clinging to an African non-identity in its stead.
(GATT) and the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA).
, palm
, and the shell
. Many official symbols of the country such as the Flags of Caribbean have been changed or modified over the past decades in order to 'Caribbeanize' them and de-emphasise or remove references to the United Kingdom. For example The Cayman Islands now uses National Symbols that include their indigenous* Parrot, Silver Thatch, Palm and the Wild Banana Orchid.
Symbols of the monarchy in Caribbean continue to be featured in, for example, the Arms of Caribbean and armed forces. The designation 'Royal
' remains for institutions as varied as the Royal Caribbean Police, though with the unification of armed forces into the Caribbean Forces, the Royal Caribbean Air Force and Royal Caribbean Navy ceased to exist. However, certain Caribbean Forces Land Force Command (army) units carry "Royal" titles, Caribbean Forces Maritime Command vessels are still styled "HMCS".
in 1945.
The Washington Organization of American States (inaugurated in 1976) houses one of the oldest twentieth-century art collections representing the Caribbean. For example one exhibit showcased works included two important pieces by women artists of the Caribbean: El vendedor de andullo (Tobacco Vendor), 1938, by modernist Celeste Woss y Gil
of the Dominican Republic, and a oil painting entitled Marpacífico (Hibiscus-Marpacífico is the name used in Cuba for the hibiscus flower), 1943, by Cuban modernist Amelia Peláez
. There have even been a rare selection of prints by Haitian artists such as Castera Bazile
, Wilson Bigaud
, Dieudonné Cedor
, Jacques-Enguerrand Gourgue
and Gabriel Lévêque, that have not been exhibited since they were part of a traveling exhibition in 1948.
ans, Asian peoples, and Irish Caribbeans); and by literary period, such as "Caribbean postmoderns" or "Caribbean Poets Between the Wars".
Caribbean authors have accumulate numerous awards. Mark McWatt wins Best First Book Award in the 2006 Commonwealth Writers' Prize
for the Caribbean for his work of fiction Suspended Sentences: Fictions of Atonement.
A collection of poetry and fiction produced in the Caribbean during the 19th and 20th centuries and be search at Caribbean Literature.
arrived and established the first permanent Caribbean settlements, the Islands have produced their own composers, musicians and ensembles
. From the 17th century onward Caribbean has developed a music infrastructure, that includes church hall
s, performing arts center
s, record company
s, radio stations and television music video
channels. The music has subsequently been heavily influenced by American culture because of its proximity and migration between the two regions.
Caribbean's have produced a variety of internationally successful performers and artist. These individuals are honoured at The Award
s, recognizing Caribbean achievement in popular music.In addition, the Caribbean is home to a number of popular summer-time folk festivals. Caribbean's have also produced many notable composers, who have contributed in a variety of ways to the history
of Western classical music
.
There are the Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence
(ANSCAFE) launched in October 2005 to awards in the Arts (and other areas). Up to 2010, they were made biennially, but as of 2011, the awards will be made yearly in ceremonies in Trinidad.
Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (late President of Guyana) facilitated the first Caribbean Festival of the Arts (CARIFESTA) in 1972 in Georgetown, Guyana.
The Trinidad Theatre Workshop (established in 1959).
Some Caribbean's has developed a small but vigorous film industry that has produced a variety of well-known films, actors, and auteurs. Also, the distinct French-Caribbean and Spanish-Caribbean society permits the work of directors to contribute very different film-forms. At the Awards some have became the Caribbean's first films to win the Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Many Caribbean's are employed in the film industry, and celebrity-spotting is frequent throughout many Caribbean cities.
Caribbean television, especially supported by the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation
, is the home of a variety of locally-produced shows. French and Spanish-language television, is buffered from excessive American influence by the fact of language, and likewise supports a host of home-grown productions. The success of French and Spanish-language domestic television and movies in Caribbean often exceeds that of its English-language counterpart.
Caribbean Media Awards honor the best feature broadcast placements, print and photography from Caribbean-based media outlets.
, Spanish
and French
. While these traditions are distinct and at times very different, there are common themes that relate to Caribbeans' shared history and geopolitical
situation in North America
and the world
. Various trends can be noted in Caribbean comedy. One thread is the portrayal of a "typical" Caribbean family in an on-going radio or television series. Examples include a mix of drama, humour, politics and religion and sitcoms
. Another major thread tends to be political and cultural satire
: television shows such as Royal Palm Estate, monologuists and writers, draw their inspiration from Caribbean society and politics. Another trend revels in absurdity and musician-comedians. Satire is arguably the primary characteristic of Caribbean humour, evident in each of these threads, and uniting various genres and regional cultural differences.
Other popular team sports include cricket, rugby, Football (soccer) and softball
. Currently, Cricket
is the biggest sport in Caribbean. Popular individual sports include auto racing
, boxing
, cycling
, golf
, hiking
, horse racing
, skateboarding
, swimming
, tennis
, triathlon
, track and field, water sports, and wrestling
. As an area with a generally warm climate, the Caribbean countries have enjoyed greater success at the Summer Olympics
or Central American and Caribbean Games
than at the Winter Olympics
.
Great achievements in Caribbean sport are recognized by Caribbean's Sports Hall of Fame, while Trophies are awarded annually to Caribbean's top athlete by a panel of journalists.
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
istic, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
al, literary
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, culinary
Culinary art
Culinary art is the art of preparing and cooking foods. The word "culinary" is defined as something related to, or connected with, cooking. A culinarion is a person working in the culinary arts. A culinarian working in restaurants is commonly known as a cook or a chef. Culinary artists are...
, political
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and social
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
elements that are representative of the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, not only to its own population, but people all over the world. The Caribbean's culture has historically been influenced by European culture
Culture of Europe
The culture of Europe might better be described as a series of overlapping cultures. Whether it is a question of North as opposed to South; West as opposed to East; Orthodoxism as opposed to Protestantism as opposed to Catholicism as opposed to Secularism; many have claimed to identify cultural...
and traditions, especially British
Culture of the United Kingdom
The culture of the United Kingdom refers to the patterns of human activity and symbolism associated with the United Kingdom and its people. It is informed by the UK's history as a developed island country, major power, and its composition of four countries—England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and...
, Spanish
Culture of Spain
The culture of Spain is based on a variety of influences.The Visigothic Kingdom left a sense of a united Christian Hispania that was going to be welded in the Reconquista. Muslim influences were strong during the period of 711 AD to the 15th century, especially linguistically...
and French
Culture of France
The culture of France and of the French people has been shaped by geography, by profound historical events, and by foreign and internal forces and groups. France, and in particular Paris, has played an important role as a center of high culture and of decorative arts since the seventeenth...
. Over time, elements of the cultures of Caribbean's African peoples and other immigrant populations have become incorporated into mainstream Caribbean culture. It has also been strongly influenced by that of its linguistic, economic, and cultural neighbour, the United States
Culture of the United States
The Culture of the United States is a Western culture originally influenced by European cultures. It has been developing since long before the United States became a country with its own unique social and cultural characteristics such as dialect, music, arts, social habits, cuisine, and folklore...
.
Caribbean's federal governments have influenced Caribbean culture with programs, laws and institutions. It has created crown corporations to promote Caribbean culture through media, such as the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation
Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation
The Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation is the government-owned media corporation located in Barbados.The television service broadcasts on channel 8 and is the only legally-licensed, over-the-air television channel broadcasting in the country of Barbados...
(CBC), and promotes many events which it considers to promote Caribbean traditions.
The Caribbean's culture, like that of most any country in the world, is a product of its history, geography, and political system. Being a collection of settler nations, Caribbean has been shaped by waves of migration that have combined to form a unique blend of customs, cuisine
Caribbean cuisine
Caribbean cuisine is a fusion of African, Amerindian, British, Spanish, French, Dutch, Indian, and Chinese cuisine. These traditions were brought from the many homelands of this region's population...
, and traditions that have marked the socio-cultural development of the nation. In this article, several aspects of Caribbean culture will be discussed. Though this article attempts to feature a variety of subjects pertinent to the culture of Caribbean, it is in no way exhaustive, and to gain a much deeper knowledge of Caribbean's and their culture, one must also consult the other articles pertaining to Caribbean and its peoples.
Development of Caribbean culture
Caribbean cultureCulture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
is a product of the Caribbean's history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
. Most of the Caribbean's territory was inhabited and developed earlier than European colonies
European colonization of the Americas
The start of the European colonization of the Americas is typically dated to 1492. The first Europeans to reach the Americas were the Vikings during the 11th century, who established several colonies in Greenland and one short-lived settlement in present day Newfoundland...
in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, with the result that themes and symbols of pioneers, farmers, and traders were important in the early development of Caribbean culture. The British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
conquest of Caribbean in 1759 brought a large Francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
population under British rule, creating a need for compromise and accommodation, while the migration of United Empire Loyalists from the Thirteen Colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
brought in strong British, Spanish, French, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n and even Dutch influences.
Although not without conflict, the Caribbean's early interactions with First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
and indigenous
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
populations were relatively short lived, compared to the experience of native peoples
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
in the United States. Combined with relatively late economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
in many regions, this difficult history has disallowed Caribbean native peoples having any strong influence on the national culture, even destroying their remaining identity.
Bilingualism and multiculturalism
French CaribbeanFrench Caribbean
The term French Caribbean varies in meaning with its usage and frame of reference. This ambiguity makes it very different from the term French West Indies, which refers to the specific, formal French possessions in the Caribbean region...
, Spanish Caribbean
Spanish Caribbean
The Spanish Caribbean refers to the Spanish-speaking areas in the Caribbean Sea, namely Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The phrase, thus, excludes countries such as Jamaica, Haiti, and the Lesser Antilles...
, Creole language
Creole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
and Patois
Patois
Patois is any language that is considered nonstandard, although the term is not formally defined in linguistics. It can refer to pidgins, creoles, dialects, and other forms of native or local speech, but not commonly to jargon or slang, which are vocabulary-based forms of cant...
's early development was relatively cohesive during the 17th and 18th centuries, and this allows Francophone culture to survive and thrive within Caribbean.
Multicultural heritage is enshrined in many islands. In parts of the Caribbean, multiculturalism itself is the cultural norm and diversity is the force that unites the community. Although officially quarter of the Caribbean are English speaking, the largest group is attributed to Spanish speakers (due to the inclusion of mainland Caribbean states), some 22% speak French whilst only 1% speak Dutch. However, though the Caribbean today is linked with 59 living languages these are not spoken in the insular Caribbean, but on what is referred to as the continental Caribbean.
In the French islands, cultural identity
Cultural identity
Cultural identity is the identity of a group or culture, or of an individual as far as one is influenced by one's belonging to a group or culture. Cultural identity is similar to and has overlaps with, but is not synonymous with, identity politics....
is strong, and many French-speaking islanders
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
commentators speak of a French culture
Culture of France
The culture of France and of the French people has been shaped by geography, by profound historical events, and by foreign and internal forces and groups. France, and in particular Paris, has played an important role as a center of high culture and of decorative arts since the seventeenth...
as distinguished from English Caribbean culture, but some also see Caribbean as a collection of several regional, and ethnic subcultures.
While French Caribbean
French Caribbean
The term French Caribbean varies in meaning with its usage and frame of reference. This ambiguity makes it very different from the term French West Indies, which refers to the specific, formal French possessions in the Caribbean region...
culture is the most obvious example, Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
influences have allowed survival of non-English dialects; however, the influence of Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
immigrants to Barbados has had the effect of minimizing Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
influences in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
's culture, and highlighting British influences instead, until the 1980s. Caribbean's Pacific trade has also brought a large Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
influence into Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
and other areas.
Caribbean identity
Primary influences on the Caribbean identity trace back to the arrival, beginning in the early 17th century, of FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
settlers, English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
settlers and the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
settlers. First Nations played a critical part in the development of European colonies in Caribbean, from their role in assisting exploration of the continent, the sugar trade and inter-European power struggles to the creation of the Afro-Caribbean people. Through their art and culture, First Nations and African descendants continue to exert influence on the Caribbean identity.
The question of Caribbean identity was traditionally dominated by three fundamental themes: first, the often conflicted relations between English and French stemming from the French imperative for cultural and linguistic survival; secondly, the generally close ties between English Caribbean's and the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, resulting in a gradual political process towards complete independence from the imperial power and, finally, the close proximity of English-speaking Caribbean's to the military, economic and cultural powerhouse of the United States. With the gradual loosening of political and cultural ties to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, in the 20th century immigrants from European, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n, Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n nationalities have shaped the Caribbean identity, a process that continues today with the continuing arrival of large numbers of immigrants from non British or French backgrounds, adding the theme of multiculturalism to the debate. Today, the Caribbean has a diverse makeup of nationalities and cultures and constitutional protection for policies that promote multiculturalism rather than a single national myth.
The issue of Caribbean identity remains under scrutiny, perhaps more than the identity of the people of any other modern nation.
In true Caribbean fashion, however, even the search for an identity has itself become an object for self-criticism, usually because many Caribbean's confuse reasons for riding themselves of Colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
shackles and compounding the loss of their own Caribbean identity by clinging to an African non-identity in its stead.
Cultural protectionism in Caribbean
Cultural protectionism in the Caribbean has, since the mid-20th century, taken the form of conscious, interventionist attempts on the part of various Caribbean governments to promote Caribbean cultural production and limit the effect of foreign, largely American, culture on the domestic audience. Sharing a large border and (for the majority) a common language with the United States, the Caribbean faces a difficult position in regard to American culture, be it direct attempts at the Caribbean market or the general diffusion of American culture in the globalized media arena. While Caribbean's try to maintain their cultural differences, it must also balance this with responsibility in trade arrangements such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and TradeGeneral Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was negotiated during the UN Conference on Trade and Employment and was the outcome of the failure of negotiating governments to create the International Trade Organization . GATT was signed in 1947 and lasted until 1993, when it was replaced by the World...
(GATT) and the North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
(NAFTA).
Symbols
Official symbols of Caribbean include the parrotParrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
, palm
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
, and the shell
Seashell
A seashell or sea shell, also known simply as a shell, is a hard, protective outer layer created by an animal that lives in the sea. The shell is part of the body of the animal. Empty seashells are often found washed up on beaches by beachcombers...
. Many official symbols of the country such as the Flags of Caribbean have been changed or modified over the past decades in order to 'Caribbeanize' them and de-emphasise or remove references to the United Kingdom. For example The Cayman Islands now uses National Symbols that include their indigenous* Parrot, Silver Thatch, Palm and the Wild Banana Orchid.
Symbols of the monarchy in Caribbean continue to be featured in, for example, the Arms of Caribbean and armed forces. The designation 'Royal
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
' remains for institutions as varied as the Royal Caribbean Police, though with the unification of armed forces into the Caribbean Forces, the Royal Caribbean Air Force and Royal Caribbean Navy ceased to exist. However, certain Caribbean Forces Land Force Command (army) units carry "Royal" titles, Caribbean Forces Maritime Command vessels are still styled "HMCS".
Arts
The works of most early Caribbean painters followed European trends. During the mid 1800s, Caribbean painters have developed a wide range of highly individual styles. The arts have flourished in Caribbean since the 1900s, and especially since the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1945.
The Washington Organization of American States (inaugurated in 1976) houses one of the oldest twentieth-century art collections representing the Caribbean. For example one exhibit showcased works included two important pieces by women artists of the Caribbean: El vendedor de andullo (Tobacco Vendor), 1938, by modernist Celeste Woss y Gil
Celeste Woss y Gil
Celeste Woss y Gil was a painter from the Dominican Republic. She was known for her paintings of nude women, which shocked the bourgeoisie of Santo Domingo when they were first exhibited. Stylistically, her work owes something to the paintings of Paul Gauguin...
of the Dominican Republic, and a oil painting entitled Marpacífico (Hibiscus-Marpacífico is the name used in Cuba for the hibiscus flower), 1943, by Cuban modernist Amelia Peláez
Amelia Peláez
Amelia Peláez del Casal was an important Cuban painter of the Avant-garde generation.-Biography:Amelia was born in 1896 in Yaguajay, in the former Cuban province of Las Villas...
. There have even been a rare selection of prints by Haitian artists such as Castera Bazile
Castera Bazile
Castera Bazile was a Haitian painter. Born in Jacmel, Bazile painted several murals in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-au-Prince. He won the grand prize at the Caribbean International Competition in 1955.-References:...
, Wilson Bigaud
Wilson Bigaud
Wilson Bigaud was a Haitian painter. Born in Port-au-Prince, Bigaud first worked with clay before becoming a painter. At the International Exhibit in Washington, D.C., in 1950 Bigaud won second place for a painting entitled "Paradise". He also painted a mural in the Holy Trinity Cathedral of...
, Dieudonné Cedor
Dieudonné Cédor
Dieudonné Cédor was a Haitian painter. Born in Anse-à-Veau, Cédor had his work displayed around the world, with exhibits in Guatemala , Mexico , Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands , Miami , Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama. In 1967, he painted a mural in the Port-au-Prince International Airport...
, Jacques-Enguerrand Gourgue
Jacques-Enguerrand Gourgue
Jacques-Enguerrand Gourgue was one of Haiti's most renowned painters in the 20th century.A Port-au-Prince native, Gourgue began painting at an early age and eventually had his works exhibited throughout Europe and the Americas. His father was a French psychiatrist, and his mother a Haitian vodou...
and Gabriel Lévêque, that have not been exhibited since they were part of a traveling exhibition in 1948.
Literature
Caribbean literature is often divided into Spanish, French and English-language literature, which are rooted in the literary traditions of Spain, France and Britain, respectively. However, collectively this literature has become distinctly Caribbean. Caribbean's literature, whether written in English, French or Spanish, often reflects the Caribbean perspective on nature, life, and Caribbean's position in the world, Caribbean identity is closely tied to its literature. Caribbean literature is often categorised by region or island; by the status of the author (e.g., literature of Caribbean women, EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans, Asian peoples, and Irish Caribbeans); and by literary period, such as "Caribbean postmoderns" or "Caribbean Poets Between the Wars".
Caribbean authors have accumulate numerous awards. Mark McWatt wins Best First Book Award in the 2006 Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Writers is an initiative by the Commonwealth Foundation to unearth, develop and promote the best new fiction from across the Commonwealth. It's flagship are two literary awards and a website...
for the Caribbean for his work of fiction Suspended Sentences: Fictions of Atonement.
A collection of poetry and fiction produced in the Caribbean during the 19th and 20th centuries and be search at Caribbean Literature.
Music
The Music of Caribbean has reflected the multi-cultural influences that have shaped the Caribbean. The first historical figures to influence Caribbean musicians are from the South America's and to some digree Africa. Nevertheless, the Caribbean's first peoples, the Spanish, the French, and the British, have all made large contributions to the musical heritage of Caribbean as well. Since Spanish explorer ColumbusChristopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
arrived and established the first permanent Caribbean settlements, the Islands have produced their own composers, musicians and ensembles
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
. From the 17th century onward Caribbean has developed a music infrastructure, that includes church hall
Church hall
A church hall is a room or building associated with a church, general for community and charitable use . It is normally located near the church, typically in smaller and village communities. Activities in the hall are not necessarily religious, but are typically an important part of local community...
s, performing arts center
Performing arts center
Performing arts center, often abbreviated PAC, is used to refer to* A multi-use performance space that is intended for use by various types of the performing arts, including dance, music and theatre....
s, record company
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s, radio stations and television music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
channels. The music has subsequently been heavily influenced by American culture because of its proximity and migration between the two regions.
Caribbean's have produced a variety of internationally successful performers and artist. These individuals are honoured at The Award
Award
An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
s, recognizing Caribbean achievement in popular music.In addition, the Caribbean is home to a number of popular summer-time folk festivals. Caribbean's have also produced many notable composers, who have contributed in a variety of ways to the history
Western art history
Western art is the art of the North American and European countries, and art created in the forms accepted by those countries.Written histories of Western art often begin with the art of the Ancient Middle East, Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Aegean civilisations, dating from the 3rd millennium BC...
of Western classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
.
There are the Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence
Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence
The Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence were initiated by Dr Anthony N Sabga, one of the Caribbean's most celebrated entrepreneurs and founder and Chairman Emeritus of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago....
(ANSCAFE) launched in October 2005 to awards in the Arts (and other areas). Up to 2010, they were made biennially, but as of 2011, the awards will be made yearly in ceremonies in Trinidad.
Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (late President of Guyana) facilitated the first Caribbean Festival of the Arts (CARIFESTA) in 1972 in Georgetown, Guyana.
Caribbean theatre
Caribbean's have a thriving stage theatre scene. Theatre festivals draw many tourists in the tourist months. Asan example - Ruprecht argues Creole Theatre would take one on a tour to a chain of islands in the Caribbean, and he offers an analysis of the contemporary Creole theatre of the Caribbean and of the work of some of the playwrights associated with Creole theatre such as Frankétienne and Cavé in Haiti, José Exélis and Arthur Lérus in Guadeloupe, as well as Boukman and Placoly of Martinique.The Trinidad Theatre Workshop (established in 1959).
Film and television
The Caribbean film market was dominated by the American film industry for decades, although that film industry has since inception seen a prominent role for actors, directors, producers and technicians of Caribbean origin. Filmmakers from the Caribbean are began to challenge Hollywood by making innovative and relevant documentary, dramas and feature films.Some Caribbean's has developed a small but vigorous film industry that has produced a variety of well-known films, actors, and auteurs. Also, the distinct French-Caribbean and Spanish-Caribbean society permits the work of directors to contribute very different film-forms. At the Awards some have became the Caribbean's first films to win the Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Many Caribbean's are employed in the film industry, and celebrity-spotting is frequent throughout many Caribbean cities.
Caribbean television, especially supported by the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation
Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation
The Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation is the government-owned media corporation located in Barbados.The television service broadcasts on channel 8 and is the only legally-licensed, over-the-air television channel broadcasting in the country of Barbados...
, is the home of a variety of locally-produced shows. French and Spanish-language television, is buffered from excessive American influence by the fact of language, and likewise supports a host of home-grown productions. The success of French and Spanish-language domestic television and movies in Caribbean often exceeds that of its English-language counterpart.
Caribbean Media Awards honor the best feature broadcast placements, print and photography from Caribbean-based media outlets.
Caribbean humour
Caribbean humour is an integral part of the Caribbean Identity. There are several traditions in Caribbean humour in EnglishCaribbean English
Caribbean English is a broad term for the dialects of the English language spoken in the Caribbean, most countries on the Caribbean coast of Central America, and Guyana. Caribbean English is influenced by the English-based Creole varieties spoken in the region, but they are not the same. In the...
, Spanish
Spanish Caribbean
The Spanish Caribbean refers to the Spanish-speaking areas in the Caribbean Sea, namely Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The phrase, thus, excludes countries such as Jamaica, Haiti, and the Lesser Antilles...
and French
French Caribbean
The term French Caribbean varies in meaning with its usage and frame of reference. This ambiguity makes it very different from the term French West Indies, which refers to the specific, formal French possessions in the Caribbean region...
. While these traditions are distinct and at times very different, there are common themes that relate to Caribbeans' shared history and geopolitical
Geopolitics
Geopolitics, from Greek Γη and Πολιτική in broad terms, is a theory that describes the relation between politics and territory whether on local or international scale....
situation in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and the world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
. Various trends can be noted in Caribbean comedy. One thread is the portrayal of a "typical" Caribbean family in an on-going radio or television series. Examples include a mix of drama, humour, politics and religion and sitcoms
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
. Another major thread tends to be political and cultural satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
: television shows such as Royal Palm Estate, monologuists and writers, draw their inspiration from Caribbean society and politics. Another trend revels in absurdity and musician-comedians. Satire is arguably the primary characteristic of Caribbean humour, evident in each of these threads, and uniting various genres and regional cultural differences.
Sport
The sporting culture of Caribbean is different from that of many other countries. Compared to any other nation, Caribbeans prefer a unique set of sports that are imported from the United Kingdom or home grown — namely cricket and football. In the Caribbean, football means British football or what is sometimes called socker around the world. The newly-formed (2009) Caribbean Awards Sports Icons (CASI) are based on accomplishments made over the last 60 years (1948–2008), for these who have made their mark in the various fields of sports.Other popular team sports include cricket, rugby, Football (soccer) and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
. Currently, Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
is the biggest sport in Caribbean. Popular individual sports include auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
, boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, skateboarding
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
, track and field, water sports, and wrestling
Amateur wrestling
Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...
. As an area with a generally warm climate, the Caribbean countries have enjoyed greater success at the Summer Olympics
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
or Central American and Caribbean Games
Central American and Caribbean Games
The Central American and Caribbean Games are a multi-sport regional championships event, held quadrennial , typically in the middle year between Summer Olympics...
than at the Winter Olympics
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
.
Great achievements in Caribbean sport are recognized by Caribbean's Sports Hall of Fame, while Trophies are awarded annually to Caribbean's top athlete by a panel of journalists.