The
music of Saint Kitts and Nevis
is known for a number of musical celebrations including
Carnival
(December 17 to January 3 on Saint Kitts). The last week in June features the
St Kitts Music Festival
, while the week-long
Culturama
on Nevis lasts from the end of July into early August.
[1]
In addition, there are other festivals on the island of Saint Kitts. There is
Inner City Fest
in February in Molineaux
Green Valley Festival
usually around Whit Monday in the village of Cayon,
Easterama
around Easter (April) in the village of Sandy Point,
Fest-Tab
, around July-August in the village of Tabernacle, and
La festival de Capisterre
, around Independence Day in Saint Kitts and Nevis (19 September), in the
Capisterre
region. These celebrations typically feature parades, street dances and
salsa
,
jazz
,
soca
,
calypso
and
steelpan
music.
The official genre of St. Kitts and Nevis is called
Wilders
/
Wailaz
/
Jamband Music
. It has a similarity to Soca Music (which originated in Trinidad and Tobago) but it is distinctly different in sound and origin. This music can be heard from the local bands which play on both islands during SugarMas, Culturama and other local activities.
Traditional music
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The most well-known kind of traditional music is probably seasonal
Christmas songs
, though there also
chanteys
and other songs. Music is also a part of the
Tea Meetings
which are common on the island, featuring a pair of stentorian male singers in a competitive kind of performance in which hecklers play an important role.
[2]
Carnival music
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Carnival
in Saint Kitts and Nevis features music quite prominently.
Big Drum
and
string bands
accompany folk performers. Other instruments include
shack-shack
(a tin can with beads inside),
baha
(a blown metal pipe),
triangle
,
fife
,
guitar
and
quarto
.
Iron bands
were introduced to Saint Kitts and Nevis' Carnival in the 1940s, when bands used makeshift percussion instruments from the likes of car rims. Ensembles of local, collaborative musicians formed during this era, playing drums,
saxophones
,
bass guitars
and
trumpets
; these included the
Silver Rhythm Orchestra
,
Brown Queen
,
Music Makers
,
Esperanza
and
Rhythm Kings
. The following decade saw the introduction a
Trinidadian
style called
steelpan
, brought by Lloyd Matheson, C.B.E., then an Education Officer. The first steelpan band was
Roy Martin
's
Wilberforce Steel Pan
. Other bands included the
Eagle Squadron
,
Boomerang
,
Casablanca
,
Boston Tigers
and
The Invaders
. Modern Carnival in Saint Kitts and Nevis did not begin until the late 1950s. In the 1960s,
brass bands
dominated first Carnival, then much of popular music.
[3]
Calypso
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Calypso
is a style of
music from Trinidad and Tobago
, consisting of highly lyrical songs that frequently makes topical comments on the ruling classes and social issues of the day.
During slavery, calypso was used for commentary against the oppression and brutal treatment suffered by the slaves at the hands of their masters. This form was called Caiso (Ka-ee-sow) meaning "the town cry", while the singer/composer was called the "Caisonian". This singing was then nicknamed "calypso" by the European slave masters, who called it after the mythological sea nymph
calypso
because of its melodic ability to captivate its listeners.
The caisonians were then pressured by their masters to sing songs to entertain them in return for certain privileges and an ease of tasks, and for money during the post-emancipation period.
Calypso was subsequently commercialized in Trinidad, where it was sung mainly for entertainment in shows called "calypso tents" during the Trinidad carnival celebrations. (Unreferenced)
From Trinidad, calypso spread across the Caribbean, and became a major part of Kittitian (or Kittian) and Nevisian music with the introduction of formal calypso competitions in the 1950s. Prominent early
calypsonians
from this period included
Mighty Kush
,
Lord Mike
,
Elmo Osborne
,
Lord Harmony
,
King Monow
and the
Mighty Saint
. By the 1980s, calypso had begun to peak in popularity on Saint Kitts and Nevis, while the two dominant performers were the rivals Starshield and
Ellie Matt
(King Richie and son King '
Richie Buntin'
.who today are one of the most prolific songwriter and composers.
[4]
See also
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Notes
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References
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Music of North America
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Sovereign states
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Dependencies and
other territories
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