Versatility in The English Speaking Caribbean

 The English Caribbean has had many influences throughout time. The main influence is that of the British(British is used to mean any English Speaking country that colonized a Caribbean island). For instance, the island of Barbados was " claimed by England in 1625 and remained in British hands until its independence in 1966"(Gangelhoff&LeGrand, 2019). In Tour de Force we are introduced to competent musical composer Roger Gittens. Gangelhoff and LeGrand write, " Roger Gittens does not write for international audiences and his works are not much known from outside Barbados". Gittens is further described as a music teacher who has influenced musical education throughout Barbados(2019). Below is a photo of Roger Gittens sitting at a piano where he composes his music.

Below is a video displaying one of the performances, Hymns, Pslams and and Songs, that was composed by Roger Gittens.

The performance begins with Mr. Gittens tapping into his teacher role as he explained the different types of love. The first two songs speak of genuine love for your neighbor called phillio love. Then it went on to Eros (romantic) love. Mr. Gittens gives a brief history into each type of love. The tempo of the songs along with the amalgamation of voices in the choir creates a serene feeling when listened to.

Peter Ashbourne ,from Jamaica, is another artist introduced in chapter one of Tour de Force. Ashbourne is said to, "play violin and piano and is one of the island's most versatile composers"(Gangelhoff and LeGrand, 2019). Ashbourne's compostions ranges from jazz to classical to reggae. He composes music for theatrical productions, television and film  productions.

 Below is a photo of Peter Ashbourne.

Photo provided by Music Unites Jamaica Foundation.

Above is a Youtube video that shows how skilled Mr. Ashbourne is at playing the violin. The video shows Peter Asbourne's versatility and musical precision. 

Another example of a versatile musical artist resides on the island of New Providence in The Bahamas, Bishop Lawrence Rolle. Bishop Lawrence Rolle or The "Singing Bishop" is the pastor of a local church named International Praying Deliverance Ministries. He is a well known gospel singer within The Bahamas but he is also an active memeber in society who believes in helping the poor. Bishop Rolle currently has a program in his community where he gives food assistance to the less fortunate.  Bishop Rolle's charisma and flamboyantly positive attitude has also garned him a prescence on social media. Below is a photo of Bishop Lawrence Rolle.

Public Photo

The Youtube video above shows a versus battle between Bishop Lawrence Rolle and Pastor Simeon Outten. This video shows the personality of Bishop Rolle and it also gave a "down home" feel to the famous versuz battles that are showcased on Instagram.

The English speaking Caribbean is rampant with versatile musical artists. Each island nation has a unique sound with it's own set of musicians who brings that sound to an international audiance.

Continue to travel with me as next week the focus will be the versatility in the French Caribbean. Hope you enjoyed today's blog! See you next time!