Caribbean Trivia
Here are a few things to consider when planning your caribbean vacation:
Caribbean Museums: The role of museums and heritage institutions in promoting and preserving the cultural patrimony. Read about Caribbean Museums and their fight against Illicit Traffic.
Caribbean Sporting News: The Caribbean people love their sports, including cricket, soccer, tennis, athletics, swimming, rugby and more. Read about Caribbean sports via the BBC.
Caribbean Books: Books giving a historical perspective on the Caribbean islands, institutions, and people. Subjects include: Cultural Studies, History, Literature, Economics, Education, Environmental Studies, Gender Studies, Legal Studies, Medical Science, Natural History, Political Science, Sociology, and more.
Caribbean Economy and Slavery: The Portuguese were the first to embark upon the slave trade starting around 1562. The practice of slavery grew to exponential proportions from 1646 up until 1790. An estimated 8 to 15 million Africans reached the Americas from the 16th through the 19th century. Slave labour supplied the most coveted and important items in Atlantic and European commerce: the sugar, coffee, cotton and cacao of the Caribbean; the tobacco, rice and indigo of North America; the gold and sugar of Portuguese and Spanish South America.
Caribbean Cuisine: Caribbean cuisine is a true representation of all the cultural and migratory influences the Region has welcome since Christopher Columbus arrived to its beaches in 1492. From native Indians, European settlers, and African slaves to more recent migratory streams, such as the Arabic, the Chinese, other European and the Hindu, through their spices, flavors, and techniques, all have amalgamated their individual histories into the Caribbean collective self. Caribbean cuisine blends the rhythms that season our Region, and culinary experiences have become natural partners for other manifestations of cultural celebration, such as music, and religion.
History of Calypso: The History of Calypso is that of urbanization, immigration and black reconstruction in Post-Emancipation Trinidad. Some commentators have seen the calypso as deriving from an older West African Tradition of social commentary, in which praise, blame or derision were conveyed in song or folk tales.
History of the Steelpan: In 1883, the British outlawed the beating of drums on the islands. The colonial masters feared the drums might be used for the secret passing of messages — aiding in revolt. But creativity thrives even in repressed situations. The people found their outlet in tins, pans, and other noisy instruments. This later led to the development of the steelpan. The steelpan symbolizes the struggles of all Caribbean people. Here’s an insider’s view of the early beginnings of the steelpan.