Although one might think that the Caribbean diaspora is made up of a homogeneous group of people, in reality it is a mixture of different cultures. However, there are many elements that unify this diverse group of people. Music is one such element that brings about a connection among all the members of the diaspora, and with their homeland that they are separated from. Whether it is through the songs played on radio stations or the entertainment news in various Caribbean news platforms, music has an important role in the community. It enables them to develop a sense of unity with each other, that would’ve been missing had music and media not been present as mediums to cultivate it.
Many of the Indo-Caribbean websites have radio stations that play throughout the day to entertain the audience regardless of what time of the day it is. AM 1620 plays many old and evergreen Indian and Caribbean songs. Since the Indo-Caribbean residents are not considered to be part of the “authentic” Caribbean community, the presence of such radio stations that integrate the different genres give them an opportunity to be more united to everyone else in the community. It offers a complete mix of both worlds, that are both similar and different in many ways. Even though I grew up in Dubai, I lived in a community with an abundance of Indians. Thus, I grew up being very familiar with Bollywood and other Hindi cultural aspects. Hindi radio used to be a major factor that contributed to that as there were many radio station stations in Dubai that only tended to an Indian audience. However, even after being an avid listener of those radio stations, I had to give up listening to them after I moved to New York. So it was very refreshing to hear classic Bollywood music in tandem with other Caribbean music.
A particular song that I heard on the radio station was “Ajeeb Dasta Hein.” This is a classic Hindi song that I have heard multiple times before. However, the second stanza caught my attention for its meaning and connection with the Indo- Caribbean immigrants (the recording is included in this post). The English translation of the words in the recording is “The flame that burns ever so bright, spreads more smoke than delight, in the gloom my eyes thinly sing, psalms of awakening.” These words related to the lives of the Indo-Caribbean immigrants as the hardships that they went through in their lives caused a “flame” to ignite in their hearts. They were motivated and driven to achieve the dream of a better life that they sought out for. They were hit with a sense of “awakening” that led their journey in the path to a more secure and stable lifestyle.
One particular Caribbean news website that I explored was nycaribnews. Music was an integral part of the website and its newsfeed, as well. However, some components that caught my eye were the various advertisements present throughout the homepage. Along with other advertisements about property and business enterprises, there were some that related to music as well. The major one was about a gospel concert that was going to take place next week, in Manhattan. Gospel music is well known to be an important facet of Caribbean music. Hence, it can be understood why such an event would be widely advertised, especially on a platform like the nycaribnews, which is read by a large amount of the Caribbean diaspora in New York.
The website had a separate tab for Arts & Entertainment, in which the latest news from the entertainment world was published. One of the news feeds was headlined “Meeting Bob Marley.” It talked primarily about the Jamaica House and its importance as a venue for the Caribbean diaspora to host any musical and other kinds of events. The article said “Jamaica House was an impressive 14 storey building between 5th and 6th Avenues in midtown Manhattan, and the only commercial building owned in a major city by any black organization. This clearly was the ideal place for the New York Press and the New York audience.” With its prime location and other beneficial factors, even Bob Marley was impressed with the Jamaica House. Thus, it clearly showed the importance that the members of the Caribbean diaspora placed on music because they had a formal building that would host such musical and other artistic events. Even though the Caribbean population didn’t own much property, they made sure they had the space to accommodate and complement their interest in music.
New Kingston
Richie Stevens and Ska Nation
Another Caribbean news platform called carribbeanlifenews.com, also gave ample importance to music in terms of news coverage. The highlights of the news in the homepage had two main stories. “Richie Stephens & Ska Nation Band to make Reggae Sumfest debut” and “New Kingston hits Highline Ballroom April 15.” The popularity of Reggae can be seen in how both of the news bits related with Reggae bands making their debuts. “Singer Richie Stephens & his Italian based Ska Nation Band are heading to Montego Bay, Jamaica this summer. The group is confirmed to headline Reggae Sumfest 2017, which unfolds at Catherine Hall in Montego Bay on July 16-22.” Even from this short snippet of the news feed, it can be seen that there is hype and build up on the Ska Nation Band performing at Montego Bay. The Reggae Sumfest is the largest concert event that takes place in Jamaica and it is an event that is well cherished by Jamaican residents, as well as the Caribbean diaspora all around the world. Since the members of the Caribbean diaspora are so involved with reggae and similar kinds of music, there is an abundance of such information in the news sites as well.
Music plays a key role in uniting the massive and diverse Caribbean diaspora, among themselves and with the rest of the world. However, for such music to reach all the audience, the role of media is crucial. This is facilitated by the presence of radio stations and news websites. Such sources enable the members of the diaspora to constantly stay in touch with the events that are happening back home, as well as the ones that take place in their local community.
References:
- http://icrradio.com/
- http://nycaribnews.com/
- http://www.caribbeanlifenews.com/
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