Music As a Language of the Americas
There are various ways in which we can look at the nuances of language in the Americas as a result of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. French, English, Spanish, and Dutch are the spoken languages that are usually discussed when were imposed in the Caribbean. But what of the languages that survived the Middle Passage? In this case, what if we were to look at the language of music, dance, and instruments—percussion/drums in particular—as a language?
This project would aim to explore the establishment of music as a means of collective communication, perhaps using a language tree to illustrate the relationships. The way the language families would be designated remains to be decided, however, possibilities include by instrument, or by genre of music which by extension would establish the colonial territory from which it hails. After a language tree has been established, we can explore what it has meant for each group of peoples fighting for the abolishment of slavery and thus, independence.
As part of a collective analysis, genres of music and their accompanying dances (with a focus on their variations across the Americas using Puerto Rican Bomba, Bamboula from the Virgin Islands, etc. as one example) would also be examined.
After looking at the presence of music as resistance, considering the countries that obtained their independence as opposed to Martinique, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands for example, what can we take away?
As an integral part if not the most significant, there will be a special focus on the role of drums and percussion in resistance. The drum as a spiritual instrument, as an instrument of entertainment, and additional uses for communication and their subsequent purposes.
How these variations came to be—e.g., specific trade routes, the mobility and mingling of free persons of color with those still enslaved could also be a consideration. Perhaps then, making a comparison to the imposed colonial languages.
Research Project A Deeper Look into Music as a Language of the Americas
There are various ways in which we can look at the nuances of language in the Americas as a result of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. French, English, Spanish, and Dutch are the spoken languages that are usually discussed when were imposed in the Caribbean. But what of the languages that survived the Middle Passage? In this case, what if we were to look at the language of music, dance, and instruments—percussion/drums in particular—as a language?
This project would aim to explore the establishment of music as a means of collective communication, perhaps using a language tree to illustrate the relationships. The way the language families would be designated remains to be decided, however, possibilities include by instrument, or by genre of music which by extension would establish the colonial territory from which it hails. After a language tree has been established, we can explore what it has meant for each group of peoples fighting for the abolishment of slavery and thus, independence.
As part of a collective analysis, genres of music and their accompanying dances (with a focus on their variations across the Americas using Puerto Rican Bomba, the Beguine dance from Martinique and Guadeloupe, Bamboula from the Virgin Islands, etc. as one example) would also be examined.
After looking at the presence of music as resistance, considering the countries that obtained their independence as opposed to Martinique, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands for example, what can we take away?
As an integral part if not the most significant, there will be a special focus on the role of drums and percussion in resistance. The drum as a spiritual instrument, as an instrument of entertainment, and additional uses for communication and their subsequent purposes.
How these variations came to be—e.g., specific trade routes, the mobility and mingling of free persons of color with those still enslaved could also be a consideration. Perhaps then, making a comparison to the imposed colonial languages.