Introduction to Creolization in The Caribbean

This blog will focus on the theme of creolization found throughout the textbook 'Tour de Force: A Musical Journey of The Caribbean.'

Authors Christine Gangelhoff and Cathleen LeGrand describe creolization as the process by which different cultural traditions are blended together. They went on to say that this blending creates new and unique cultures. They mainly highlight this process of creolization in the musical aspect of Caribbean culture. Caribbean musical forms for example came from the mixing of musical traditions brought to the regions from Africa, Europe and East Asia. Merengue, tumba and danza are several Caribbean musical styles that are creolized. Gangelhoff and LeGrand also state that The Caribbean is home to many creole languages and creole religions. The ways in which creolization operates and the distinct cultural products that result will be further examined throughout this blog.

The textbook provides the example of jambalaya as an example of creolization in food. Jambalaya is a West African, French, and Spanish-influenced Creole rice dish that consists primarily of meat and vegetables mixed with rice.

Below is an image of the jambalaya dish followed by a video showcasing how to prepare the dish. 

Image taken from https://cafedelites.com/jambalaya/

Video taken from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSeGzmJ_A08&t=22s

Worldatlas.com portrayed voodoo in Haiti as an example of creolization in religion. New religious practices, like voodoo, arose as a result of the convergence of African and European religions in Haiti. Voodoo is a creolization of the Vodun religion of West Africa and Roman Catholicism. 

Below is an image of Haitian natives participating in voodoo followed by a video that outlines the dynamics of the religion. 

Image taken from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/13/voodoo-big-problem-haiti-cardinal-chibly-langlois

Video taken from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpeLdXeIbwA&t=15s




References

Aggie, M. (2018, June 6). What is Creolization?. Retrieved from https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-creolization.html#:~:text=Hence%2C%20creolization%20is%20the%20process,cultures%20of%20the%20various%20communities.

Gangelhoff, C., & LeGrand, C. (2019, December 31). Tour de Force: A Musical Journey of The Caribbean. Sound Caribbean. 

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