The Standing History of Afro-Diasporic Traditions in Trinidad & Tobago
Location
PANEL: Interdisciplinary Exploration of Music Perception and Tradition
CELA Moffett
Document Type
Presentation
Start Date
4-26-2024 4:00 PM
End Date
4-26-2024 5:00 PM
Abstract
In the African Diaspora, many forms of music and physical expression embody ideas of liberation, emancipation, and resistance. By analyzing Afro-Trinidadian Diaspora musical traditions such as carnival, spiritual shouter practices, stick fighting, and the creation of steel pans, this project interrogates the manifestations of power, privilege, and oppression in the continuum of slavery and settler colonialism. These forms make it possible to see the effects and consequences of Afro-Trinidadians negotiating public and private space under British colonial rule pre-emancipation of Trinidad in 1962. The use of oral tradition, in particular, has guided many members of the African Diaspora to revolution, joy, passing down rituals, and cultivating community. As a Steel Pan performer of Trinidadian descent, I bridge gaps between practitioners, scholars, and intellectuals outside of the academy and explore Caribbean narratives through a more nuanced perspective while centering Caribbean voices through the use of oral histories. This research serves as an acknowledgment and ode to all who have fought to keep Afro-diasporic traditions alive and consistently center marginalized voices in the discourse. Additionally, my research uses textual, musicological, and ethnographic analysis of the development of African Diasporic traditions in Trinidad & Tobago. Investigating the roots of these traditions from enslavement onwards allows a detailed mapping of anti-colonial and revolutionary efforts in Trinidad & Tobago in a way that uplifts and respects the intellectualism of diverse populations and forms of expression.
Keywords:
Diaspora, Music, Oppression, Liberation
Recommended Citation
Martin, Chudi Jr., "The Standing History of Afro-Diasporic Traditions in Trinidad & Tobago" (2024). Research Symposium. 5.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/researchsymp/2024/presentations/5
Major
Africana Studies; Environmental Studies
Award
Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Project Mentor(s)
Charles Peterson, Africana Studies
2024
The Standing History of Afro-Diasporic Traditions in Trinidad & Tobago
PANEL: Interdisciplinary Exploration of Music Perception and Tradition
CELA Moffett
In the African Diaspora, many forms of music and physical expression embody ideas of liberation, emancipation, and resistance. By analyzing Afro-Trinidadian Diaspora musical traditions such as carnival, spiritual shouter practices, stick fighting, and the creation of steel pans, this project interrogates the manifestations of power, privilege, and oppression in the continuum of slavery and settler colonialism. These forms make it possible to see the effects and consequences of Afro-Trinidadians negotiating public and private space under British colonial rule pre-emancipation of Trinidad in 1962. The use of oral tradition, in particular, has guided many members of the African Diaspora to revolution, joy, passing down rituals, and cultivating community. As a Steel Pan performer of Trinidadian descent, I bridge gaps between practitioners, scholars, and intellectuals outside of the academy and explore Caribbean narratives through a more nuanced perspective while centering Caribbean voices through the use of oral histories. This research serves as an acknowledgment and ode to all who have fought to keep Afro-diasporic traditions alive and consistently center marginalized voices in the discourse. Additionally, my research uses textual, musicological, and ethnographic analysis of the development of African Diasporic traditions in Trinidad & Tobago. Investigating the roots of these traditions from enslavement onwards allows a detailed mapping of anti-colonial and revolutionary efforts in Trinidad & Tobago in a way that uplifts and respects the intellectualism of diverse populations and forms of expression.
