Caribbean Islands and Caribbean Coast

The Caribbean Islands formed a very diverse region. As Mark Brill writes, “virtually every one of the inhabited islands had to contend with its own particular set of racial, religious, historical, and geographical factors, and thus developed its own culture and music.” [1] This means that the islands had a vast array of individual cultures that grew and developed in divergent ways. There were some musical practices that were common to the islands, however.

In general, the Caribbean Islands were home to the Taino Natives. These Native Islanders are known for inventing the güiro, a hollow shell with narrow ridges carved into it that would be played by scraping a special fork or scraper over the ridged edges.

As the Smithsonian writes, “a traditional güiro is made from gourd-like fruit of the higüero tree (Crescentia cujete) that is native to the region.” [2] This shows the Taino people making music with the materials they had close to hand. This pre-Columbian instrument turned out to have a distinct impact on music over time; look in a typical school band’s percussion section today, you will likely find a güiro or two in their materials.

 

Additionally, this region had some noteworthy interactions with the Mid-Atlantic Slave Trade. The 18^th Century saw a massive influx of African slaves brought to the Caribbean islands bringing their own musical traditions with them. A prime example of this is the marimba: “African slaves brought the idea of the gourd marimba with them to the new world. Guatemalan Indians now associate the instrument with their own ethnic heritage.” [3] This quote from the Smithsonian indicates the colorful history of the marimba. It was an instrument originating from Africa, but mixed with the musical cultures of the Native Americans during the 1700’s. This highlights the interesting interactions between two cultures on opposite sides of the Atlantic and shows that the music of American Natives was not an isolated entity.

 

[1] Brill, Music of Latin America, p. 115

[2] Smithsonian, “Güiro.”

[3] Smithsonian Music, “Gourd Marimba”