Chutney and Douglarization: Cultural Change, Music and Identity Politics in Trinidad

Patricia Moonsammy

Ph.D. Candidate in Anthropology

The University of Michigan

Caribbean Map

Historical Overview

Spanish Colonization

Spanish Colony (1498)—Remained a backwater colony until efforts to develop the island with the declaration of the Cedula de Población in 1783 (directed at French planters in the French islands ceded to Britain and those in the French Antilles)

Immigration of French Creoles, African slaves, and Free Coloreds, also with their slaves

French Cultural Influence

British Colonization

British Colony (captured in 1797, formally ceded to Britain in 1802)—immigration of British, Scottish and Irish (overseers, managers & clerks). Also free blacks (former American slaves, slaves freed by the British Royal Navy, immigrants from other Caribbean islands).

Immigration from Spanish colonies experiencing revolutionary upheavals (white and free colored planters, blacks and peon laborers)

Plantation Economy

Late Development of plantation economy Emancipation of Slaves (1834/1838) Portuguese and Chinese indentured

laborers (moved to grocery and dry goods trades)

Period of Indian Indentureship (1845-1917)

Ethnic Influences

Post WWI immigration of Syrian/Lebanese to Trinidad, also involved in trading enterprises (especially cloth/textiles)

Culturally a mix of African, Spanish, French, British and Indian practices, institutions and traditions, as well as Chinese, Portuguese and Syrian (to a lesser degree)

Politics

Anti-colonial struggle (from beginning of 20th century)

Independence 1962 Anti-neo-colonial struggle/Black Power

Revolution 1970

Black Power Revolution

Evidence of African/Indian solidarity Troubles our understanding of “Black”

Constructions of the Nation

Competing ideologies of the nation—considered multi-ethnic, melting pot (“where every creed and race finds an equal place,” “all o’ we is one”), yet national symbols of culture were seen as African forms (steelband, calypso, and carnival).

How has Trinidad been theorized?

Stratification School—despite cultural and ethnic diversity, society held together by a consensus of norms and values

Plural Society School—each cultural section maintains its own social institutions, distinct and separate from other institutions

Plantation Society School—social relations were shaped by the plantation economy and have not really changed since then.

(Ref: Kevin Yelvington, Trinidad Ethnicity, 1993)

Culture contact and change

All of these theories fail to adequately consider that culture is a living entity—always subject to incorporation of new forms and re-interpretation, creating new and unique forms.

Demographics

Today, Trinidad’s population stands at approximately 1.1 million (1,056,608)

As of the 2000 Census, the ethnic composition of the island is as follows:

40% Indian 37.5% African 20.5% Mixed 2% Other Ethnicities, including European,

Chinese, and Syrian.

Tensions

How does such an ethnically diverse country represent the various identities, experiences, and values of its people?

How do individuals and communities maintain their cultural traditions (past), while also embracing evolving traditions (present and future)?

Unique identity (purity) vs. Creole/national identity (viewed as African/mixed) vs. Dougla identity

Musical Examples

Through musical examples, we will look at how mixing/creolization/douglarization has been represented.

Identity Crisis of the Dougla

Dougla—person of mixed African and Indian ancestry

Mighty Dougla: “Split Me in Two”

Calypso & Soca

Creation of Soca by Lord Shorty (Garfield Blackman)—conscious incorporation of Indian elements into calypso to reflect reality of the nation

Over time, Soca evolved to become the dance music for Carnival—emphasis on fast music, dancing, wining. Shift away from Shorty’s intent

Chutney

Matikor night music and dance form practiced by Indian women prior to a wedding

Emphasis on fast music, dancing, wining

Chutney Soca/Soca Chutney

Fusion of Chutney and Soca Mixed language use Instrumentation (popular/modern and

Indian traditional forms) Themes of ethnic mixture Performances of the body represent

African/Indian mixing

The Indian Woman, Idealized Femininity, Defying Convention

Mighty Sparrow: “Marajhin” (evidence of ethnic stereotypes, African male in pursuit of the Indian female, will change his name to demonstrate commitment to her, he will enter Indian social domain)

Drupatee: “Mr. Bissessar” (Female Indian singer entering the calypso arena—taboo for an Indian woman)

Shurwayne Winchester: “Don’t Stop” (In the vein of Sparrow’s Marajhin, African male willing to adopt Indianness for his woman, fusion in dance, musical elements, bodily adornment)

Remy: “Kuchela & Roti” (double entendre—food as symbolic of sexual relations across ethnicities)

National Unity

Brother Marvin: “Jahaji Bhai” (shared history crossing the water and working on the plantation, sung in English and Hindi)

Machel & Drupatee: “New Unity” (celebration of multiculturalism, collaboration across ethnicities)

Denise Plummer: “Nah Leaving” (“white” Trini woman performing nation-building song using a range of symbols—tassa, food, etc.—to represent multi-ethnic nation)

Douglarization in Performance

David Rudder & Mungal Patasar: “Ganges Meets the Nile” (Symbolism of Africa & India in geography & body, conscious effort to reflect both cultural influences in each of their lives)

Adesh Samaroo: “Rajin Jeem Jeem Jooma” (Popularization of Haniff Mohammed’s classical composition, Rajender Jhoom Jhoom, sung entirely in Bhojpuri, big crossover hit. Cane fields, river lime, Phagwa all visually represented. African, Indian and Mixed bodies represented.)

Rikki Jai: Mor Tor (Reference to Matikor, soca chutney style, immense popularity in the Carnival arena. Re-mix with Machel Montano continues the tradition of collaboration between Indians and Africans)

3canal “Talk Yuh Talk”

Rapso music—emerged during the Black Power Revolutionary era in Trinidad

“Conscious,” social commentary, activist oriented

Rapso associated with afrocentric politics Evidence of douglarization in 3canal’s

rapso performance (body art, clothing, dougla & mixed artists)