Trinidad Stick Fighting Rhythm Section
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I do not understand Charlene's point. The stick fighting drums, the call and response of the stickman's "lavway", the shango and bongo drums , the tamboo bamboo, and the basic steelband all have African roots.
Obviously, the modern steelband has other influences i.e. European and Asian, but it still originated from Trinidad's African culture.
Like I said, I don't get Charlene's point.
On an important and lighter note we even have several Female Stick-Fighters in T&T one who challenges he own husband in the gayell. lol
The Soca Calypso and the steel=band all share more or less the same rhythm. The tamboobamboo came out of the the drumming then the doopdoop and then the entire steel band was upon us. The drumming in the gayelle is a prelude to the action of the stick-fight which can be classed with a marshall art coming out of Africa still performed as a rituall in Brazil. No those rhythms did not come out of "stick-fight" but they have been preserved by the stick fight fraternity along with the chanting and when I was young those songs were also in an African language and French language. No i am not old as the hills lol. No those slaves brought Rythm with them straight out of Africa it is one of the things that kept them going and they left it here and those Stick-Fighters have preserved what they can of it and every year they are down there keeping it alive. there on the wharf. Moruga, gasparillo, Couva that drumming is alive
People, stop grabbing at clues and just remember that the peoples of Africa invented rhythms long before there ever was slavery. When you consider how long those rhythms were taught and reinforced over generations of teaching African culture, it's almost impossible to forget who you are. I do hope you have not. When the Drum was banned in 1851 by the British it only caused drumming to go under ground but the rhythms of Africa namely the West Africa Orisha or Shango religion or cult did not end. Think clearly which came first: drum beating or stick fighting. Listen to the beating of the umelle and compare it with the strumming of the second pans and then tell me that the rhythms came from stick fighting. That makes no sense, period. We are talking about a people that existed for centuries before Trinidad. Sorry....but we are still trying to figure things out. Pay attention. it's not about who gets attention for new ideas, it's about the real truth. We need to do research in the proper way and determine the real facts....e.g Cannes Brulé to Canboulay: what does it really mean? Think man, think. A. Joseph
Never seen a stick fight Brenda? Stick fighting is actually the Kalinda. it incorporates music, dance and fighting. I believe I've posted a couple examples on WST, You should check them out.
Beautiful!
Teacher calypsonian Chalkdust is one of our top cultural historians, ODW, and he definitely knows his culture.
Just adding to the conversation...here's Chalkdust 'Stickman's Lament'
http://youtu.be/YO6v292DbSY
Wow! The drums and rythm are the same, the words are similar - creole- and I am from Martinique. Not much to be added...
The drums, the tamboo bamboo, thats where that steelband rhythm came from!
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