Caribbean music

Caribbean music

1. Main features

   • Variety of music styles including: reggae, salsa and calypso
   • Has African and European influences
     • African
       • Syncopations
       • Cross-rhythms
       • Use of percussion
       • Call and response
       • Singing styles
     • European
       • Tonal harmonies and melodies
       • Instruments eg guitar

2. Instruments

   • Percussion
     • Drums
       • Congas
       • Bongos
     • Claves - 2 short pieces of wood
     • Maracas
     • Cabasa - loops of steel balls wrapped around a cylinder
     • Guiro (scrapers)
     • Tragogo - double-headed bells
   • Guitars
     • Guitarrone - large, four-stringed bass guitar
     • Tres - small guitar w/ 3 sets of double string
     • Cuatro - small guitar w/ 4 strings

3. Musical styles

   • Cuba
     • African and Spanish influences
     • Rhythmic foundation in clave rhythms
     • Melodic and rhythmic syncopation
     • Several 1/2 bar patterns played by different instruments
     • Latin percussion eg cowbells and piano
     • Rhythms section w/ front line of 2-5 horns
     • Simple harmony based on repeated chord patterns
     • Call + response vocals
     • Lyrics of love and everyday life
     • Simple melodies followed by coro (improvisation)
   • Calypso
     • 4/4 time w/ syncopation
     • Acoustic + bass guitar / band w/ trumpets, saxophones, electric guitars, drum kits + latin percussion
     • Three beat rhythms (2 long beats, 1 short)
     • Call and response. Simple harmony
     • Verse + chorus songs
     • Topical, witty, satirical lyrics
   • Steel band music
     • Originated in Trinidad and Tobago
     • Originally made out of oil drums
     • Different sizes of pan (alto, guitar, cello, bass)
     • Lead instruments: tenors/ping pongs
     • Sticks with ends padded with rubber bands
     • Long notes played w/ tremolo effect
     • Smooth, expressive melodic phrases
     • Syncopation and simple harmony
   • Mento
     • Most popular in 1950s
     • Guitar, banjo and drums
     • Strophic (verse-repeating) form
     • Lighthearted lyrics of everyday life
     • Precursor to ska and reggae
   • Ska
     • Fast dance music. Late 1950s
     • Fuses American R'n'B w/ mento rhythms
     • Electric guitars and jazzy horn section
     • Offbeat jumpy rhythms
     • Lyrics about local issues
   • Reggae
     • Slower form of ska
     • Amplified bass guitar riffs
     • 4/4 time w/ missing beat emphasis
     • Repeated offbeat quavers
     • Simple chord sequences
     • Verse and chorus form
     • Political themes in lyrics