Music in Dutch Caribbean

 12th March 2022

Music in Dutch Caribbean 


Antillean waltz is an example of creolization from Curacao. According to Gangelhoff and LeGrand (2019) the music:

  • is characterized by a mixture of European, African, and Caribbean influences
  • is a fusion of music that came from Venezuela, Cuba, and Puerto Rico
  • is featured from The house and dance parties of the Curaçaoan elite generally featured European salon and dance music, waltzes in particular
  • in the form of The wiri added unique local syncopated rhythms to the imported waltzes and mazurkas recorded on the ka'i òrgel cylinders (Ganglehoff, & LeGrand, 2019).


Here's an example of a local Curacao pianist from the Netherlands: Mr. Edmond Chatlein 

The photo was taken from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBRuQ2685YY


Here's a video of Mr. Chatlein playing Curacao Waltz

Video is taken from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBRuQ2685YY

In the video above, what to pay attention to is the use of the bass, cuatro, guitar, the violin at 2:50, and the wiri. 
These take on harmonic and rhythmic roles, and all of these instruments are typical in the dance bands of Curacao Waltzes. 


Another example of creolization in Curacao is Arepas, a delicious tasting meal. According to the 
carnival.com, arepas are a traditional Venezuelan dish ( that have European touch from colonization)  
that are puffy corn-based patties that resemble lighter pita bread. 

Here's a look at Arepas dish below:

The photo was taken from: https://www.carnival.com/awaywego/travel/caribbean/top-10-things-to-eat-in-curacao

Here's a video of how have to make Arepas

Video is taken from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wryY9C6J2qI

In this video, you can see the patties are cut in half and stuffed with all kinds of different ingredients, such as cheese, meat, tuna, etc. You'll also see some delicious bell peppers inside there too lol. 


References

Gangelhoff, C., & LeGrand, C. (2019, December 31). Tour de Force: A Musical Journey of The Caribbean. Sound Caribbean.

Line, C. C., & Line, C. C. (2019, August 5). Top 10 things to eat in curaçao: Carnival cruise line. Away We Go | Carnival's Travel Blog | Carnival Cruise Line. Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.carnival.com/awaywego/travel/caribbean/top-10-things-to-eat-in-curacao







Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Creolization: Music of the French Caribbean

A Brief Survey into Caribbean Music