Re-visit the Original Caribbean
Ever thought you waited too long before traveling to the Caribbean Islands?
Then come visit...
Carriacou's world famous Big Drum Dance
The
island of Carriacou is the largest of a group of islands in the Lesser
Antilles Archipelago, although it is only seven miles long and two and
one half miles wide. It lies twelve degrees north of the equator,
and its population numbers seven thousand. Its heritage is West African;
its people originally came from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Dahomey,
Zaire, and Guinea. On the island, the intermarriage which took place
among the members of the various tribal backgrounds led to a great deal
of cultural interaction. Communal gatherings of the various tribal
peoples were held, and these were known as Big Drum ceremonies. The
term "Big Drum" has nothing to do with the size of any musical instrument;
it refers, instead, to the size of the gathering. When members of
all the different tribes living on Carriacou come together to celebrate
a social event, such as a wedding, or the memory of an ancestor,
this is a Big Drum gathering.
The
original settlers of the island, the Caribs, were followed by freed French
slaves in 1652. In 1783, Carriacou came under British domination,
and British influence. The British banned the people from beating
their drums for fear that through this system of communication a revolt
could be planned. In spite of this repressive measure, the communities
continued to meet and to practice their drumming, so that, fortunately,
the tradition has survived. The British had an influence on the social
institutions of marriage, birth, death, and religion in terms of the rituals
and ceremonies performed, but the fundamental African culture of the people
prevails as the most dominant on Carriacou.
Winston
Fleary,
Chancellor of the
THE AFRICAN CARIBBEAN AMERICAN FOLKLIFE INSTITUTE
A message from Mr. Fleary:
We hail this long overdue project as a dynamic activity in promoting
the essence of our valuable cultural heritage and art form of the African
and European influences and distinctive practices, authentic with their
diversification for well over 350 years.
It is our resolve therefore to reconstruct a physical suite at
the Belair Great House facilities to reflect a blend of aristocracy
and folkocracy so that our "children may be as plants grown-up in their
youths, after the similitude of a palace." That our visitors, natives
and the world at large could experience, education through information
disseminated - a multi-disciplined approach to applied sociology, anthropology,
musicology, drama, dance, craft, literature, history, philosophy and religion
in a sincere appreciation of the human values and ecological environment.
Contact Mr. Fleary with
offers of support.
A group called the Big Drum Nation arrived in America from Carriacou and have maintained this traditional celebration. They performed it for the pleasure of their new countrymen.
The Big Drum Nation Dance of Carriacou
Friday, 14 May 7-10pm
Saturday, 15 May 1-4pm
Renwick Gallery
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, D.C.
Held in conjunction with the exhibition,
CELEBRATION: A WORLD OF ART AND
RITUAL
Cosponsored by the Smithsonian's National Museum
of American Art
and Office of Folklife Programs.
We have just over 100 rooms on the entire island. Come visit us!
Ade's
Dream Apartment HotelAlexis
Luxury ApartmentsBayaleau
Point CottagesCassada
Bay ResortRoundhouse
CottagesPatty's
VillaGramma's
Luxury ApartmentsMillie's
ApartmentsPeace
Haven GuesthouseScraper's
CottagesConstant
Spring GuesthouseThe
Sands GuesthouseRico's
CottagesHope's
Inn GuesthouseCarriacou
Yacht ClubTom's
Back-Packer's RetreatSilver
BeachBlue
Marlin Apartments
Carriacou is in the Atlantic Time Zone which is UTC - 4. Its climate is tropical with temperatures The electricity supply in Grenada is 220 volts, 50 cycles. Appliances rated at 110 volts (US Standard) usually work satisfactorily with a transformer. Most hotels provide dual voltage shaver units. Bring an adapter plug for small appliances. US, Canadian and British citizens need only two documents proving citizenship, one with a photo. An onward or return ticket is usually required as well. In transit passengers must have a passport.
There is no restriction on the amount of foreign currency which can be brought into Grenada. Personal clothing and other belongings are also admitted freely.
Grenada's official currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar. The exchange rate is EC$2.67 = US$1.00 at the banks for cash and EC$2.68 = US$1.00 for Traveler's Checks. Money can also be exchanged at most hotels, but the exchange rate is better at the banks.
This page last up-dated 13 April 1999
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