Abstract
Afro-Caribbean are people from Africa who migrated in the Caribbean Islands. Art by Afro-Caribbean is still tightly connected to the concept of provincial identity and inherited heritage. It is as well believed to stay Afro- Caribbean beliefs are pluralistic, thus share wide-ranging historical proficiencies. The type of art fashioned by many Afro-Caribbean people are said to be modern. This is evident with the local arts that existed in vast places of the island even before the 20th century added by the works of itinerant artists from Europe. Happy to be distinguished with their Caribbean roots, they became more focused on showcasing their own kind of art. Their religion stayed alive, the other which arrived on the latter part disappeared. Some continued in physical separation, others flourished in interdependence with greater assemblies and Christianity. Some sprouted and binge while others stonewashed in remembrance and became nonexistent. The persistent ethnicities spread and sustained to flourish, after the circumstances that bore the people disappeared. The relocation features of incarcerated Africans predisposed the survival and spread of their national civilizations in the Americas. Religion plays a vital role in connecting their past to the present Afro-Caribbean people. With different kind of religions, one binding element for all of these is that they have resilient African influences that collect their African traditional memory; they are creole confidences molded by cultures. The robust African religious traditions in the region have muted the voice of academic skeptics who have questioned the ability to prove for certain that African religions survived oppressive conditions of colonialism in the Americas. Caribbean, religion, economics, culture and history have remained secured to nations on the continental of both the Central America and South America which almost as toughly as the county is connected by the popular games cricket and soccer. Also, one of the distinguishing characteristics of their culture is the emergence of cults or religious groups. Santeria, a religion enthusiastically encountered amongst Hispanic inhabitants in the country of United States. It is significant for forces of the police to think of that this creed by the aforementioned does not nurture overt illegal doings. Nevertheless, the creed is frequently used by offenders to substitute and supplement their illegal boldness. Also followers often sense they are protected by the divinities and consequently, can act in impulsive and unanticipated behaviors that could jeopardize the security of the officers. It is important that these people should be respected for them to respect other people as well. With the strong beliefs and cultural background of the Afro-Caribbean, being in the limelight of their own culture paves their way to the limelight of other cultures as well. They are able to adapt to the changes but still, able to include their own to give uniqueness to the way they express themselves.
Afro-Caribbean or African Caribbean are people with ancestral heritages from Africa who wandered through the Caribbean islands. These people have a unique set of values compared to other African tribes; they differ mainly on their customs, diet, migration history as well as language (Cruickshank, n.p.). However, the use of this term, Afro-Caribbean still finds its challenge as to what or to whom it must be really coined. Current Afro-Caribbean people are said to differ their health status compared to their great ancestors. Being different from the general African groups, they are being ignored by many.
With their diverse values and tastes for things, the type of art fashioned by many Afro-Caribbean people are said to be modern. This is evident with the local arts that existed in vast places of the island even before the 20th century added by the works of itinerant artists from Europe. Happy to be distinguished with their Caribbean roots, they became more focused on showcasing their own kind of art. Unfortunately, with scarce resources, they could not afford to leisurely make art, hence, expressed their passion in carnivals and other performing arts. The Caribbean turned out to be a trend muse in Europe in the year 1920. Many people of the Afro-Caribbean became popular during this time, making out connections with those they are culturally attached. However, they attracted racial awareness and foreshadowed the black physical characteristics in sculpture and painting. With the changes happening with colonial administrations and political power, interests of the Afro-Caribbean penetrated these as well as that of the middle class. They also attracted the sentiments of people for nationalist cultural that made its way through the 1930s. A big leap to the compliant cultural center for Europe and America, Afro-Caribbean left the exotica way. Both of the primitive European ways and ideas are welcomed to interact with that of the Africans.
The art of Afro-Caribbean was characterized by combination of elegances. Local themes were encouraged since the people were autonomous and lived freely from expatriate ties. Some artists played with comparatively talent deco arrangements for sculpture or even with contemporary impressionist as well as post-impressionist elegances for painting. Other artists were captured by the landscape painting and traditional figures while some of the, still continue to incorporate what they inherited from their African roots. They used their spiritual side to give styles and produce art.
With the combination of their knowledge, Afro-Caribbean produced works that were viewed as their cultural expression. It resulted to a challenging, inelegant and tense kind of art. An analogous resurrection of ingenuity by the lower class people was observed across having the mainstream of local aesthetic. The self-taught artists produce works that are more related to their African roots, to the art produced from their spiritual and traditional sides. These were evident with the integrated and varied expenditure of colors, overall patterning, and manifestation of printed narratives and evenness of forms suggestive of weave design. African methods are also very noticeable as they manifest it in polishing woods, honing, selecting and dying. They do these in sculptures where they alleged it as objects of supremacy. Afro-Caribbean spiritual and medicinal meanings are very important in the different religions that surround them.
Caribbean culture is one of the different ethos in the world which gives so much importance to their religion. Religion plays a vital role in connecting their past to the present Afro-Caribbean people. With different kind of religions, one binding element for all of these is that they have resilient African influences that collect their African traditional memory; they are creole confidences molded by cultures (Murrell 204). Afro-Caribbean remain to engender intercontinental interest that then encouraged an enormous part of collected works worthy and that of academic education. Their strong hold of their religion made the voice of academic doubters mute; these doubters have interrogated the ability of Afro-Caribbean to prove that African faiths endured domineering situations of colonization through the America. Most of the scholars who studied the society of afro-Caribbean say that, they were able to track the importance of culture and religion to the lives of many people (Murrell 137). Africans were able to bring their preserved cultures during the colonialism era.
The different religions of the Afro- Caribbean advanced from recognized African Traditional Religions (ATRs) to the present form called creole. Many scholarly works are being produced regarding the rich religious culture of Afro-Caribbean. Afro-Caribbean people continued to flourish the scene in different fields of the arts such as media, films and pop music. Numerous artists uninhibited the indigenous lingua franca for a better and flexible style; they are now wide-open to art teaching from out of the country and disenchanted with fine art arrangements in their landmasses. Some of the Afro-Caribbean people explored more the African imagery to counteract the effects of western teaching. Their works of art were allegedly thought to challenge the values and styles of the westerners; however, they just showcased what they have, and that is the class and racial awareness.
Afro-Caribbean art represents post- modern obsessions with traditional identity and assortment. It also subsequently enticed attention from other regions. Art by Afro-Caribbean is still tightly connected to the concept of provincial identity and inherited heritage. Recently, their exhibits represent mocking acceptance of their cultural commemoration that has various styles like off the wall works and installations that depicts unconventional settings. These also explain the modern European primitive ideas well as African traditions. Now, Afro-Caribbean artists being tied up with their past, makes their art seem to be persuasive and proves that they are still contending with the multifaceted cultural antiquity of their region. Knowledgeable art condemnation is necessary to edify Caribbean viewers and offer substitutes to their traditional tastes and European backgrounds since some people are unenthusiastic to take the primarily mystical and black expressions as prized mirror image depicting their heritage.
Globalization is greatly represented as the development that harvests a circumstance of global connectedness, like those of the technology, economy, politics and culture (Steger, n.p.).
A better quantity of communication amongst groups and persons in numerous country states and values encounter each other recurrently because of the showcasing of art and culture of people. Culture tradeoff is a main part affected by the expansions that are results of globalization. The outcomes are regarded to be contingent in a way the societal alters the products which are understood to be advantageous. The transmission of cultural standards from one setting to another by means of numerous communiqué networks such internet, media and cultural shows.
Caribbean culture can be recognized upfront since it is a dominated culture brought by the development of the place as time goes on. The district developed virtuously as an instrument for producing prosperity by means of labor of dominated and incarcerated people, for Europe. During the globalization period, slaughter on the broadest scale occurred; huge statistics of
African people were powerfully taken away since their motherland just to be slaves in their county and also, civilization was ruined. Also, assets gathered from natural means of took the nations were in use from countries to supplement Europe and discrimination of the greatest disgraceful authoritative form was established as the ‘scientific theory’. There remained a clear existence of a Eurocentric standard, which are manifested in ways the humanity is prearranged at the legal level as well as the political one. In addition, the cultural dominion where superior value is positioned on traditional merchandises that is evidently European. These principles are made by groups of persons though and are thought the industrialized way as line of attack to life (Lefever, np). A lot of these are indoctrinated at church and school. The subsidiary principles had to discover approaches to house the overriding culture, consequently keeping a logic of uniqueness by preparation on its particular ontology. Given the tightness amongst the African and Eurocentric and in the culture ,it is for that reason not astonishing that at present are challenged views roughly on anything that associates the African identity. This Creole nation in progress from an overriding African construction, which is considered as the conquered philosophy of the preponderance population, their actions are based on what the effect will be on every individual (Lefever, n.p.). Wholly, beliefs will have specific degree of flexibility to the amount that new principles can encourage the homegrown culture ever since philosophies are not motionless, and are encompassed of personalities who longed-for new proficiencies. Different standards will be verified and a newfangled aspect of connotation creation or newfangled understanding will be accepted, grounded on the worth that it bids to the essential cultural standards and proficiencies.
An apprehension about globalization worries its influence on cultural uniqueness. It is renowned first that national characteristics do not vary melodramatically in circumstances where great upheaval like the displacing of individuals for them to be slaves. In addition, the cultural uniqueness of the Afro-Caribbean permits them to switch amongst different kinds of conduct while recognizing and maintaining their cultural uniqueness and try fresh experiences. The problem is the consequence of a nonexistence of settlement of the ancient involvements and the sustained disjointedness that exist amongst the further Afrocentric and extra Eurocentric features of the group structure.
Many of the people of the Caribbean place proclaim that they are Buddhist, Muslim, Christian or Hindu. But nowadays, the children of eliste creole were taught to neglect their heritage that is African. Fortunately, there are still Afro-Caribbean people who practice secretly their religion even if it is neglected by many. Afro- Caribbean faiths are verbal; they are inscribed in the temperaments and attentions of the individuals who passed it over to different generations. It is as well believed to stay Afro- Caribbean beliefs are pluralistic, thus share wide-ranging historical proficiencies (Fryer, n.p.). Their religion stayed alive, the other which arrived on the latter part disappeared. Some continued in physical separation, others flourished in interdependence with greater assemblies and Christianity. Some sprouted and binge while others stonewashed in remembrance and became nonexistent. The persistent ethnicities spread and sustained to flourish, after the circumstances that bore the people disappeared. The relocation features of incarcerated Africans predisposed the survival and spread of their national civilizations in the Americas (Fryer, n.p.). The flourish of these religions and principles of the Caribbean community followed no methodical arrangements, and their conservation is neither undeviating all through the county nor predisposed by one disaster. Cross- cultural dissemination occurred from corner to corner numerous countries and landmass states and between ethnic assemblies as a consequence of the trade with colonies and the undertaking of slaves after one group to another as well as from estate to estate. Caribbean people still have their fight in God even though many disallowed colonial European indulgent of the God’s opinion of human dealings with orientation to Africans.
Religions found in Africa implemented distinctly features of the Caribbean; they merged European to African plus other cultures. In the setting of their foreign involvement, they syncretize fundamentals of ATRs, Amerindian religions, Christianity, as well as that of Hinduism and Islam. They produced diverse classes of religious expressions which met the psychological, spiritual and social essentials not fulfilled in reputable religions. Africans, adapted, reshaped and modified thoughts of the consecrated, liturgical practices, ritual tendencies, musical and lyric styles, the dances and use of drums, as well as religious symbols and myths. They took them principally from Catholicism and African faiths, to form fundamentals of spiritual ethnicities of their personal carving. Particular spiritual practitioners are not used to the classification of “creole” faiths, because it suggests a less untouched arrangement of African religion. Numerous theories connected to “creolization” of faith surrounded by incarcerated Africans remain tendered. One is that the incorporation of Catholic hagiography obsessed by African faiths was such an alteration strategy, for the perspective of the Church, to win transfigures. Second would be that the implementation of saints forenames and representative types in Orisha, Candomble, Santeria and Vodou was an premeditated calculated mechanism for the side of initial Afro- Caribbean individuals. Also, it includes that the familiarity of Africans with Christianity, on the landmass of Africa, ended it relaxed and natural for people to produce their faiths with the Catholic hagiography. Lastly, it is that the sensation was a usual cooperation of Catholicism and ATR’s due to the theology of the church.
Calypso started the unique music style of the people of the Caribbean. It is a combination of folk songs of the Africa and rooted from the West African nation. It depicts their lives in the plantation. Kaiso, the music sung by those Africans who were made as slaves was used to invite the people to unity. Also they have Shanty, a song were in it covers the true language; only the African slaves understand the song since it was their way to talk about the hardships they were undergoing from their masters. In 1914, the recording of first Calypso was done. Also, regarding the uniqueness of Afro-Caribbean women in preserving their culture, they manifest it in their eating patterns. Women of the Afro-Caribbean society have cooking lifestyle and traditions that differs immeasurably from different races of African women such as those considered as African-American. Women of the Afro-Caribbean made a context by partaking the way their home-grown community incorporated an active standard of living and more tranquil existing pace. Their healthier food selection which includes natural and homegrown food and those food preparation activities were considered as their exercise. Women of the Afro-Caribbean society thought that for a better and healthier lifestyle, they do not need to still follow their traditions; thus adopting the lifestyle of the people of America since it was difficult to retain their traditions as the culture of America does not blend well with theirs. Women of the Afro-Caribbean society agreed to the fact that their choice of migrating to the country of United States transformed their food preparation styles and food choices as well as their lifestyle as a whole. They distinguished that right to use to Caribbean foodstuff was conceivable because of the many existing Asian, Caribbean and African marketplaces situated in their country. However, the fast pace of the lifestyle of Americans was very far from what they are used to in their homeland. Additionally, they distinguished that Americans put pesticides and other chemicals to their foodstuff to preserve them, thus, the nutritional value is varied.
One of the prominent religions of the Afro-Caribbean is the Santeria. It is now widely practiced through the vast country of North America ever since the Latin Americans migrated to the nation. Their rituals are said to be bizarre and are often reported as criminal activity. Santeria is a Hispanic’s religion that originated in Cuba. Santeria blends Christianity and African religion together like those of the other African cults (Juncker, n.p.). Many nations introduced Christianity to the Africans such as France, Spain and Portugal. They did it so that the slaves can survive with their culture. Santeria are known to have goddesses and gods from the origin of West Africa; one of which is the Yoruba which originated from southwestern Nigeria.
Based on the beliefs of Santeria, every person is born with a saint guardian or what they call the Orsha. This saint guardian should be worshiped and followed by the person all through his life. The saint guardian is the center of all magic and rituals that are performed by people involved in the Santeria. People use roots, plants, flowers and herbs in their rituals and are purchased in stores they call the botanicas (Juncker, n.p.). Those formal rituals of Santeria uses sacrificial animals, one example is a bird. Every saint guardian is said to be fed by the offered animal or bird; it is also believed that the offerings are based on the preferred food of the saint. Also, some of the common offerings include turtles, blood of roosters and goats. Only few types of birds are usually offered and these include hens, canaries and pigeons (Irete, n.p.). As their ritual starts, it is said that the offered animal absorbs the evil spirit from the victim.
The rituals of Santeria are primarily done to resolve or end conflicts among and within persons. Practitioners are supposed to attain relief from numerous systems of physical, emotional and social incapacities. Santeria is a religion of benevolence and neutral magic (Juncker, n.p.). They do not promote activities which can harm other people but it includes some practices that are malevolent in nature. Thus, the increase in reports regarding their rituals which are often too malicious since other could not understand their beliefs and culture.
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