African Folklore: An Encyclopedia - Marshalls University

African Americans 95
and Trinidad. Some chants form part of liturgical antiphonies and are unaccompanied by
the drum, which is integral to the performance of the majority of the sacred songs.
Call-and-Response Mechanisms
Traditional folk melodies are short and repetitive, with call-and-response patterning being
basic to many Caribbean song, instrumental, and performance styles. Even in
conversation, it is normal for the listener to underline the speaker’s discourse by uttering
“ok,” “yes,” or vocables to signal that the hearer is comprehending, and that the personal
interaction is taking place. Apart from the structural principle of antiphony, whether of
lead-singer and chorus, or alternating pitch sequences, another structural device is rhyme,
either of consecutive or alternating lines. In addition, even or near-even syllable quantity
appears to be one of the structural properties of blocks of lines or breath-groups in
calypso and dancehall songs.
It is still possible to detect the melodic and rhythmic legacies of Akan, Fon, Yoruba,
and Central African musical traditions in Caribbean folksongs, along with those from
France, Spain, Portugal, and England.
Although call-and-response mechanisms and choruses make for regularity, stock
melodic phrases and rhythmic patterns may also constitute formulaic structures that allow
new songs to be formed. This was the manner in which the stock of traditional folksongs
was replenished. The methodology is still revived in extempore calypso composition in
Trinidad where performers utilize a narrow range of melodies, and in the reggae and
dancehall song genres in Jamaica where various rhythmic sequences become attractive to
other singers, who exploit the effectiveness of these established rhythms in creating new
songs.
Popular Songs
Thematically, Caribbean popular song has focused on social commentary and complaint,
exaltation of the song genre itself, incitement to dance and sexual activity, boasts, and
celebration of spiritual forces. Under the influence of European and North American song
traditions, some singers also treat romantic love, but the treatment of love in the
indigenous tradition has been male centered in its predatory and misogynist inclinations.
On the other hand, the sentimental Arabic treatment of love as passed through the
Spanish tradition, together with the high demographic presence of whites in Spanish
Caribbean populations, have meant that the theme of romantic love has continued to be
vigorous in the Hispanophone Caribbean.
With the increase in quality and variety of audiovisual technologies, contemporary
Caribbean song genres enjoy strong local, regional, and in some cases, international
popularity. Song types such as Haitian kompa, St. Lucian kadance, Guadeloupean and
Martinican zouk, Jamaican reggae, and Trinidadian soca are outgrowths of traditional
song types, both sacred and secular, now blended with musical influences from
contemporary India, Africa, Europe, North and Latin America. Meanwhile, the spread of
rural electrification and easy access to radio, television and cable, the wide diffusion of