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Benna (alternatively spelled bennah, or called ditti) is a genre of Antiguan and Barbudan music.
Benna is a calypso-like genre, characterized by scandalous gossip and a call-and-response format. It first appeared during slavery, and became a form of folk communication in the early 20th century, and it spread local news across the islands. [1] John Quarkoo was a singer who used the genre to criticize oppressors of black people. It was the main genre of non-religious music in the region until the 1950s, after which was replaced by the popularity of Trinidad calypso. [2]
Antigua and Barbuda is a sovereign island country in the Caribbean. It lies at the conjuncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles.
Barbuda is an island located in the eastern Caribbean forming part of the twin-island state of Antigua and Barbuda as an autonomous entity. Barbuda is located approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of Antigua. The sole settlements on the island are Codrington and its surrounding localities. Barbuda is a flat island with the western portion being dominated by Codrington Lagoon, and the eastern portion being dominated by the low-lying Barbuda Highlands, with salty ponds and scrubland spread throughout the island. The climate is classified as tropical marine.
Soca music is a genre of music defined by Lord Shorty, its inventor, as the "Soul of Calypso", which has influences of African and East Indian rhythms. It was originally spelled "sokah" by its inventor but through an error in a local newspaper when reporting on the new music it was erroneously spelled "soca"; Lord Shorty confirmed the error but chose to leave it that way to avoid confusion. It is a genre of music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 1970s and developed into a range of styles during the 1980s and after. Soca was initially developed by Lord Shorty in an effort to revive traditional calypso, the popularity of which had been flagging amongst younger generations in Trinidad due to the rise in popularity of reggae from Jamaica and soul and funk from the United States. Soca is an offshoot of calypso/kaiso, with influences from East Indian rhythms and hooks.
Calypso is a style of Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the early to mid-19th century and spread to the rest of the Caribbean Antilles by the mid-20th century. Its rhythms can be traced back to West African Kaiso and the arrival of French planters and their slaves from the French Antilles in the 18th century.
The music of the Lesser Antilles encompasses the music of this chain of small islands making up the eastern and southern portion of the West Indies. Lesser Antillean music is part of the broader category of Caribbean music; much of the folk and popular music is also a part of the Afro-American musical complex, being a mixture of African, European and indigenous American elements. The Lesser Antilles' musical cultures are largely based on the music of African slaves brought by European traders and colonizers. The African musical elements are a hybrid of instruments and styles from numerous West African tribes, while the European slaveholders added their own musics into the mix, as did immigrants from India. In many ways, the Lesser Antilles can be musically divided based on which nation colonized them.
The following is an alphabetical list of topics related to the nation of Antigua and Barbuda.
The music of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines includes thriving music scenes based on Big Drum, calypso, soca, steelpan and also reggae. String band music, quadrille, bélé music and traditional storytelling are also popular.
The music of Antigua and Barbuda is largely African in character, and has only felt a limited influence from European styles due to the population of Antigua and Barbuda descending mostly from West Africans who were made slaves by Europeans.
The Antigua and Barbuda national football team is the national team of Antigua and Barbuda, founded in 1928 and is controlled by the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association, a member of the CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union (CFU). The team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup or the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The Antiguan Carnival is a celebration of the emancipation of slavery in the country held annually from the end of July to the first Tuesday in August. The most important day is that of the j'ouvert, in which brass and steel bands perform for much of the island's population. Barbuda's Carnival, held in June, is known as Caribana. The Antiguan and Barbudan Carnivals replaced the Old Time Christmas Festival in 1957, with hopes of inspiring tourism in Antigua and Barbuda. Some elements of the Christmas Festival remain in the modern Carnival celebrations.
The traditions of West Africa and the United Kingdom have the biggest impact on the culture of Antigua and Barbuda. As a crucial component of its culture, Antigua and Barbuda also has its own creole language.
The Antigua and Barbuda national under-20 football team represents Antigua and Barbuda in international football at this age level and is controlled by the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association.
Duckunoo or duckanoo, also referred to as tie-a-leaf, blue drawers (draws), dokonon, and dukunou is a dessert in Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, French Guiana and some other Lesser Antilles. It is a variation on the dish ducana which originated in Africa. The Caribbean cuisine dish is made from batata, sweet potato, coconut, spices and brown sugar, all tied up in a banana leaf. It is then cooked in boiling water.
Ringbang is a Caribbean fusion of music genres propounded by Eddy Grant in 1994.
The Antigua and Barbuda women's national football team, nicknamed The Benna Girls, is the national women's football team of Antigua and Barbuda and is overseen by the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association, a member of the CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union.
Sir MacLean Emanuel, better known as King Short Shirt, is an Antiguan singer, best known as one of Antigua's longest standing and most successful calypsonians, but later producing gospel music.
Connor Peters is a professional footballer who plays for Wingate & Finchley. Born in England, he represents the Antigua and Barbuda national team.
D'Andre Jerome Bishop is an Antiguan footballer who plays as a forward for Croatian third tier club Belišće and the Antigua and Barbuda national team.