Culture of Grenada

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Grenada's French colonists brought their culture, as did the African slaves they brought across the Atlantic for agricultural work. Indians have also influenced the island culture in more recent years.

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With the passing of the Slave Trade Act 1807 by the British Parliament and the subsequent abolishing of slavery, indentured labor from India was procured at a very large scale.

The first ship, named the Maidstone, departed from Calcutta, India on January 27, 1857, and arrived a few months later on May 1. In all, 3,206 East Indians arrived in Grenada by 1885. Only 380 of them returned to India. The Indians made many contributions to Grenada. Indian Arrival Day was celebrated in 2007 on the 150th anniversary, for the first time since the centenary celebration in 1957. [1]

The Indians later on assimilated with the existing Africans, Europeans and other ethnicities intermarrying with each other. This very much influenced the culture and cuisine of Grenada.

Cuisine

The national dish, oil down, is a combination of breadfruit, coconut milk, turmeric (misnamed saffron), dumplings, callaloo (taro leaves), and salted meat such as saltfish (cod), [2] smoked herring or salt beef. It is often cooked in a large pot, commonly referred to by locals as a karhee, or curry pot. Popular street foods include aloo pie, doubles, and dal puri [3] served wrapped around a curry, commonly goat, and fried bakes and fish cakes. Sweets include kurma, guava cheese, fudge or barfi, tamarind balls, rum-raisin ice cream, currant rolls, and Grenadian spice cake.

Music and festivals

Music plays a significant part in Grenadian culture, with the annual Carnival competition generating new soca and calypso material in August. The rest of the time soca, calypso, and reggae are popular. Zouk music has also been imported to Grenada from other French Caribbean islands recently. Other local celebrations include the National Dance Festival and Independence Day. [4]

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The music of Trinidad and Tobago is best known for its calypso music, soca music, chutney music, and steelpan. Calypso's internationally noted performances in the 1950s from native artists such as Lord Melody, Lord Kitchener and Mighty Sparrow. The art form was most popularised at that time by Harry Belafonte. Along with folk songs and African- and Indian-based classical forms, cross-cultural interactions have produced other indigenous forms of music including soca, rapso, parang, chutney, and other derivative and fusion styles. There are also local communities which practice and experiment with international classical and pop music, often fusing them with local steelpan instruments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roti</span> South Asian flatbread

Roti is a round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent. It is commonly consumed in many South Asian countries.

Jamaican cuisine includes a mixture of cooking techniques, flavours and spices influenced by Amerindian, African, Irish, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern people who have inhabited the island. It is also influenced by the crops introduced into the island from tropical Southeast Asia, many of which are now grown locally. A wide variety of seafood, tropical fruits and meats are available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Arrival Day</span> Holiday

Indian Arrival Day is a holiday celebrated on various days in the nations of the Caribbean, Fiji, South Africa and Mauritius, commemorating the arrival of people from the Indian subcontinent to their respective nations as indentured labours brought by European colonial authorities and their agents. In Guyana, Mauritius, Fiji and Trinidad and Tobago, where it started, it is an official public holiday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinidad and Tobago cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago has a unique history and its food is influenced by Indian-South Asian, West African, Creole, European, American, Chinese, Amerindian, and Latin American culinary styles. Trinidadian and Tobagonian food is dominated by a wide selection of dishes, most notably, doubles, pelau, callaloo and curried crab and dumplings. Trinidad and Tobago is also known for its prepared provisions, such as dasheen, sweet potato, eddoes, cassava, yam, soups and stews, also known as blue food across the country. Corresponding to the Blue Food Day event held annually in Trinidad and Tobago.

The music of Grenada has included the work of several major musicians, including Eddie Bullen, David Emmanuel, one of the best-selling reggae performers ever, and Mighty Sparrow, a calypsonian. The island is also known for jazz, most notably including Eddie Bullen, a pianist, songwriter and record producer currently residing in Canada. Kingsley Etienne, a keyboardist, while the Grenadan-American Joe Country & the Islanders have made a name in country music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian</span> Ethnic group

Indo-Trinidadians and Tobagonians or Indian-Trinidadians and Tobagonians are people of Indian origin who are nationals of Trinidad and Tobago whose ancestors came from India and the wider subcontinent beginning in 1845 during the period of colonization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African cuisine</span> Cuisine of South Africa

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The culture of Trinidad and Tobago reflects the influence of Indian-South Asian, African, Indigenous, European, Chinese, North American, Latino, and Arab cultures. The histories of Trinidad and Tobago are different. There are differences in the cultural influences which have shaped each island. Trinidad and Tobago is an English-speaking country with strong links to the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Dominica</span> Overview of the culture of Dominica

The culture of Dominica is formed by the inhabitants of the Commonwealth of Dominica. Dominica is home to a wide range of people. Although it was historically occupied by several native tribes, it was the Taíno and Island Caribs (Kalinago) tribes that remained by the time European settlers reached the island. "Massacre" is a name of a river dedicated to the murders of the native villagers by both French and British settlers, because the river "ran red with blood for days." Each claimed the island and imported slaves from Africa. The remaining Caribs now live on a 3,700-acre (15 km2) Carib Territory on the east coast of the island. They elect their own chief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Callaloo</span> Caribbean vegetable dish

Callaloo is a plant used in popular dishes in many Caribbean countries, while for other Caribbean countries, a stew made with the plant is called callaloo. Cuisines including the plant Callaloo or dishes called callaloo varies throughout the Caribbean. Countries like Jamaica and Belize refer to an indigenous green leaf vegetable, Caribbean amaranth, as callaloo. In countries such as Trinidad and Tobago or Grenada, the dish itself is called callaloo, and uses taro leaves or Xanthosoma leaves.

Indo-Guyanese or Indian-Guyanese, are Guyanese nationals of Indian origin who trace their ancestry to India and the wider subcontinent. They are the descendants of indentured servants and settlers who migrated from India beginning in 1838, and continuing during the British Raj.

The Culture of Saint Lucia blends the influences of African, French, and English heritage. The official language of the island is English but kwéyèol(creole) and English creole, a form of French patois, remains an influential secondary language. The people are predominantly Catholic but the religious climate is tolerant.

The Southern Caribbean is a group of islands that neighbor mainland South America in the West Indies. Saint Lucia lies to the north of the region, Barbados in the east, Trinidad and Tobago at its southernmost point, and Aruba at the most westerly section.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fried bake</span>

Fried bake is a Caribbean dish. Many West Indian nations including Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica and Grenada eat this dish. The main ingredient in fried bake is flour. It can be served in a multitude of ways. This dish is usually served with salt fish and steamed vegetables.

Indo-Grenadians or Grenadians who trace their roots to India, form the largest minority group in Grenada. This term is not generally recognized by Grenadians or indeed Caribbeans. They usually refer to themselves simply as Grenadian or possibly Caribbean. This group was first introduced during the second half of the 19th century when Grenada experimented with indentured labour. By the second half of the 20th century Indians were so integrated into Grenada’s society that a distinct Indian cultural identity was generally invisible. In addition, Indians were involved in every aspect of Grenadian life. Currently there are over 12,000 Grenadians of Indian and mixed-Indian descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Suriname</span>

Surinamese culture has strong Asian, African and European influences. The population is mainly composed of the contribution of people from India, Africa, China, Europe, and Indonesia, as well as indigenous peoples who lived in the area, before the arrival of European settlers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oil down</span> Grenadan stew

Oil down is a salted meat and vegetable stew that is the national dish of Grenada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grenada–India relations</span> Bilateral relations

Grenada–India relations refers to the international relations that exist between Grenada and India. The High Commission of India in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago is concurrently accredited to Grenada. Grenada has no diplomatic mission in India.

References

  1. "I came, I saw, and I cooked it: Indian Arrival Day". The Nomadic Gourmet. May 1, 2008. Archived from the original on May 28, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  2. Saltfish accra- NomadicGourmet.com Archived 2010-01-06 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Roti Dalpuri- NomadicGourmet.com Archived 2010-01-12 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Gilad James, PhD. Introduction to Grenada. Gilad James Mystery School. ISBN   9785332203732.