Carnival Music in Trinidad: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture (review)

Carnival Music in Trinidad is one of the case study volumes in the Global Music Series edited by Bonnie C. Wade and Patricia Shehan Campbell and published by Oxford University Press USA. This series aims to create a new paradigm for the teaching of courses covering world music and ethnomusicology in which "instructors can now design their own courses; choosing from a set of case study volumes, they can decide which and how much music they will teach" (ix). Although it is written with classroom use in mind, the general reader will find this an interesting and accessibly written introduction to Trinidadian society and culture. As with all books in the series, Carnival Music in Trinidad comes with a companion CD packaged in the back cover of the volume; in fact, the price of the paperback edition is comparable to the retail price of most commercial CDs.

In Chapter 1, "Carnival and Society," Dudley sets the ethnographic scene by describing Carnival 2000, acquainting the reader with the DJ trucks and pretty mas' (masquerade) of contemporary Trinidad. He then introduces the central themes that unite the following chapters: tradition, social identity, and performance context and function. The chapter continues with an overview of Trinidadian society, the history of carnival from 1900 to the present (with particular emphasis on the African contribution to this celebration), and an overview of musical traditions not associated with carnival, such as Spiritual Baptist hymns, Orisha drumming, and the music associated with Hindu and Muslim public celebrations. Examples from these traditions are included on the companion CD. As with all audio examples, there are listening activities for the reader to follow at home or the instructor to use in the classroom.

Chapter 2, "The Man of Words," is an obvious homage to the work of folklorist Roger Abrahams in documenting the verbal art of the West Indies. This chapter focuses primarily on calypso texts, connecting representative examples from different points in the history of calypso from 1900 to the present. Included are the first recorded calypso, "Iron Duke in the Land," as well as examples from calypsonians Lord Kitchner, the Mighty Sparrow, The Mighty Chalkdust, David Rudder, and Singing Sandra. This is the only weak chapter in the book, and might have benefited from being combined with the following chapter.

Chapter 3, "Calypso in the Tent and on the Road," elaborates further on calypso music, addressing the performance contexts for calypso as well as stylistic developments from the early twentieth century to the present. Dudley contrasts songs that emphasize a narrative message, humor and satire—music for the Trinidad calypso tents with music for Carnival fêtes and masquerade—music for the road on Carnival Monday and Tuesday. This chapter is a very thorough examination of the instrumentation, form, harmonic structure, and rhythmic features of calypso music, and discusses how all of these stylistic features have changed over time based on the contributions of various calypsonians. Listening activities involve five calypsos from different points in the music's history, including "Jean and Dinah" by the Mighty Sparrow and "High Mas" by David Rudder.

Chapter 4, "The National Instrument," and Chapter 5, "Steelband Repertoire," are the strongest chapters in the book, coming as no surprise considering Dudley's expertise in the Trinidad steelband as both an ethnomusicologist and performer. Chapter 4 covers the history and development of the steel pan from the tamboo bamboo ensembles of the early twentieth century through various innovations in design and tuning as well as the development of the different pans that make up the contemporary steel orchestra. The three-part texture of the steelband—melody, strummed chords, and bass—is discussed in detail, including the form, texture, and rhythmic feel of steelband arrangements. The chapter includes many useful photographs and diagrams that will be particularly helpful for the non-specialist.

Chapter 5 covers the variety of genres that make up the repertoire...