ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the relationship between migration and the process of regionalization of cultural identity by focusing on the labor migration from Curaao to Cuba in the beginning of the twentieth century. It considers how labor migration contributed to constructing the cultural identity of the Curaaoan population and how this affected musical life in Curaao. The importance of interregional migration is neglected, especially the cultural impact of movements of groups within the Caribbean before and after the abolition of slavery. Interregional migration in the Caribbean has long been a coping strategy for members of the poorer class of societies. The period of United States (US) military occupation of Cuba also complicated matters of raceIn Cuba, migrants from Curaao were reconnected both with people from other African Diaspora groups with cultural practices and beliefs they might have forgotten in the course of their history.
