ABSTRACT
Drums are an important element across African cultures. They are used as a form of communication in a number of ways beyond the beautiful rhythms in the music. However, in an attempt to dehumanise and sever any identity these individuals had, the Europeans attempted to take this tradition away from them. Trinidad was unique in the sense that the Africans on the island preserved many of their traditions. Despite the ban on drumming, the Africans on the island were resilient and still engaged in small intimate carnivals after celebrating Western holidays. Over time, the calypso and soca music the readers see today and the use of steel pans seen in Trinidad and across the Caribbean has preserved its African heritage. For example, “polymetric ensemble drumming, call-and-response between performers and the audience, and the use of repetitive lyrics that appear in multiple songs performed by multiple artists over a long period of time” are all very similar.
