Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents information about cariso music in the Virgin Islands.
This post also showcases a 1957 YouTube sound file of the 1848 Virgin Isles cariso (folk song) "Clear De Road" that was recorded by Marie Richards.
The lyrics to that song that were provided as sub-titles are also included in this post.
The Addendum to this post presents a song list & audio clips of "Clear De Road" and other folk songs that were recorded by Marie Richards.
The content of this post is presented for historical and folkloric purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the unknown composer/s of this song and thanks to Marie Richards for recording it. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube.
-snip-
Click the "clear the road songs and chants" for other pancocojams post about songs and chants with that title or those key words.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT CARISO MUSIC IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_the_Virgin_Islands
..."The Virgin Islander cariso tradition is extinct in a true folk context, but remains an important symbol of Crucian culture, and is performed by folkloric ensembles for educational and holiday events. Carisos were still performed as late as the 1990s by several elderly singers, most famously Ethel McIntosh and Leona Watson. Though similar in some ways to quelbe, cariso is more African in its melodic style, frequent sustained syllables and traditional performance context, namely women singing in groups in call-and-response. Carisos, like quelbe, commemorate historical events, and spread news and opinions about important issues.[1] One particularly famous cariso dates to 1848, and documents the emancipation of the slaves; the first segment is the refrain, sung by a chorus, which is followed by a verse performed by a soloist singer:
Clear the road, all you clear the road, Clear the road, let the slave them pass, We a go for a-we freedom.
Hardship in the morning, suffering at night. No one ever help us, it is only Father Ryan. They bring we ya from Africa, that we bornin' land; Bring we ya in slavery, in the land of Santa Cruz.[5]”...
-snip-
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cariso for information about cariso music in Trinidad. Here's the first sentence from that page: "Cariso is a kind of Trinidadian folk music, and an important ancestor of calypso music.”
****
SHOWCASE SOUND FILE: Clear de Road - Marie Richards
Riddim Galore, Jul 3, 2013
Marie Richards, St. Croix, 1957
This cariso expresses the hardships of slavery and remembers the events that led to the proclamation of freedom on July 3,1848. Marie Richards (1890-1960), the performer of this song, was born on the island of St. Maarten and came to St. Croix as a young woman. Although she was not a cariso singer she sings this cariso song as she remembers it. The song demonstrates what must have been a characteristic element of cariso and clearly shows the African influence on this song style: the rhythm of the melody "floats" relatively freely while a strict meter is kept on the drum; only shortly before the end of the phrases do the accents of the singing and the drum beats coincide. This recording was made in 1957 by Raymond and Hazel Higdon, owners of the first radio station in St. Croix.
Song: Clear The Road
Artist: Marie Richards
Album: Zoop! Zoop! Zoop!
****
LYRICS: CLEAR DE ROAD*
[1848 Virgin Island cariso]
Clear de road, ah yo’ clear de road
Clear de road let de slave pas, we a’ go fo’ ah’ we freedom.
Hardship in de mornin’, sufferin’ in de night
No one ever help us, it is only Father Ryan.
Dey bring we her from Africa, das we bornin land.
Bring we ya in slavery, in de land of Santa Cruz.
Clear de road, ah yo’ clear de road.
Clear de road let de slave pas, we a’ go fo’ ah’ we freedom.
We no want no bloodshed, not a drop of bloodshed.
What we want is freedom, oh gi’ ah’we freedom.
We no want no bloodshed, not a drop of bloodshed.
What we want is freedom, oh gi’ ah’we freedom.
Come leh ah’we go to town, leh we meet de Gen’ral
Gen’ral name is buddhoe, he gon’ gi’ we freedom.
Clear de road, ah yo’ clear de road
Clear de road let de slave pas, we a’ go fo’ ah’we freedom.
Governor von Scholten, da Governor von Scholten
Stretch he power till he crack, and he write down ah’we freedom
Clear de road, ah yo’ clear de road
Clear de road let de slave pas, we a’ go fo’ ah’ we freedom.
-snip-
*These lyrics are given as they were presented in the sub-titles in that YouTube video, except for verse formats.
-snip-
Here's some information about this song from https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=5054
"This type of song is called a "cariso". They were sung as a call-and-response among women, commemorating an historical even or used to spread news. This specific cariso is about the emancipation of 1848. Traditionally, one woman would sing the verse and the group would sing the chorus.
[...]
Notes
General Buddhoe is actually the former slave Moses Gottlieb. He helped organize the rebellion that helped the slaves on St, Croix (aka Santa Cruz) gain their freedom in 1848."...
****
ADDENDUM- SONG LIST FOR ANOTHER RECORD ALBUM BY MARIE RICHARDS WITH ADDITIONAL TEXT FROM THAT PAGE*
From: https://stjohnhistoricalsociety.org/media/music/marie-richards-in-folklore-melodies/
Side A
MISS SUE
BOMBOOSHAY AND ROAST-a-time
THESE BEAUTIFUL VIRGIN ISLES
MOM GOOSE COME OUT OF YOUR HOLE-Poem
GET ON THE BEAT TO SUNSHINE STREET-Poem
KEEP AWAY FROM ROGER BRIDGE
STAND ON YOUR FEET AND FIGHT- Poem
THE STORY OF 1878-Poem
Side B
POT ON FIRE
POND BUSH CRAB
DON, TIE DA DONKEY DOWN DEH
DEFENDING MY DOLLAR
CRAB & RICE
MY ADVICE
BANG STUFFY SARAH
CLEAR THE ROAD
It is with great pleasure and pride that the Virgin Islands Music Company presents this album by Marie Richards.
From the Virgin Islands comes songs and melodies composed, played, and sung by Marie Richards, who through her untiring efforts to help her fellow man, as a nurse lost her sight. Even though she has been blind form many years, she wears a smile and is always willing to give a helping hand when she can.
Marie is often seen at charitable affairs dressed in her Carnival costume beating her drum or strumming her guiter and singing her folk songs which are so near to her heart. The songs are about the food the Virgin Islanders enjoy, places in the Islands, Carnival & History of the Islands.
“FOLKLORES MELODIES” for dancing, easy listening, or a valuable collectors album.
-snip-
The audio file that is available on that page are for side B of that album.
*Information about this album and a link to the album were given in the discussion thread for YouTube sound file that is embedded above.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment